Reality and Potential of Paperless Office
Paper documents are a part and parcel of a business
, big or small. It is true that even in this age of technology offices have to maintain paper documents. But paper documents indirectly make a bad effect on the ecological balance. It is happened due to the raw materials that are required to make paper. Paper documents also have some limitations. All of these play a vital role to think to make an office paperless. But there are some question aroused on its reality and potentiality.
Reality of the Paperless Office
Before making decisions on it, we have to know why people rely on paper even in this age of technology. Reasons behind the continuing popularity of paper documents are-
Many people prefer to work with paper documents instead of computer screen as they are not comfortable with computers.
Paper can provide a more relaxed and practical option to do prototyping and do rough computations, in design work, compared to the awkwardness of a computer screen.
Works like studying to make notes on different topics might be better with a paper printout that allows comments in the margin and other such functions.
Compared to digital documents, paper documents are more readily accepted as evidence in courts of law. Digital documents required additional proof to prove its genuineness.
On the basis of this scenario we can make the decision that making office paperless is still quite a distance away.
Potentiality of the Paperless Office
Visualize the full potential of
paperless office is impossible but we can consider such scenario that will help us to visualize the potentiality of office without paper. Biometric data about citizens are recorded and used to identify them. To authenticate their identity some hidden sensor might scan their retina as they pass through the entry gates.
Similar revolution is required in many other fields as sensors in machines control production, others in warehouses keep track of merchandise receipts and shipments, voice recorders and identity sensors authenticate the terms of a contract and so on.
These scenario are still few decade away.
You can't make an office paperless but can minimize the use of paper. The following steps can help you to use minimum paper-
Make and record your transactions online.
Use handheld devices for recording field data. These devices can transmit them directly to central computers.
Capture data and transmit them by using sensors.
Choose and install scanning stations that can scan and OCR all incoming paper documents. Also can perform the task of indexing the resultant digital documents into electronic databases.
Authenticity of all digital documents is important, use systems and procedures that do so and enable the shredding of paper documents once they're scanned and transferred to the electronic workflow.
Incorporate vendor and customer systems to order and communicate with the customers through online instead of paper documents.
To handle all kinds of content and make them accessible online from anywhere with the help of an internet connection, use content management system.
Even smaller businesses can implement at least some of these measures to make an office paperless. The journey has no end.
Reality and Potential of Paperless Office
By: Evelin Kaith
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