A new report shows that over one in three firms are using less paper in their offices.
A greater number of firms are turning to document scanning and storage as paperless offices rise in popularity, a new study suggests.
According to the Paper Free Office report by AIIM, a global community of information professionals, a third of organisations (35 per cent) are using less paper and are photocopying less. Among the largest firms, 15 per cent of respondents posted a decrease in paper use.
The average proportion of office space taken up by paper now stands at 15.3 per cent and, according to the report, this would drop to 7.4 per cent with an all-electronic filing policy – which would also result in a saving of almost eight per cent in overall office costs.
The use of digital mailrooms is also on the rise, as companies increasingly embrace the virtual platforms. According to the report, four in ten companies (41 per cent) use some form of digital mailroom either as a centralised operation or distributed at branch office.
Cloud-based systems are also increasing in popularity among businesses. More than one in ten businesses questioned (12 per cent) said that they are committed to a strategy of cloud deployment or capture, with this figure rising to one in five (20 per cent) among the largest organisations.
Four in ten (39 per cent) firms said that they are currently waiting for a company decision in relation to the use of electronic document storage cloud systems, while 18 per cent said they have firmly decided against it.
The report’s author Doug Miles, who is head of the AIIM market intelligence division, said: "The big reason to head paper off at the door is to prevent it clogging up processes and to mobilise its content.
"Improved access and sharability to other staff, faster response to customers, and better process productivity are the three big gains."