The Key to Sustainability: The Paperless Office

Just two decades ago, every office had a special filing cabinet with rows of colorful folders in which necessary papers, projects and documents were stored. In addition, the printers ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., jammed up frequently, made strange noises and printed more pages than necessary. Needless to say, there couldn't be enough trash cans in an average office! With the advent of mobile and online apps, paperless offices have become the standard. In a paperless office, employees have limited access to printers, and digital documents have priority over paper copies. But is the paperless office just a fad or the new normal?

Where does the idea to digitize the office come from?

Paperless offices are a direct product of the paperless movement. The idea is working Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster back, who predicted back in 1978 that all communication on paper would be replaced by digital formats. The main goal of a paperless office is to minimize or completely eliminate the need for the good old pen and paper (or paper and printer). Digitalization is well advanced in such offices, and employees are encouraged to use emails, internal messaging systems, shared files stored in the cloud, and time management apps not only to communicate with each other, but also to work on projects and achieve goals.

Paper use in offices in figures

Setting up a paper-free office becomes even more important when we look at the figures:

• According to some statistics, an average employee in a traditional office consumes every year around 10,000 sheets of printer paper.
• 45% of all office papers end up at the end of the day in the trash can.
• Reviewing paper files can take up to 40% of working time.
• 20% of all print jobs are never taken out of the printer, but simply left behind until they are disposed of.
• 80% of all companies want to go forward paperless work.

Top 7 benefits of a paperless office

The rise of computers and time management apps has brought many benefits to work culture. Switching to a paperless office offers numerous advantages over the traditional office:

1. Safety: Access to digital documents can be easily adjusted and only restricted to responsible employees. In addition, it is easy to track all changes, which increases the sense of responsibility.

2nd Cost efficiency: Printers, ink cartridges, and paper cost money. In addition, printers rarely work properly, are often clogged and require regular maintenance.

3rd Eco-friendly: The use of paper comes at a high price for the environment. Avoiding paper helps to protect forests and to reduce CO2 footprint.

4th Increased efficiency: In a paperless office, “a look” means just that: a quickly accessible view of a digital document without wasting time and resources unnecessarily.

5th Easier collaboration: When using digital documents instead of paper documents, everyone can contribute while keeping the file nice and tidy.

6th Saves space: Storing files in the cloud helps companies save money as they can rent smaller spaces.

7. Better accessibility: With digital apps and storage clouds, you can access all documents 24/7, no matter where you are.

What are the disadvantages of a paperless office?

Not everyone is happy with the idea of a paperless office. Critics often express concerns about dependency on apps and computers and greenwashing:

1. Dependence on technology: Interruptions in the Internet connection, problems with the power supply, or simply a crashed computer can interfere with the workflow.

2nd Electronic waste: By not using paper, the waste is not eliminated, it is just produced differently. Some claim that electronic waste has more devastating effects than paper waste.

3rd Lack of connectivity: When everything is done via an app or in the cloud, it is much harder to make contacts and to network with colleagues, which leads to an “everyone for themselves” attitude.

Digitalization in the office: working paperless

‍What should you do if you want to get rid of paper once and for all? Numerous apps make the transition to a digital office child's play. Think digital notes, cloud storage for team projects, and say goodbye to huge piles of documents. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with digital signatures and online forms and let emails become your new paper trail. It's about streamlining your day and reducing clutter. Believe us, you won't miss the paper jam.

Paperless office at home: The digital home office

It is estimated that the work output increases by up to 13%, when you work from home, which is why many employees sign up for Home Office decide. Here are a few simple tips that complement the last section and make your home office a paperless office:

• Sign up for electronic invoices to avoid printing out pages of pages unnecessarily.
• Invest in secure cloud storage where you can store all documents, files, and projects. It's cheaper than buying a printer.
• Store all important digital data in at least two locations: once in a cloud and once on an external hard drive.
• Use apps and programs to organize your digital files. Often, these are so user-friendly and feature rich that you don't even need a special person to do it.

Work paperless with Flexopus — the desk sharing solution

Ready to turn your workplace into a paperless office? One approach that many modern, paperless offices are taking is hybrid working model. With this new work concept, employees choose between face-to-face days in the office and work from home. Since it is rather rare in this working model for all employees to be in the office at the same time, the offices participate in Desk sharing.

Flexopus Is the ideal Desk sharing software, with which you no longer have to sign up for vacant desks on sheets of paper. You can create desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces in three simple clicks via your browser, an app, or directly via MS Teams book. Thanks to our intelligent analytics You can even evaluate the utilization of your desks, meeting rooms, and parking spaces and make the necessary adjustments to increase productivity and optimize your office space.

Is the paperless office here to stay?

The paperless office is Office of the future! Although it may seem like just another buzzword, its efficiency, intuitive nature, and accessibility make it interesting for all types of businesses. A paperless office can reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and make the workplace more sustainable, provided that there are the necessary logistics to manage electronic waste and a variety of copies that are stored in various clouds.

Prepare yourself for the new era and make your office more sustainable and easier to manage with apps and platforms like Flexopus!