As much as we try and avoid the inevitable use of paper-based processes during business hours, it seems that sometimes there is just no escaping it.
Despite the use of electronic signatures and the growth of electronic invoicing, many organisations continue to produce physical documents for reporting and invoicing purposes.
"No business person should be toting around paper documents when the rest of the world can gain immediate access to corporate information via laptop, tablet or mobile. These individuals are not only inefficient but presenting the business as out-dated and unproductive," Stuart Evans, CTO of document management software provider, Invu, told CBR.
"The continued reliance upon manual processes for recording information is not only time consuming and error prone but, critically, high risk. In today’s social media fuelled and litigation led environment, there is no leeway if problems occur – any business unable to quickly provide proof of compliance and supply chain rigour faces trial by both the public and regulator," he said.
Going ‘paperless’ significantly increases efficiency by eliminating the need to send physical paper documents. It removes the risk of records being lost, provides a complete audit trail and increases the speed at which they are delivered.
Automated processes also ensure that documents are sent to the right people at the right time and trigger the appropriate next action. Furthermore, saving costs on paper and printing, as well as space for storage deliver a quantifiable and immediate ROI.
