What, no paper?

We all know the benefits of a paperless office: more space, lower archiving costs, reducing the environmental footprint, tidier offices, etc. However, most firms struggle with the idea and I am almost certain that my office has more paper than ever before. It’s mainly down to me.

I still prefer to look at paper legislation rather than books on screen. I tend to use ring binders to file interesting articles rather than saving a PDF. I scrawl down notes on paper. I just cannot seem to make the transition.

I agree with Bill Gates that there will be a paperless toilet before there is a paperless office. I suspect that I am not alone, so, how can we all start hitting ‘save’ and stop hitting ‘print’?

First, engage all employees from
the top to bottom. Perhaps share stats about annual paper use, associated costs and the environmental impact. Most
staff will recognise that something has to be done. A series of targets and a timetable may help.

Notably, senior staff must lead by example. At one of my former firms, all partners were asked to give up their personal printers. Dutifully, we all did – well almost. The office head refused on grounds of their self-appointed importance. We all lost interest then
and the whole project petered out.

It must be as easy as possible for staff to help. So ensure that you have a modern document management system in place. And keep everybody informed of progress so that they can see that their efforts are bearing fruit.

Limited hardware

Why not reduce the number of printers and make those that are retained inconvenient to use? Most people are relatively lazy, especially when they are under pressure, and will probably not want to walk to the other side of the office to pick up an unimportant print.

Also, use low quality paper and have the printers permanently set to duplex, which could halve paper consumption. PDF printers can be added to all computers. I am fed up of printing items then scanning to myself before emailing it on.

There are many other initiatives to consider. Firms could issue tablets to all staff, which would remove the need to print agendas and supporting documents when attending meetings; making notes on paper would also be outmoded. I have even heard of one firm that does not allow paper pads to be kept in the office overnight so they have to be taken home.

A common concern about going paperless is how to deal with documents that require signatures. This should not be a problem. Why not try using electronic signatures? There are various pieces of software for this: Adobe Reader, SignNow and SignEasy, for instance, all allow a digital signature
via various mediums.

Finally, providing an incentive is a good idea. After all, as we are in this together, why not reward success? Perhaps 50 per cent of paper savings could be redistributed to staff as a bonus. That should help to keep minds focused. You could even make it a competition between various offices.

It is doubtful that we will ever create a paperless office but we can aim for a less-paper office. With a timetable, realistic staging posts and a bit of carrot rather than stick, we can all reduce our environmental footprint a little.

Geraint Jones is a private client partner at Reeves

He writes the regular in-practice article on doing business for Private Client Adviser

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