Associate Insight: Creating a paperless office

A quick internet search tells us that predictions about the paperless office were first made way back in 1975. Today, a Google search will return pages of results promoting the benefits of removing paper from the workplace.

We all know that there are huge savings to be made - the consumption of ink, stamps, envelopes, labels, folders (and of course paper) will reduce, as will staff time in preparing post and document bundles. Large filing cabinets and off-site storage won't be needed, so office space can be reduced and storage costs removed. It's also more efficient; electronically-stored documents are held more securely, can be retrieved quickly (without the need to search through a filing cabinet or call back files from storage) and then shared more easily. And, of course, there's the positive impact on the environment.

So why, in today's technology-enabled society, are so many law firms struggling to embrace the paperless office? There are lots of barriers. The perceived cost of the equipment required to facilitate paperless working, a lack of trust in technology, fear of what will happen if the system crashes and 'I lose my work', the comfort of being able to print things out to read and mark-up amends are just some of the challenges that need to be overcome. But, they can be overcome and, in truth, the only thing preventing us from achieving the paperless office is our own willingness to change our ways of working.

Recently, I met a firm that have achieved the reality of the digital case file. Linda Heald & Co began their journey four years ago by ensuring they had adequate back-up services, both on and off site - so that documents can be efficiently stored and retrieved, and will always be accessible - even if disaster strikes.

They scan post immediately and save it in the appropriate file on their case management system. All incoming paper post is then kept in a small file whilst the matter is live (outgoing letters are not printed) but, as soon as the file is closed, the paper is sent for confidential shredding (and is collected for free by the shredding company). Original mortgage deeds have to be retained for Land Registry applications and are kept in a central place - filed according to lender and date.

Linda Heald, principal of Linda Heald & Co, says she would never go back to a paper-based working environment. The benefits they have achieved in terms of storage costs, efficient working and the ability to retrieve documents (even closed files) instantly are enormous. This, is turn, enables them to provide a top-class service to their clients.

Linda offers a few words of wisdom for anyone wanting to achieve the digital case file: "Invest in good-quality scanners and back-up systems. Use a good-quality case management system (such as Redbrick Practice Management), train your staff to change their ways of working and go for it! You could even reward staff with a pay rise when the bills start to come down!"