You just got home from a long day at the office. The snow made your drive twice as long or the bus you took wasn’t heated. Whatever the reason, winter is just starting, but you’re ready for it to be over. The holidays are stressful, and the weather isn’t helping any, but there is no reason that you can’t make these the best couple months of the year for your business. Document management software is just the thing to cure the winter blues for you and your company.

5. Escape that seasonal depression with a bang

Gloomier months are clinically proven to make people, well…gloomy. Office productivity takes a nosedive at this time of year, especially if you’re cooped up in a gray, old building. Using a workflow system is going to not only cancel out that attitude, it will actually make your business more productive than usual. Take advantage of offerings from a software vendor that focus on version revision and secure workflow control. This is also a time when you’re more prone to making mistakes, so we’re sure you could use an extra pair of eyes.

4. Cut your paper use down significantly

Paper exchange increases during the winter months (and we’re not just talking about the green stuff). Waste creation increases during this time by about 25% in America alone. If the United States cut off paper use by just 10%, it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases. While you’re saving the planet, you’d be cutting down on the sort of resources companies waste on paper every year. So, switching to a document management system could save your company a ton of green stuff too.

3. Get a jump on the competition

Not only are December and analogous months rather mopey, they also result in less innovation while somehow increasing stress. Construction comes to a standstill, sick days are piling up, and many companies avoid starting new projects this late in the game. If you manage your files correctly, you can get the ball rolling now and keep it rolling in time for Q1. Cutting back on spending ensures the funds you need for new projects. Sick days won’t stop you from working remotely through a web-based client, and planning for the New Year can begin long before you’ve begun closing the books on this one.

2. Make holiday shopping a breeze

We’re not talking about your own shopping (although document management can free up time for that): Storefronts find themselves in the throes of some pretty confusing and disorganized times right about now. More retailers could use a way to keep their files in order. Monitoring all of the sales, returns, shipping, item transfers, and who-knows-what else can be daunting, to say the least. Take advantage of enterprise document management software when winter is rolling in, and getting customers what they need will be way less of a headache.

1. Use your new freedom to become a snowbird

Business is no longer done in one place anymore. “Office” is an unfixed idea that spans the entire globe. Whether you’re home sick or flying to Florida to spend some time with your sanity, a system like Contentverse will keep you in the loop. Mobile web access can help you locate your files without having to bring any paperwork along, and double encryption will keep your documents safe while you’re away. So, go ahead, take that much-needed vacation.

The real #1 reason…

…is that you don’t need some seasonal reason to try out document management. It’s a wise investment any time of year. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night will keep this system from helping you access your files on time. So, it’s never too late in the year to learn more. And, even if it’s hailing outside and your car is buried in snow, document management is just a click away.

This article was originally published as 5 Reasons Winter is the Best Time for Document Management by Melissa Stellwagen on December 10th, 2014.