Being that as it may, should we decide that there isn't enough oil for our purposes, then the obvious idea is to go out and steal more from other people.

OR.

Change our practices such that we don't use so much.

Easy enough, at least at an idealogical level. But not so easy when it comes to nudging old habbits along to accomodate new ones, and those who find such difficult tend to find it so accross the board. Why continue to accomodate old-fashioned procedures of more and more paperwork (and it's modern equivalents) with bigger and better technology when you could work at reducing the need to record at all?

Don't get sidetracked by the notion that it's only a rhetorical question.

Original Article

Thursday, July 29, 2004

Going Paperless - Are we there yet?

In a world moving faster than before, and with a new generation coming into the workplace that has grown up with computers, the Internet, and other pieces of electronic wizardry, one must again ponder the question of the mythical "paperless office" and reassess the possible reality of achieving that ever-elusive goal. Having been here from the earliest days, I know and can attest to the fact that we touted this concept since the beginning and have come a long way, but are we there yet?

In order to know if we are there yet, we must first decide and define what we mean when we talk about the paperless office? Is it the much-heralded nirvana where no paper exists in any form? Or is it a more realistic business environment where paper is minimized in relation to documents that are relevant to normal business operations?

Realistically, many are not ready for a completely paperless environment due to human nature for the need of holding something tangible as evidentiary proof of whatever it is we did, bought, agreed to do, etc. In addition, not all business entities are technologically prepared for true paperless operations. Many suppliers, distributors, retailers, and the transportation companies who move materials can still be paper-heavy businesses.

So, to define being paperless in the context of today, An ideal situation combines paper, converted to electronic formats (imaging), and electronically created information for the purpose of reducing paper dependency and automating processes to the point where paper is used as only an option and is no longer a necessity.

The Mantra
We heard it begin in the middle 1980s, that businesses will be paperless because "now we can scan paper documents and store them as images in a computer that is networked and can share the information among all those who have a need to know." We promoted the fact that now we can be DIM (document image management) enabled. (Never did like being referred to as DIM.) Problem was, you still started with paper. There were no industry-accepted standards and communications infrastructures were not exactly ready. This all came to pass as the 80s rolled on through, Microsoft took the reigns of the desktop operating system and organizations, like AIIM, challenged vendors to accept standards to which all could adhere and accept.

In the early 1990s we heard a much louder rumble of paperless because the imaging solution was now a document management solution (and hundreds of other variations on the theme that arose during the decade which I will not cover at this time) that was (and is) capable of not only storing scanned images but also Word and Excel documents. Every type of business information can be indexed and stored for use in business transactions, reducing the need to print hard copy. Files only needed to be printed on request or to perform a transaction that required signature as legal confirmation that a transaction was indeed complete such as a binding contract or agreement.

At this time we also began to see a rise in the use of electronic forms and the advancement of technology to capture signatures to an almost useable state. Problem was the human factor. As with optical media of days past, the reluctance of human adoption slowed down the acceptance that information produced through use of a "form" on a website could possibly be legal. Since there is no way to confirm the originator or security of such a transaction, how could you possibly believe that people would embrace this type of commerce? When it came to transactions like obtaining home or auto insurance, how could you possibly believe that the signature, captured by a drawing tablet and stylus and placed on the electronic document, is real?

How secure is that?

What if the government were to question it all?

Enter the year 2000
Turn of the century and time for Y2K disasters on an apocalyptic scale that will bring information technology to a standstill. (And the voices sang, we told you there is no such thing as paperless, just wait and see....) 12:01 AM on January 1, 2000. Hmm, the lights are still on, everything seems to be in order and under control. Maybe, just maybe, technology is that good. Why even the Government, on October 1, 2000 made it known that under certain conditions and meeting specified criteria, it would recognize e-signatures as valid.

As the Government turns, so to do the industry and vendor communities, and as a result, we now have "standards of acceptance" defining what can be considered legal, which has quelled some of the unrest in moving paperless. Go to any major retailer, use your credit card, and, guess what, you sign using an electronic tablet. If you choose to use your debit card, simply enter your PIN number and voila, you have just made your purchase. Same holds true for e-commerce and purchasing over the internet using a "form" for completing the order and finishing a transaction.

What's in it for me?
So what if there is paper?
What benefit does paperless provide for me as a business owner?

