Several years ago, it was assumed that
businesses would, over time use less and less paper
in the office, until eventually becoming paper-free.
With files stored on computers, email replacing traditional
mail and an array of electronic gadgetry, it was a fair
assumption to make.
However, it hasn't quite worked out
as expected. Let's say, the concept of the paperless
office looks good on paper, but the reality is quite
different.
Written correspondence is more popular
than ever, because it's so easy. Look in your email
sent items. How many of those emails would you have
sent if you had to print them, put them in envelopes,
attach a stamp and take them to the post box?
Likewise, how many of the emails in
your inbox would you have received if they weren't so
easy to send?
The problem is, the documents we send
and receive often need to be printed in order to be
processed. This is, for the most part, down to how technologically
advanced the company's processes are.
Much of the document printing we do
is totally unnecessary, but there are some hardcopy
documents that we cannot do without. Very few small
to medium sized businesses could afford to implement
an electronic signature system instead of delivery notes;
and invoices sent and received by email, usually have
to be printed for the records. A Tax Inspector would
not be impressed if he/she was told to wade through
tens of thousands of emails to cross reference with
your book-keeping.
The British legal system isn't exactly
geared up for electronic documents either. In a dispute
with a supplier, competitor or customer, documented
evidence would not be well received if it was presented
on a compact disc.
Whether we like the idea or not, paper
is, (for now, at least) a vital part of running a successful
business. The documents we print are part of our business
records and those records have to be kept for future
reference. This means the longer we trade, the more
documentation we have to keep.
The paperless office is idealistic.
For environmental reasons at least, we should continue
to head toward a reduction in our use of paper in the
office. Maybe, in a decade or two, the printed document
will be as redundant as the chalkboard. For now, we
print, we file, we archive.
© 2007 S J Huggins
