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The paperless office – dream or digital nightmare?

Over the last decade there has been a lot of talk about the mythical creature that is “the paperless office”, but here we are in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic and there is still a need for paper.

Will we ever reach a point where paper doesn’t infiltrate every aspect of business and our lives? That’s a difficult question to answer and the idea of a paperless office hinges on a business shifting toward digitisation.

These efforts were ramped up when work-from-home orders came down the line in 2020, but Robert Crowther, chief executive officer at FCTEC, a company that specialises in digitisation and electronic content management solutions, says there is still a ways to go.

“Most companies were able to provide their work-from-home employees with access to structured data from customer relationship management, billing, and other core systems with relative ease early in the pandemic. However, few have yet completely solved the problem of giving the workforce seamless access to paper and other unstructured data scattered across multiple locations and systems,” says Crowther.

One sector you might still find an alarming amount of paper is the legal sector although 2020 did throw a tiger among the sheep in that regard. 

Unfortunately, implementation of CaseLines, a paperless system that promises more efficient online administration of court proceedings and filing of court papers, has left a lot to be desired.

Why is paper still so popular?

First off, is paper still popular?

Well, in 2020 Research and Markets found that the global paper products market value declined from $896.6 billion in 2019 to $868.8 billion in 2020. However, the same research expects the market to recover in 2021 and grow to $1 030.7 billion by 2023.

In short, yes, paper is still very popular.

Answering the above question Crowther says there are two main reasons there is a hesitancy to move away from paper.

“In essence a lot of companies still receive paper, even in mail format and the uncertainty around the legalities of keeping electronic copies and records is a stumbling block. So we see a lot of companies who are hesitant to move to a digital environment,” explains Crowther.

This hesitancy is borne from complexities that come with digital document management. This means that businesses need to invest time and money into digitising records and then training staff on how to access and use that system.

In short, paper is easy because it doesn’t force a change.

One concern we’ve heard voiced by many including business owners and customers regards the legality of digital documents. This is not really something that should be a concern as digitally signing documents to verify authenticity is technology you can find with a simple internet search. As Crowther explains to us, the onus is on the business owner to prove that the document they have is the original and this can be accomplished easily enough with software.

Cost is also a factor worth considering but Crowther says that as the technology has improved, it has also become more affordable.

“The technology in general is becoming more affordable with the improvement in cloud computing and internet speeds. SMEs have access to more affordable technology options. There is definitely a push toward a paperless operational environment in a lot of companies,” Crowther tells Hypertext.

“Unfortunately you have a situation where older companies with legacy systems that don’t allow for easy integration hold that push back,” the CEO adds.

This is a concern that will hit home for many business owners. Despite the will to move to a “digital first” approach, needing to retool, or outright recreate systems and migrate physical data and content to a digital realm, can quickly add up and make the move to paperless more costly.

With that having been said, newer companies have something of an edge in this regard and can opt to take a digital first approach from the starting gun. As such, companies that continue to resist a paperless approach might find themselves fighting with newer, more digital savvy firms for market share.

Will paperless ever be achieved?

We don’t have a crystal ball and all signs point to paper still being around for a long while still but according to Crowther we are moving in the right direction.

“I think the pandemic assisted us in approaching the concept of a paperless office much quicker but we do have an issue where legacy documents and media need to be catered for as well,” Crowther explains.

The CEO says that  FCTEC has seen an increase in hardware orders this year, pointing to signs that digitsation is being more widely embraced.

“It is seen as a grudge payment however, because you’re paying for something that’s perceived to not really create revenue in your business,” says the CEO.

Not that this has to be a grudge payment though. With a bit of research and consultation with experts in the sector such as FCTEC, the complexity and effort associated with digitisation can be overcome.

That’s not to say it’s going to be easy though, but what change ever is?

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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