This is by no means a call for office-based UK businesses to abandon paper-saving efforts but suggests that other sectors of the economy should be carrying their fair share too.While paper waste may be significantly reduced, a paperless office will still need to dispose of its electronic equipment from time to time. Environmentally friendly?Įven though most businesses around the world have taken paper-reducing measures over recent years, global paper usage is not actually reducing at any great rate, according to Andrew Morrison, managing director at Xerox UK and Ireland. Backing up your important files is always advisable but many businesses either forgot to do it or lack the capability. If there is a problem with your online system, Internet connection or even power supply, then you will not be able to access any of your documents. This works as long as your electronics do. Dependence on technologyĪ paperless office requires all of your files and data to be stored on hard drives and increasingly in online cloud storage. These costs can quickly add up and there’s no guarantee that they’re secure from all cyber attacks. Most data security platforms charge by the month with prices that increase with the amount of data storage you use. Much of the data and files stored online by businesses – especially those in the medical, legal and financial industries – contains highly sensitive information that could be incredibly damaging if they fell into the wrong hands.Installing security software that properly encrypts data can be complicated and very costly. Paperless offices share data via online networks that are increasingly susceptible to hacking and damaging viruses. Cyber security software is constantly playing catch-up with online fraudsters. Probably the number one concern around a paperless office is the security risks associated with transferring the entire document trail of your business into digital form. Disadvantages of a paperless office Security risks and viruses These all contribute to reducing your office’s carbon footprint. Nothing will need to be printed so printers are redundant, saving even more energy. This is great news for trees and the environment as a whole. Environmentally friendlyĪs the name suggests, a paperless office should produce no paper waste. As long as you have Internet connection and the files have been correctly stored, a digitised document system will improve efficiency and save a great deal of time searching. With a paperless office, all files are accessible with just a few clicks of your mouse. No need to go rummaging through the office paper mountain to find that one business record. In crowded cities such as London, space saving is an advantage that can’t be underestimated. If 100% of these files were online, there would be no more need for physical storage space. While many of us deal with online documents on a daily basis, paper files still play a crucial role in our day-to-day working lives. It’s pretty simple – less documents means less space needed to store them. Advantages of a paperless office Saves storage space There are also serious questions being raised around the security of online systems, and many businesses do not have the time, budget or ability to transfer their entire document archive into digital form.To help clear the air, we have listed the main advantages and disadvantages of a paperless office so that you can decide how realistic it is for your business. Today, business practices and legal compliance make it necessary to store documents for long periods of time. All documents are digitised, floating in the cloud and instantly accessible – anytime, anywhere.In practice though, things aren’t quite that simple. For many businesses, the paperless office seems to be one of those concepts promised in the 80s that has never really come to fruition, along with hover-boards and 8-minute abs.In theory the paperless office sounds great – no need for any more paper files, cumbersome filing cabinets or bursting storage cupboards.
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