How to create a paperless office?
Did you know, on average, UK workplaces generate around 12.5 million metric tonnes of waste every year?
As part of our ESG* work and commitment to reducing our overall consumption and environmental impact, the OSiT Green Team has been looking at ways to lessen our contribution to this figure. One way we’ve been doing this is by trying to move towards a paperless workspace at all our locations.
Apart from reducing waste, there are lots of reasons why your company might want to consider goings paper free or at least paper-light.
The cost savings associated with buying less paper, printing less documents and posting less mail can be significant, even in a small business. Cutting down on the storage space needed to keep physical records can also save you money … and the space can be transformed into something more useful, for example, a meeting room or a break out area so employees can step away from their desks.
Implementing digital workflows (if you haven’t already) is also likely boost office efficiency and productivity. Paperless systems often improve accessibility and collaboration, as documents can be easily accessed and shared from anywhere.
If you’re considering the switch, these are our recommendations for building your paperless office strategy.
1. Assess your paper use
Identify areas where paper thrives in your business – reports, contracts, meeting notes, employee manuals etc. Understanding these paper trails helps target areas where you can make impactful changes.
2. Embrace digital solutions
Cloud storage systems such as Google Drive and SharePoint eliminate the need for physical copies of documents and allows quicker real-time collaboration. Also explore online forms for tasks and utilise electronic signature platforms to ditch the need for printing, signing, and mailing.
3. Optimise & encourage
Rethink how you share and access meeting papers and project documents, and utilise digital note-taking apps. Don’t forget to educate your employees about the benefits of going paperless; encourage them to adopt digital alternatives and think creatively about other ways they can use less paper.
4. Make it easy & secure
Reduce the number of printers in your office. Get rid of individual desk printers and instead have a communal printer in the centre of the office. Make sure you set printers to double-sided printing by default. When choosing a cloud storage solution, prioritise data security and put in place clear and robust document access policies and measures.
Going paperless is a gradual journey. Focus on high-volume areas and integrate changes progressively … and don’t forget to celebrate your wins, success leads to more success, so let everyone in the business know what they have collectively achieved.
*ESG is short for Environmental, Social, Governance. You can read more about OSiT’s approach to the E in ESG and what we’re doing to minimise our impact on the planet here.