Paperless Office: The Need of the Hour

It was first coined in the early 70s in an article of Business Week. Since then, the idea of paperless office has seen a tremendous uplift. The economic uncertainty that looms large over today's business world has forced many organizations to go paperless with their processes to save money. Also, this adds to the campaign of 'Green' cause that fortifies the importance of paperless mechanisms.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that process automation lies at the beneath of paperless office concept. The key is to reduce human efforts and paper dependence to make processes convenient and error-free. The paperless office concept has been christened to the 'office of the future' with less paper dependence and traditional piling of files. It can save money, boost productivity, save space, make electronic documentation and information sharing easier and minimize environmental damage.

Contradictory to a traditional office, which sits on the top of paper-based filing system, and requires maintenance and equipment to handle the system, a paperless office is a mix of a desk, chair, and computer. Additionally, the user can use and store all the information in digital form. Rather, the adoption of paperless office is seen as a symbol of accepting modern technology and functionality. Advocating the minimal use of paper and employee efforts, the paperless office offers smart way to minimize the errors associated with the routine processes.

There are multiple ways to go paperless. The primary way is to go online with entire business processes, eliminating the paper requirements. Many organizations, spanning various verticals, have gone online with their business processes, making it interactive and convenient. From banking to insurance and from government to health care, organizations have successfully deployed online mechanisms within their systems.

Secondly, they are relying on secure methods like digital signatures to ensure security and authenticity of information/data shared in an online environment. They are allowing end-users to electronically sign their documents, such as applications, forms, and surveys, without printing them. Therefore, digital signature technology has seen as a crucial factor to encourage businesses to go paperless with security and authenticity. Globally laws have been made to make digital signatures and digitally signed documents legally valid.

However, some analysts are uncertain about the complete implementation of paperless office concept, as some of the benefits offered by the paper-based systems are inseparable and undisputable. For them, it could be less-paper office. Still, the idea being paperless and secure is much more appealing and convincing. A theory to achieve process convenience and speed, the paperless office is need of the hour.

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Resource Box: For more information on digital signatures for paperless office, please visit http://www.elock.com

About Author: Kapil M handles marketing communications at E-Lock, a global provider of digital signature solutions.