Paper vs. Digital: Investment Analysis Calculator

Calculator Instructions

Use this calculator to estimate what your organization currently spends managing paper-based documents - and what those same activities would cost in a digital environment. Fill in your own figures on the right side of the table. Your totals will calculate automatically.

Not sure how to get started? Study the sample figures in the example below, then scroll down to enter your own data in the calculator.

Step 1 - Review the Example

The image below shows a completed sample analysis. These figures represent a mid-size organization to illustrate how the calculator works. Use this as a reference as you fill in your own numbers.

Current State	Item	Future State
SECTION 1 - Document Search Labor
15	Searches per week How many times per week does staff search for, retreive, or refile a document?	15
45	Minutes per search Average time from leaving the desk to returning the file.	2
780	Searches per year System calculated	780
35,100	Minutes per year System calculated	1,560
585	Hours per year System calculated	26
$ 100	Cost per hour Hourly cost of employees who handle document retrieval (salary + benefits / 2,080 hours).	$ 100
$ 58,500	Labor cost per year System calculated	$ 2,600
SECTION 2 - On-Site Storage Costs
$ 35	Cost per sq. foot Annual cost per square foot of office/storage space (rent or mortgage allocation).	$ 0
500	Square feet of storage space Total floor space currently dedicated to filing cabinets, storage rooms, or on-site archive areas.	0
$ 17,500	Storage space cost per year System calculated	$ 0
SECTION 3 - Outsourced/Off-Site Storage Costs
$ 3,400	Outsourced storage cost/year Annual fees to an off-site storage vendor. Leave at $0 if you do not outsource storage.	$ 0
$ 5,000	Outsourced retrieval cost/year Annual fees each time your vendor retrieves and delivers a physical box or file.	$ 0
$ 5,000	Outsourced re-filing cost/year Annual fees each time your vendor returns files to storage after retrieval.	$ 0
$ 1,000	Outsourced destruction cost/year Annual fees for certified document shredding or destruction services.	$ 0
$ 200	Outsourced supply cost/year Annual spend on boxes, folders, labels, or other supplies required by your off-site storage vendor.	$ 0
$ 90,600	Total Cost Per Year	$ 2,600

Step 2 - Enter Your Organization’s Data

All input fields in the Current State column are blank and ready for your figures. Enter values that reflect your organization’s actual or estimated activity. Fields that auto-calculate will update as you type.

What Your Results Mean

The difference between your Current State total and your Future State total represents your estimated annual savings from transitioning to a digital document management system. These are estimates based on the figures you provided - actual results will vary depending on your organization’s specific workflows, vendor contracts, and implementation approach.

What Happens Next

Use the Print My Results button to print a copy for your records or click the Submit My Results to email your completed analysis directly to yourself and our team. An MPS Document Management consultant will review your numbers and follow up to outline a conversion path tailored to your organization - at no cost or obligation.