Disclaimer: The author of this article works for a document management company. But that shouldn’t matter. My company, like every other company has customers that must create invoices, have bills that must be payed, proposals to be written, letters to be written, and all of the other things that a modern business does. We can do most, sometimes all, of those things without ever putting ink to paper. Since I call on the work places of many different types of businesses I can say it is very possible to get to and maintain the paperless office.

When we bill a customer we send an electronic invoice via e-mail. Never has a customer said, I prefer that you send it by a slower, more expensive, method. When we pay a bill we do it by electronic banking. We have asked our vendors to bill us electronically. None have refused, in fact, most prefer or bill you extra if they do not. When we write a letter we will attach it to an e-mail. When the recipient opens the letter it looks just like our regular letterhead, just without the paper. We don’t own a fax machine; there are no manila folders in the office.

Okay, so maybe we’re sensitive to this subject because we’re in the business. But take a look around the world you live in. Medical offices will be required to use electronic medical record systems. Newer practices are often started with the software already in place, so that the only paper in the office is what patients have brought with them. Even that can be easily scanned and made part of the patient’s medical record. Floor space that had been used for those big rolling file cabinets is now used for examining rooms.

Insurance agencies are often required by the insurance companies to use some sort of document management system, or to fax whatever paper they have to a central repository. This isn’t true for all agencies, by any means, just the ones that want to stay profitable.

I could cite many other examples of businesses, or even entire industries, that are striving for the paperless office. Your business can be paperless, too. All of the tools are already in place and on your desk. If you want to send me a message telling me that I’m nuts you will do it in a word processor on your computer. You probably are not using green ledger paper to track your expenses, but rather a spreadsheet application on your computer. And I know you have e-mail.

Ha! you say. I have these really nice proposals that I have to take to my customers. So, I can’t go paperless. I would suggest that you ask your customer if you can send the proposal via e-mail. Tell him that you are trying to control your costs to keep your prices down. Then say that you will be at his office in an hour to go over the pricing. Chances are that he will thank you because he is trying to go paperless, too.

The only thing standing between you and a paperless office is a commitment. A commitment to save money, a commitment to improve your office efficiency, a commitment to deliver better customer service. When you are ready to make that commitment you will find it quite easy to go paperless. There will be some habits to break, but that is also just a matter of commitment. You may have that fellow in your office who prints everything. You cover for him by saying, Well, Bill likes his paper. Somebody will have to talk to Bill and tell him that he is costing the company money, and maybe costing you sales. Does Bill like his paper that much?

The paperless office is not a myth. It can be done, and done successfully. The rest is up to you. If you would like some assistance with the paperless office, or controlling the burden of paper that afflicts many offices, just go towww.docxplore.com and contact us. We’d be happy to talk to you about it.