Joe Sabella | November 10, 2020
The concept of a paperless office – one that replaces printed documents with digital data – is nothing new. Offices have been trying to reduce their paper usage and waste since at least the 1980s. Yet if you walk into the average office in 2020, you will notice it’s still full of paper. It seems that people are eager to embrace this concept but slow to make meaningful progress.
Until now. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people had to leave the office in a hurry and move to a remote work model. Some have returned to work as normal, but many more are committing to remote work (to some degree) on an extended or permanent basis. Paper documents don’t make this radical shift to remote work any easier.
As companies begin planning for what the “post-COVID office” looks like, many are getting serious about going paperless. They realize, now more than ever, that paper documents are an obstacle to flexibility, efficiency, and business continuity.
Fortunately, going paperless isn’t just an urgent obligation – it’s also a compelling way to further the march of digital transformation and evolve companies for the priorities of the future. Here’s what companies gain when they get rid of paper:
- Accessibility – People have to distribute printed information manually, which wastes time and creates hurdles when people work remotely. The same information in a digital format is vastly easier for anyone to access from anywhere, which improves efficiency and productivity while reducing errors and misunderstandings.
- Security – Printed documents can be lost, destroyed, or stolen, but that’s much less likely with digital information. Thanks to tools like data backups and encryption, there’s much lower risk of an information disaster in offices that don’t rely on printers and copy machines. Furthermore, companies can audit digital information for security or compliance reasons.
- Centrality – As papers spread throughout the office, there’s no central source of truth and understanding. Key insights might be sitting in a folder (or recycle bin), forgotten and inaccessible. Digital information ensures these insights are integrated, organized, and accessible to all – the key features of the “data-driven enterprise.”
Paper documents aren’t just a piece of printed material. They’re a significant risk to companies trying to work remotely, remain efficient and effective, cut costs, and avoid threats in these uncertain times.
Sage Intacct can help companies slash the amount of paper they use. More importantly, this financial management solution optimizes how companies utilize digital data – turning it into an asset for devising strategy, improving business processes, adapting business models, and preserving competitiveness. When did a printout ever do all that?
If you’re ready to go paperless – and transform accounting and finance along the way – let blumshapiro be your guide.
