The Costs of Not Going Paperless

by Caroline McDonald | May 1, 2015 at 6:00 am

Even with increased efforts to go paperless, 57% of U.S. companies still rely on paper forms and the average worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper every year. What’s more, the expenses of keeping these forms quickly add up—a four-drawer cabinet holds about 12,000 documents and it takes one employee to maintain every 12 filing cabinets.

Capturing and storing data on paper forms costs businesses worldwide more than $30 billion annually, according to Insight Mobile Data’s “Mobile Forms: 10 Surprising Benefits of Going Paperless.”

Many are still reluctant to give up something they can physically hold onto, but more companies are recognizing the benefits, which include up to 50% in productivity gains, up to 10 times faster turnaround, a reduction in lost documents and improved customer service.

Organizations need company-wide support to phase out paper forms as well as a clear understanding of related legal issues. Challenging vendors to demonstrate the systems and technologies a company can use to eliminate paper forms is also helpful.

Companies are advised to put themselves in their customers’ shoes and ask: “How patient are you with companies you do business with as you fill out paperwork? Now, how do you think your customers feel about you?”