How Feasible Is A Paperless Office?

Digital technology and a growing awareness in environmentalism have caused many businesses to try and go paperless. Going paperless can provide number of advantages such as cost savings with elimination of paper, higher efficiency and ability to track the digital trail of the process. Several companies, large and small, have tried going paperless with varying success. But how feasible actually is a wholly paperless office?

You might think it’s easy with the amount of software currently available on the market. Accounting and HR have long gone computerised due to the efficiency compared to using pen and paper. Internal documents can now be shared via email, as can payslips and invoices. There are even programmes such as DocuSign that allow you sign forms digitally (with a touchscreen tablet you can pass documents to clients as if they were paper!).

However, there are still some obstacles blocking the way to completely eradicating paper, many of which aren’t about to budge any time soon. The first is legal documents – some of which require both partners to own a hard copy. These include mortgage applications, credit applications and driver’s licenses. Whilst some companies are going electronic, others are holding onto hard copies in the belief that they’re less fraudulent.

Another form of paper that is still going strong is checks. Many companies still invest in checks for quickbooks for paying services such as handymen and technicians. Paying by check is more convenient than cash-in-hand for many companies, as it doesn’t require trekking off to a cashpoint. For large amounts, it may not even be possible to withdraw that amount of money from a bank or perhaps simply not safe (a wad of cash could get lost or stolen). It also ensures that the transaction goes through the books, making accountancy easier for both parties.

There’s then the issue of having to do business with other companies that aren’t paperless. They may insist of faxing something over or signing a paper contract and to not comply on the grounds of upkeeping ‘a paperless office’ might mean losing out on that particular business. Whether the business happens to be run by oldies or whether they simply prefer to cling onto the tradition of paper out of ease, some companies are still stubbornly refusing to move with the times. They may be losing out by not running as efficiently – but you’ll be losing out if you refuse to be open to their ways too.

For some small companies and trades, the cost of going paperless might simply be too much. Certain software might require everyone to update their PC. A small design company might find it cheaper to brainstorm and make designs on paper, dedicating a few chosen machines for expensive software for final designs.

It’s for these reasons that the paperless office may not be an achievable goal for everyone. Perhaps one day technology will be advanced enough that it can be cheaply made and readily available to all. And perhaps legislative companies will eventually back down and all turn digital. But until then paper will stubbornly refuse to die and we must embrace that fact whether we like it or not.