Do you want to reduce the use of paper in your company? Here we have selected some steps that can be very useful to get an office without paper. Eliminate or reduce the use of paper in offices, in addition to improving processes, increases productivity and lowers costs.
In an era where technology has made us contact the world from our Smartphone, it seems unlikely that we will continue to use paper in many of our daily activities. Today, we are used to managing digital content (music photography, television series) but document digitalization is not yet a widespread practice in the work and business environment. Currently, almost all companies have access to computers and mobile devices, so why do we continue to fill our paper offices? The key reasons for continuing to use paper are found in the challenges associated with change management and digitalization. Many people like to keep a physical copy of the documents they work with.
Why should you reduce the use of paper in your company?
The paperless office is an objective that more and more companies are trying to achieve, and that offers many advantages beyond cost savings and the reduction of a company’s carbon footprint. It is estimated that, if a company spends a total of two hours working with documents, an employee uses an average of 10,000 sheets of paper per year. That is why it is so important to start using solutions and tools that improve access, as well as the handling and location of information. However, any change in the business process will take time and will require a gradual change in the company’s culture.
Beyond the positive environmental impact of reducing paper consumption by companies, there are numerous advantages derived from the digitalization of documents.
Some of them are:
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Greater efficiency in document management
The information is more easily accessible and it is easier to trace the origin of digital documents and to know who has modified them and when.
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Greater information security
The security of information that is stored in digital format is far superior to the security of documents that are archived on paper.
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Cost reduction
The digitalization of documents has a direct impact on reducing expenses, not only because the paper is no longer purchased, but also because it saves on printer maintenance and the purchase of inks and spare parts.
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Space optimization
The significant reduction in storage space that digitalization brings and/or reduction in paper use leads to cleaner and tidier offices.
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Remarkable improvement in the work environment
The companies that opt for the digitalization of their documents by means of the implementation of an adequate document management software obtain in return great benefits, such as: greater free physical space, speed in the searches of documents, better organization of the documentation what is translated in less time spent searching for documents and reducing the level of stress.
What are the steps to reduce the use of paper in your office?
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Choose a strategy
You may want to scan and scan all previous documents or transition to a paperless system from a specific date to move forward in the future. The first option will need more time and resources. Ideally, you should decide with your team how to organize electronic files and launch a continuous scanning process so that all future documents are scanned.
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Assign a budget
Once you have decided on a type of transition to a paperless office, the second thing to consider will be your budget allocated to this project.
How much will it cost you to make the transition? Do you think you need to increase the storage space on your computer or look for solutions in the cloud? Will you need to buy more scanners? What will be the cost of that? The budget must include all these expenses.
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Decide where you are going to store the information
If you have already decided that your physical files will now become digital files, the question that immediately arises is where will you store those digital files? Will they be saved on your network or in the cloud? This selection will depend on your needs and resources.
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Become familiar with digital tools
To leave the paper behind it is essential to have knowledge of the existing document management and electronic invoicing tools that help to manage, classify and save documents with all the necessary security measures.
Before beginning this transformation, it is important to have the right software and equipment so that the transition is carried out without major inconveniences. It may take years or decades to completely eliminate the use of paper, but its reduction will have a significant impact on our finances, our management, and the environment.
