In Your Reams: 13 totally honest reasons you should be burning those paper files
Really? We’re talking about this again?
Yeah. Sorry about that. But let’s be honest. If you were already paperless, you wouldn’t be reading this.
And if you know all this already, then why’s it taking you so long?
The truth is, going paperless is probably just one of those things you think will eventually take care of itself.
Let’s be honest again: it won’t.
We’re not going to lie. Going paperless takes time, effort, and even money (though essentially indirectly).
Great. But seriously, it’s worth it. Here’s the first of 13 reasons why:
Oh and let’s just be clear exactly what we mean when we talk about the paperless office. A true paperless office isn’t just an office without paper but run from a program as cripplingly primitive as Windows Explorer. No, paperless – to those who truly understand it – means a no-paper office managed by a sophisticated and lightning fast document (and email!) management system: a system that automates, simplifies and standardises the file structuring process and provides a powerful search capability that makes file browsing unnecessary.
- Flexibility
Okay, that one’s obvious, but it’s still number one.
No paper means no geographical constraints. At all.
Now you carry a 400 gram iPad instead of a 4kg box of files for a client. You flick through emails on your smartphone instead of collecting envelopes from the mailbox. Work right through entirely from your paper-thin laptop, on McDonald’s WiFi (if you’re that desperate).
For many, the unlimited freedom that the paperless office permits seems unnecessary, and therefore so does being paperless. However, the smaller freedoms of the paperless office are often ignored: the ability to work from home while caring for a sick child, not missing that coffee date because you can sign that form with your stylus while sipping your latte, or reviewing a junior accountant’s work on the train home.
Join the #paperless convo with @businessfitness or head to businessfitness.net to find out more.
