• Tom Chapman , Publishing Specialist at Cartridge People


• 26.10.2018 11:45 am
undisclosed

There’s currently so much excitement over what the near future holds for the everyday office. One of the most popular theories involves artificial intelligence and robot workers revolutionising the world of work. Although the ramifications of this are extraordinary, it’s time for a reality check – how can we possibly achieve this when we haven’t caught up with visions from decades ago?

Almost 40 years ago, the term ‘paperless society’ was coined. Credited to information scientist Frederick Lancaster, the concept involves replacing paper communication and storage with digital variants.

In the internet age, it stands to reason that we are here already. However, only 18% of companies actually consider themselves paperless. Furthermore, instead of attempting to become so, almost a third of businesses buy more paper than they did five years ago.

Technology allows us to communicate with people on the other side of the world in seconds and store almost limitless amounts of data online. Despite this, the vast majority of employers are content to use paper to accomplish tasks – a system which has been in operation for around 3,000 years.

Where did the dream of the paperless office go wrong?

The paperless society – or office – wasn’t a pointless or purely altruistic venture. Supporters spoke of a variety of benefits, one of which was cost. For example, in the United States, it has been estimated that businesses waste $8billion every year just managing paper. As this figure does not include the costs involved with producing and printing, we can assume that organisations waste far more by not switching to digital.

Where did it all go wrong? More importantly, why are so many bosses still resorting to antiquated work methods?

The answer relates to how humans are fundamentally creatures of habit. For the same reason that some people still read newspapers or prefer hard-copy books over electronic readers, paper is still in use because that’s what we’re used to.

Throughout many important aspects of my life, paper has played an instrumental role. From handing in assignments at school to completing legal documents, paper is ingrained in my subconscious as a facilitator to getting jobs done.

It’s for similar reasons why the paperless society remains a pipe dream – encouraging change is never easy and new initiatives are unfortunately often met with apathy. According to CMS Wire, 65% of businesses don’t have a policy to remove paper from their day-to-day operations. Anecdotally, this attitude is reported by staff members with some individuals highlighting resistance from management when it comes to implementing new paper-free strategies.

This ‘we’ve always done it this way’ attitude hampers progress and is an extremely hard stumbling block to overcome. Still, the paperless office could become a reality based on the actions of the next generation.

Children are currently going to school and learning with screens as well as other technological innovations. These individuals will not see paper as the go-to resource but rather an extra layer getting in the way of simplicity.

Despite the concept of the ‘paperless society’ being around 40 years old, it is not quite dead. Instead, it is waiting for humans to catch up. Potentially, it could be fulfilled when future generations start taking management positions.

The pros to becoming paperless

Although many are content to stick with apathy and leave this task up to the next generation, you could start reaping the benefits of a paperless office today. As well as saving potentially thousands every year from cutting down on paper, you should: 

Find it easier to recall information

One of the main problems with paper is associated with record keeping. For example, in America, the important process of tracing a gun has to be done by searching through physical boxes of information. As a result, a routine trace can take around one week.

In the UK, some local government organisations keep similar systems. In one investigation, a local council quoted a time estimate of more than five years to identify information due to the non-digitisation of purchase orders.

Keeping a digital record of information means documents and data can be recalled more quickly – increasing productivity and effectiveness in the process. The added benefit of not having a physical document storage location means businesses have more space to use as well.

Have easier backups

If a physical document is lost or destroyed, it cannot be recalled. The same cannot be said of the digital variant – especially if stored through cloud technology. Ensuring hard copies are digitised means they are secure for years to come.

Benefit from enhanced security

Digital documents can be password protected with varying degrees of access. For example, one employee can have full access while another can see the information but not print or disseminate it. Physical documents, on the other hand, are much harder to secure. Potentially, one employee who gains access to the records room can help themselves to any documents they desire. He or she can also take records out and easily misplace them.

To put it simply, when a business implements a paperless policy correctly, they become generally more cost-effective and have far more control over their documents than their counterparts.

The first step to becoming paperless

The first step to becoming paperless is to understand how documents are being used in your workplace. For example, one of the main reasons for using a paper document is to capture someone’s signature.

However, this is a tactic which has endured largely out of habit. As confirmed by the Law Commission, electronic signatures are a valid form of signing legal contracts. The body continued by stating that witnessing signatures can also be accomplished through technologies such as a webcam.

In another example, employees frequently print off documents as a means of reference. To avoid this happening, it might be more beneficial to review an individual’s workstation and decide if adding a second screen could eliminate the problem.

When will you become paperless?

If there’s one thing history has taught us, it’s that resisting change is futile. Although the corporate world has been slow to become paperless, it’s only a matter of time before employers stop digging their heels and adapt.

Therefore, will you make this change and become paperless, or be forced to do so long after your competitors have?