Why Do People Still Print So Much Paper?
Printing documents, emails, e-tickets is a die-hard habit, at home and in the office. Most of us still do it, sometimes to keep a paper trail of correspondence, sometimes absent-mindedly. Needless to say, our environment pays the highest toll for our carelessness, but our work productivity is, in fact, often affected by this practice.
Younger generations, better acquainted with online storing and sharing systems have embraced the cloud and use it without hesitation, because they grew up with it. Yet, things are very much different for the rest of us.
But why is it so?
Security
Many people still tend not to trust the cloud or other forms of paperless storage: often keeping important documents tucked in a file on a computer or in a filing cabinet. This is in spite of the notable advances in security technology of the past decade: today even banks advise their customers to choose e-statements to avoid waste, but also to keep things safe and controlled. Current technology makes it very safe for all, households and businesses alike, to store safely the most important of documents without the need of printing them.
Habit
Printing and using so much paper is often done out of sheer habit. Keeping a physical copy of everything is the way some people and companies still preserve what is important. Times have changed though and we have to change with them.
Old Systems
Business systems often evolve over a long period of time and are maintained by people who still believe in them or can’t see another alternative. The prospect of changing a system of printing and local storage can be perceived as too big of a job to handle given the existing volume or people involved. Change can be hard… but it’s our job at Nano Solutions to make it easy and manageable. Doing so can free up more time and make your company more competitive.
But first… here are a few easy fixes anyone can do.
Quick Solutions To Reduce Office Printing
Excessive printing, especially at work, is detrimental to both the environment and our productivity. You can begin to dismantle this old habit by implementing some simple tricks:
- Place reminders and post-its near printers and photocopiers to make you think twice about printing/photocopying that document.
- Create a checklist to find out if printing a document is truly necessary.
- Use already printed paper to print in-office documents.
Technological Solutions Can Greatly Reduce Paper Printing
The following solutions are real game changers and can have a remarkable effect on the way you do business.
We can save even more paper and time by getting acquainted with the myriad of technological solutions available that can help reduce the amount of printing we do. For instance, we can:
- Use an automated system to back up all data in real time: this allows access to files anytime, anywhere and decreases exponentially the risk of losing information by failing to regularly save documents manually; it also means files do not need to be printed out every time a change is made.
- Use file and document sharing applications to keep the team connected and up to date at all times:Dropbox, Google Docs, but also in-house apps and portals are great solutions to give every member of staff access to common files, agendas and timetables, saving time and smoothing out networking. It also cuts greatly the need to print documents.
- Use e-sign technology: this allows documents to be signed directly on computers or mobile devices and cuts the need to print forms out to be signed.
The Benefits
Ultimately, integrating modern cloud systems and printing less is beneficial for plenty of reasons:
- Creates more time for you and your staff.
- Enhances communication as information is available anywhere.
- Proper use of systems increases productivity and competitiveness.
- Helps the environment.
Nano Solutions Can Help
If you are thinking to finally embrace cloud technology to improve your business’ performances, Nano Solutions can help you.
Nano Solutions specialises in cloud systems for businesses and can develop an in-house system perfectly tailored to the necessities of your own firm. Kick off a change for the better and give us a shout today to discuss the possibilities. See all our Services.
