The complete guide to going paperless

Going paperless is less about scanners and more about habits. Do the ten steps below in order and the paper pile stops growing by itself.

1. Decide what "paperless" means for you

Pick the outcome: no paper in the office, every document findable in under a minute, or books that never wait on a missing receipt. The goal decides how strict you need to be.

2. Stop paper at the door

Ask suppliers for emailed PDFs. Give staff one place to send documents — an inbox address or an upload page — so nothing lands in a drawer first.

3. Pick one place for every document

One shared location, one naming habit (date, supplier, amount). If you use Doctraction, that place is your document list, and the original stays attached to the record.

4. Capture on the day

A photo taken at the till beats a crumpled receipt found in March. Make "snap it now" the rule for anything you pay for.

5. Scan the backlog in batches

Work by month, newest first. Don't sort — just scan, then label the box with the date range.

6. Let software read the documents

Typing supplier, date, tax and totals is the slowest and least accurate part. Extraction does it in seconds; a person only reviews what looks unusual.

7. Check before you post

Make sure net plus tax equals the total, the date is plausible and the supplier is one you expect. Catch mistakes before they reach your ledger.

8. Publish to your accounting software with the original attached

Attach the source file to every bill or invoice, so questions from your accountant or an auditor can be answered with one click.

9. Back up and set retention

Keep the digital copies somewhere backed up and encrypted, and note how long each kind of record must be kept. Requirements vary by country, so check current local guidance.

10. Shred with confidence

Once a document is scanned, readable and attached to its record, check that the copy opens correctly — then shred the paper unless the law requires you to keep the original.