Efficient Alternatives for the Not-So-Paperless Office

The paperless office has been talked about for many years. Will companies ever achieve this goal?

Companies today receive too many paper documents from internal processes and external parties to ever reach paperless nirvana. They should focus on going paperless as a way to improve the process – rather than an end-game. Business processes like accounting and procurement have greatly benefited by moving online. It is only natural companies should work to pull the paper-based information associated with these applications into electronic workflows.

Where should a company start in its quest to move towards a paperless office?

A good place to start is to empower all office workers to capture paper-based information at the point in the business that is most convenient and efficient. Traditionally, document scanning has been a centralized process. In many organizations that only slows down digital workflows with people waiting for paper documents to be added.

What tools will a company need to distribute document scanning across the office?

The multifunction printer (MFP) brings business scanning to the office worker. It provides a publicly shared device that does not require a dedicated person to operate document scanning. This means by using document imaging software for MFPs, the people closest to work processes can add paper-based information to workflows.

How will companies be able to move scanned documents from the MFP into business applications?

MFPs are connected to computing networks. This allows individuals to utilize scanning software to scan documents to desktops, fax servers and business applications. Integration to business applications is important because it enables scanned information to be immediately available so users can fully participate in business workflows – reducing the paper that can slow down electronic work processes.

Can you provide an example of a company that has successfully moved toward a paperless office?

Minuteman Group (see story), an insurance agency in Nashua, N.H. has shown you don't have to be a large company or make a big technology investment to move toward a paperless environment. Every piece of paper that comes to Minuteman is scanned each day and routed to individual work folders.

At their PC desktops, employees can access all of the data they need to complete work, eliminating the need to search for documents. They can also email or fax documents to a client directly from their MFP or desktop simply by pressing a button. The entire customer service process has become more efficient.