It has been quite some time since it was said that organisations had to switch to a paperless working environment. Paper had to be banned, and now! Years later, it turns out that in practice things are not going as fast as expected. It’s not that easy to replace all the paper and immediately switch to digital solutions. Nevertheless, we can conclude that it is no longer a hype. After years of discussion, the interest in the paperless office is still palpable. More and more organisations are implementing this approach, because in times of cost savings and efficiency gains, the paperless office simply offers numerous solutions!
If we take stock of the implementation of digital solutions, the paperless office is the right choice, provided it is properly implemented and facilitated. But what we really want to know is: what does it yield?! I would like to explore two of these advantages in more detail.
Saving costs
The main reason for introducing the paperless office is to save costs for most organisations, no matter how you look at it. Okay, working efficiently is also very important; this ultimately results in cost savings. There are also several advantages for employees, for example, the paperless office gives them the facilities to work regardless of location and time. No more red tape, but going straight for your goal. That brings benefits! However, saving costs is the most important thing, which is also logical. Even though we are slowly recovering from a bad economic period, the aftermath is still noticeable. Saving costs is therefore also the reason why companies largely introduce this new way of working. Research by AIIM (Association For Information and Image Management) showed that 42% of the companies have earned back their investment (think of software and equipment) within one year. 57% took 18 months to do so. All the more reason to give this a serious thought, isn’t it?
Safety
Safety is also an important reason to switch. “No, I don’t put my critical business information in the cloud, so I can’t control it. or “If you have to believe all the stories about security breaches, let me manage my own archive.” are common arguments for keeping the archive in paper form within the organization. Okay, I wonder: What about the security of the filing cabinet, drawer or space in your own organization? Who has access to it? How do you ensure that no paper is left lying around? How do you know if the information is complete? Often all kinds of objections are raised about the security of such a ‘cloud’ solution, but people forget how things currently stand in the paper situation. Believe me, this can produce shocking results. In any case, an organisation wants the best possible security for its information, which is why I advise you to seek advice from professionals in case of doubt. After all, your information is valuable!
Working with little paper
Perhaps a completely paperless office is a big step, but the above information definitely provides food for thought. Start working in a paperless environment, maybe that’s just the step your organisation needs!
Why the paperless office is not a hype, as was thought in the beginning? The answer to this has proven itself!