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- Still Drowning in Paper? Here’s How to Go Fully Digital in 90 Days
Still Drowning in Paper? Here’s How to Go Fully Digital in 90 Days
Advisor's Edge
Trivia Question❓
What everyday object, once essential for office workflows, saw global production drop by nearly 50% after 2007 due to the rise of digital communication?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter
Still Drowning in Paper? Here’s How to Go Fully Digital in 90 Days
In an era where clients sign mortgages from their phones and access health records with a fingerprint, paper-based advisory firms are becoming relics of the past. If your office still has filing cabinets, printers running overtime, and “wet signature” envelopes in transit, you’re not just inefficient—you’re signaling to clients that your practice may be behind the times.
The good news? Going paperless isn’t as overwhelming as it sounds. With the right plan, the right tools, and the right mindset, most RIAs can transition to a fully digital office in just 90 days—while improving security, saving time, and delivering a better client experience.
Start by auditing your current workflows. Where are paper documents being generated? What forms are clients still printing and mailing? Identify the most common bottlenecks, and make a list of tools that can replace them. Think: e-signature platforms like DocuSign or HelloSign, digital form builders like PreciseFP, and secure file-sharing systems like ShareFile or Egnyte.
Next, create your digitization roadmap. Don’t try to do everything at once. Begin with client onboarding, then move to document storage, then internal approvals and compliance. Each stage should have clear outcomes, assigned owners, and a timeline. For most firms, the heavy lifting happens in the first 30 days—scanning legacy files, migrating forms, and training staff on new tools. The next 60 days are about refining the process and gaining confidence.
But going paperless is about more than convenience—it’s about future-readiness. Digital offices are easier to secure, easier to scale, and more attractive to both clients and potential buyers. They also improve compliance, since you can automatically archive communications and create audit trails without lifting a finger.
Most importantly, digital transformation frees your team to focus on people—not paperwork. No more chasing down forms, rekeying data, or waiting for overnight mail. You become faster, leaner, and more client-focused.
So if your desk is still cluttered with file folders and sticky notes, take this as your nudge. The future isn’t coming—it’s here. And the firms who embrace it will operate with greater speed, precision, and professionalism than those still stuck in the stacks.
Your Advisor's Edge Team
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💡 Answer to Trivia Question:
The fax machine. As email, cloud storage, and digital approvals became standard, global fax machine production sharply declined, marking a major shift away from traditional paper-based office processes.
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