The Benefits of a Paperless Office

In 1975, a technology expert predicted that offices would be handling records electronically by the year 1990. Nearly two decades later, the basis for this idea, a paperless office, is yet to achieve fruition.

A paperless office encourages a work environment which eliminates or has minimal use for paper. In an age where technology continues to make life easier, a paperless office is ideal for companies looking to save at cost and production. Instead of shelling out huge amounts of money to buy printers, copiers, paper and envelopes so information and documents may be disseminated or filed, a company may save more by investing on a set of scanners and filing their records digitally. Going paperless also saves a lot of space, especially in a small office. Filing cabinets tend to be huge, take up a lot of room, and can only be used for a single purpose. Computers, on the other hand, can be portable and used for a variety of things.

Digital records are also more accessible to those who want to view them, thus saving time and energy. Imagine having to open dozens of drawers and browsing through hundreds of folders just to acquire a single document – that would be frustrating and exhausting. However, if records are stored electronically, a few clicks and typing a few keywords is all it takes. Also, if copies need to be circulated, sending the files via electronic mail is more convenient and only takes a few seconds to be received. Plus, with the help of gadgets like cell phones, PDAs and portable computer tablets, you can view whatever you need anytime, anywhere. Tablet PCs also save people from having to walk around carrying pads of paper to meetings and conferences. Anything they have to jot down they can draw on the tablet and it can be saved and viewed at a later time.

It also doesn’t hurt to know that a paperless office helps care for the environment. With the ever looming threat of global warming and other environmental risks, more and more people are looking to save the planet, going paperless will encourage conserving trees.

All in all, the prospect of a paperless office may sound a little scary, especially to established companies who have gotten through years of paper dependence. Surely it will take a lot of work to transfer every record electronically, but in the long run, a paperless office will be more efficient and beneficial, especially in a generation where people witness technological advancements every day.