For years the idea of “going green” has been something many of us have paid lip service to, but increasing evidence that something needs to be done is becoming impossible to ignore.
Whilst business has not always been at the cutting edge of seeking green alternatives it too is now looking at ways it can better align itself to the needs of the planet.
In this article, we are going to focus just on the use of paper by business, its impact, and what can be done about it. Some of the statistics are alarming.
For instance, did you know that globally each year over 400 million tons of paper is produced, to put this in context, that equates to two sheets per hour for everyone on the planet……….and this is predicted to double within a decade!
Recently released statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that the average employee uses some 10,000 sheets of paper annually. This is not only a colossal drain on the planets resources but a huge cost to industry.
For business however the cost of purchasing paper in these volumes is far from the only cost. What about the cost of ink, the storage space required to maintain the files created and the cost and maintenance of the equipment required for its production. It is staggering also to consider that some 45% of printed paper is disposed of.
When you also consider that on average an employee can spend as much as 40% of their working day searching for paper files, it is not difficult to conclude that moving to a paperless office has its benefits.
So, what are they?
Working with Digital Documents
A move to paperless working enables you to remove huge swathes of paper from your office, makes them much easier to locate, reduces cost and dramatically increases efficiency.
Removes the Filing Headache
As previously mentioned, employees can spend a huge amount of their costly time both filing and retrieving paper files, time which could be put to far better use. BPMS ONLINE allows you to manage your filing in a single location ensuring that important documents can be retrieved in seconds, regardless of whether employees are in the office or working remotely.
Achieve Greater Productivity
BPMS ONLINE, through its advanced search functionality, allows you to recall files by their title, the author or indeed any part of the text contained within them. Think how much time and money you could save with employees not having to search for hours for the filing they require.
Are Your Files Secure & Compliant?
The problem with paper files is that they are inherently insecure, and often falling below compliancy standards. They can be misfiled, lost, and even removed with potentially disastrous security consequences to your organisation.
BPMS ONLINE ensures they are always maintained to the highest standards of security and only ever available to those with permission to access them.
Work More Efficiently than Ever Before
Most businesses spend a large part of their time pushing paper, both internally and with those outside of the organisation. Apart from being time consuming, this activity is often error prone or duplicated, leading to delays and frustration.
BPMS document management solutions allow you to automate paperless workflows to ensure a fast and accurate process without any of your current time-consuming hold ups. No paper records need ever exist as all aspects of your process are tightly controlled, error free and fully audited.
Total Flexibility of Working
The huge advantage of moving to a paperless electronic way of working is the flexibility it brings. No longer do members of your team need to be in the office to access their filing and processes, instead they have access from any location and on any device.
Employees can work more flexibly and collaborate with colleagues like never before. The ability to work remotely and flexibly has been proven to enhance both employee morale and productivity.
Collaboration Made Easy
Working from a central electronic document hub removes all traditional boundaries and allows your employees to work collaboratively regardless of their location. All the usual paper driven hold ups of scanning, printing, signatures, and emailing are removed thus speeding up all your work processes.
Your Important Documents Securely Backed Up
In addition to the numerous issues previously raised in respect of generating and maintaining paper records, a lack of security and protection of them rates very highly. They can of course be lost through fire or flood or more likely removed from their location for either innocent or nefarious reasons. This issue is of course compounded if there is only one copy of each.
ALL the platforms delivered by BPMS are maintained and backed up on UK based servers providing you with the peace of mind that not one single page of your data will ever be lost.
Every Business Wants to Cut Costs
Managing cost is extremely important to all businesses, now perhaps more than ever. It is generally accepted that removing paper in favour of remote working, both greatly reduces administration costs, promotes greater morale, and allows your employees to be far more productive, allowing them to spend their time on activities which drive the business forward.
It’s Good for the Planet
Last but by no means least, moving to digital working and away from paper is good for the environment. Whilst working in a paperless way won’t entirely remove paper from your office, it will go a long way toward it. Better for business, better for the planet.
To discover more about how moving to paperless working can bring huge benefits to your business, why not get in touch with BPMS and let us work with you in achieving a greener, more efficient workplace.
Improving Your Business is Our Business
