I am perplexed and maybe I’m a bit old school but I still believe it’s acceptable to print things on paper.  I like reading printed reports,  I have to read the morning paper and I actually put pen or pencil to paper every now and then.  Paper is to me, a way of life.  However, I do agree with popular belief that I and society waste a ton of paper.  But in the new economy the goal is to get to net zero with anything that moves, shakes, rattles or rolls.  Paper is no exception.  And technology has made replacing paper a bit easier and in some cases it may also save a segment of the paper industry.  Companies such as Futjitsu, Canon, and Kodak all count on consumers using paper and using their products.  Less paper, less need for product.  Yet these firms have realized that in order to avoid sinking, they need to help the economy digitize to stay in the game. For them, it’s now about using technology to better manage paper.  Do you know how much opportunity there is in digitizing certain industries? Just ask any health care or law professional. 

One Connecticut company, New Haven based Square 9 Softworks, is working with the firms mentioned above and others to help them share their document management knowledge with small to mid-sized firms and organizations in best practices in document management and electronic content.  The end results are hopefully lower costs, better efficiency and helping to preserve natural resources.  Square 9 Softworks has partnered with these industry leaders to launch The Paperless Project, and the mission of the project is to transform the way organizations work with paper and electronic content.  

As the Project’s Web site points out, paper has long been a requirement to comply with federal mandates, track and audit activities, approve and review business operations. The site also state’s that paper, and now electronic content, is at the center of everything we do.  The campaign is geared to take the “common paper intensive processes and convert them to automated workflows.” 

Most business have made positive efforts to reduce paper use and again, I still think paper is needed in some cases but according to The Project, with 60% of employee time being spent working with documents and 85% of business documents in paper form, it would appear that organizations can do a better job reducing paper use and can become much more efficient.  One industry in dire need of paper use reduction and efficiency is health care.  The Obama administration recognizes this and has pledged to spend upwards of $50B dollars to digitize medical records.  This spells opportunity for companies that know how to handle paper and electronic content.

If you’d like to find out more about The Paperless Project and how your company or organization can become a better user of paper, Square 9 Softworks and the Paperless Project are hosting the Northeast Paperless Office Seminar on March 25th at the Rocky Hill Marriott.  The program is free but you do need to register.  For more information or to register, please visit The Paperless Project’s Web site.

Filed under: Green Attitudes, Green Business, Green Technology