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Article #13: So You're Considering a Paperless Office

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Many of us have heard about it, the fact space when kept within moderation.
that you are reading this article shows However, over time, this quickly turns
that you are interested in it. "Is it into excess requiring massive amounts of
realistic to have a "paperless office"? storage space. To accommodate this need,
What are the benefits of a "paperless we tend to pack it into file cabinets,
office"? Besides, as you read this you desk drawers and other crevices we find
are more than likely surrounded by paper. that will get it out of our way until it
Paper has blossomed into an integrated is needed again. Since paper does not
part of our everyday business and have the ability to automatically delete
personal life, and has become woven into itself theses piles grow quickly.
our mental framework. So is it really Remember when you had just one file
possible to achieve a "paperless office cabinet? Has that one cabinet now morphed
and why should you? Please join me in into a dedicated file room and offsite
examining these questions in a 3 part storage facilities? What about your own
series "So You're Considering a Paperless personal workspace. Has your working
Office." In part 1 we talk about what area transformed into the paper monster?
you should consider when thinking about a While paper's physical properties makes
paperless office. Part 2 examines if it it easy to lose, misplace, destroy or
is realistic to have a paperless office piled up, it also requires person to
and the true expectations you should person interactions to transfer. Have
have. Part 3 discusses finding the right you ever needed a file from a co-worker
paperless office system for your who was out of the office that day? What
organization. do you do? Like many, you probably
SO WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PAPER? raided their cubicle or office hoping to
You can touch it, write on it, and locate the necessary files. Or have you
easily pass it along to others. For the ever worked outside of the office or
most part it is relatively inexpensive moving between multiple office locations
and very abundant. We all use it, from and realized that you forgot an important
business interactions to grocery list, file? Sure you can have the information
without a doubt paper has become an faxed to you but is that really an
integrated part of our everyday life. optimal solution? In most cases, the
Paper appeals to our sense of touch, we answer is no.
can grasp it ("put our finger on it") and I remember several years back while
proclaim we "have it in black and white." working as a manager for a healthcare
It requires very little training to use management company that had an entire
and is extremely easy to manipulate. So room dedicated to file cabinets in
why stop a good thing? addition to several of the hallways. My
Actually, the same qualities that make daily duties involved sharing
paper so favorable causes major confidential files with several people
disadvantages. For example: throughout the organization and locating
- Paper can be Easily Lost or Destroyed information scattered throughout the mass
- Over Time Paper Requires Massive of file cabinets. While the job was very
Storage Space rewarding and challenging, few days would
- Although Paper is Easy to Physically pass by that were not hampered by the
Move Around, It Requires Person to Person inability to find files that were either
Interactions misfiled, sitting on someone else's desk
- Paper is Exceptionally Easy to Copy or just flat out lost. Although we had
PAPER DISADVANTAGES EXAMINED instituted the use of a sign in and out
The very trait that makes paper appeal sheet when taking files, this was rarely
to our sense of touch is the same trait used. As a result, we lost valuable time
that makes it a liability. Just think on a daily basis.
about that last time you've misplaced or THE REAL BENEFITS OF A PAPERLESS OFFICE
lost an important document and the time While it is relatively easy to calculate
spent frantically trying to find it (not savings from going paperless by looking
to mentioning others who have assisted at your current offsite storage cost,
you). Was it thrown out? Accidentally employee time spent transferring and
shredded? Placed back in the wrong spot? locating files, and rediscovering office
The ease at which we use paper makes it space previously used for storage, the
very susceptible to the fast moving real benefits of moving away from a paper
environment we work in. The physical based operation far outpaces these
properties of paper, its thin, calculated cost. To truly understand
lightweight and flexible nature are these benefits and what they mean to you
highly desirable traits, yet these make and your organization, ask yourself:
it very easy to lose, misplace or ? How important is our data? What if we
destroy. Once a paper document has been lost it all tomorrow, could we maintain
destroyed you can never get that document our operations?
back. Of course you can re-create it or ? Is our data worth protecting from
use back up paper copies. But is having unauthorized usage? Should all employees
duplicated copies a good thing? Sure it have access to all information within our
provides you with a backup "in case", but organization? Is it important to have
there are several associated hazards with the ability to know who as "accessed" our
having that. A major problem with this data?
involves documents that contain ? Are we able to quickly access and find
confidential information such as client information? Is it necessary to have
or employee records. In these cases a remote access to our data?
strict accountability of all copies is ? Can we benefit from never losing a
needed, and maybe required by state or document to an accidental deletion?
federal law; therefore each individual All these questions point to one main
having a copy must adhere to the same question:
standards for securing this information. Is it Important to Have the Ability to
Getting people to adhere to these PROTECT, LOCATE and ACCESS your Data at
security measures may prove difficult if All Times?
not impossible at times. A serious If your answer is yes, then the
violation could be something as innocent paperless office is something you might
as leaving an open file on a desk or want to strongly consider. But is it
leaving it unattended in a conference realistic to have a paperless office? In
room. Even the highest levels of our part 2 of this series we examine the
government experiences problems hurdles to having a paperless office and
controlling the release of confidential the true expectations that should be
information. Remember, all it takes is established.
one careless or disgruntled employee to In part 3 we will discuss "Finding the
open the door to disaster. Right Paperless Office System for Our
For the majority of us, the paper we use Needs"
is very thin and occupies very little






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