Reaching for paperless workflow

While not all businesses are quite ready to go completely paperless, many are starting to make their plans to do so. For some, it's simply a matter of taking what improvements are within reach and remaining patient. For one Australian/New Zealand firm, this means focusing on reducing reliance on paper first.

"This is in light of more advanced document management solutions, cloud storage, duplex printing and data consumption via smart/mobile devices," Antonio Leone, marketing manager for Oki, told ARN, regarding his companies' approach to being a paperless office. "If this was the goal," Leone noted, referring to being totally paper-free, "we're not there yet."

One specific way to enhance the approach to a reduced reliance on paper is to migrate documents and records to digital formats. Investing in paper conversion services can be a key step on this road, helping employees gain access to critical information more quickly while easing information management efforts.

Leone also said that part of the reluctance to go completely paperless falls on employee comfort with digital processes, the news source reported. Not all workers are 100 percent comfortable with an entirely digital workflow, preferring the ability to physically review data on a tangible medium.

Ultimately, paperless initiatives come down to the level of comfort that a business has with going digital. The more a business feels it is able to do without paperwork, the further it can take its plans, but pushing too hard could cause a reduction in productivity, rather than improvement. By taking it slow and assessing employee ability to cope with the changes, a company can optimize its approach to paperless operation and support the strongest returns on these efforts.

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