In order to make this assessment, you must first identify all of the paper used by your business. (This does not include paper towels, etc.) Think about the costs of managing hard paper. An insurance agency in Florida decided to take the plunge and go paperless for all business related paper documents. Signatures are captured using electronic signature tablets. Hard copies are only printed upon client request or if some other outside entity needs a hard copy.

Once the system was in place, they decided to look at their cost savings, taking into consideration the following:

The cost of printer paper
Toner or ink to print the original
Total copies made after signature
Toner for copier
Copier paper
Envelopes for mailing or packaging for consumer
Postage
Time saved looking for and returning files in the manual system They calculated a savings of approximately $40,000 in the first year.
Additionally, for every five file cabinets they replaced, a new sales person could be added and the space remaining beyond that could be sub-let to offset mortgage costs.

Large corporations began the move to paperless with imaging and EDI, realizing the costs were decreased due to information being more readily available and online. Now small businesses are moving in a similar direction; including electronic signatures (eliminating the need for printing an original only to copy it and then scan it back into the system). Think about the local insurance agent who now has you complete your application online to obtain a quote, sign the contract at a desktop system in their office using an electronic signature tablet (or in your home if they are using a notebook PC), and send you a copy via email or Fax if you request one. No need to print! No paper!

Of course, in order to achieve this level of automation, we need to shed our reservations about technology, accept that it is a viable way to conduct business, and that technology is stable enough to be trusted. Are we ready for it? We are steadily getting there. Not just here in the U.S., but worldwide. Whether we like it or not, the global economy is pushing us to use technology to it fullest to streamline transactional interactions and gain economic advantage in a most competitive marketplace.

What does this all mean for ECM? It means that the increased use of electronically created and forms-based information over hard copy (paper) moves us to a more fluid environment. It means that all of the information captured is now indexed rather than just select pieces. This increases the search capabilities and makes information more readily available from within a repository as opposed to transforming non-electronic information and determining what makes indexing sense for someone to once again find it. After all, isn't the purpose of all this data collection to make stored information retrievable for use in business transactions, analysis, marketing, and every other aspect of business-including streamlining transactions between supplier and consumer? It means that paper, while still very much a part of business, is becoming less a dependency and requirement even when it comes to obtaining an actual signature.

What happens to Records Management?In days of old, when knights were bold, paper and film each had their luster, archival rules were not for fools and records managers were mustered. So what say ye fellow Knights, must we still concern ourselves with records management now that we have ECM? The answer to this is clearly, yes. Now more than ever records management is critical as are the rules for document lifecycles, archival, and destruction. Simply watch the evening news and the importance of regimented procedures is evident. (The cases of Enron, Martha Stewart, et al.)

Not only are the lifecycle issues of great importance, the definition of a document also prompts interesting conversation. Ponder this. When, in your business, does an email, word document, etc. become a matter of record and at what time are you required to include it as part of the business file? For that matter, what about voice mail? If you save voice mail files, how and when do you include this as a business record in a client or project file? If you were audited today, can you produce the requested information and if it were destroyed, can you demonstrate consistent process against lifecycle rules? Now that you have thought about this, what is the best form of archival to meet requirements of business or your industry?

In some cases, you may be required by your industry or the government to maintain microfilm records as a backup to electronic storage. In other cases, magnetic storage or one of several forms of unalterable media is acceptable. The point is that ECM, while making information more manageable and accessible should still be used in conjunction with a strong records management policy that is documented, regimented, and defendable.

Conclusion
Many of us have heard and seen advancement that is inching us ever closer to a paperless environment. Some small and mid-sized businesses like the insurance agent, are actually nearing nirvana today and achieving paperless status levels of around 99%, but there is still that 1% that insists on having the actual hard copy in hand. Perhaps it is for reasons of feeling secure that proof is in hand should disaster strike. Perhaps it is the old-fashioned mentality that if one cannot touch it, it is not real. Whatever the case, we are steadily moving towards a world where paper is becoming less of a dependency to run business. A world where electronic forms become legal and binding under agreed upon conditions and where the rendition of a signature captured through the use of electronic media is acceptable. A world where all information is captured electronically and placed into a repository that is manageable, indexed, and searchable based on content and contextual criteria.

Are we at the "paperless" level today? No. Is it achievable? Yes, with the use and acceptance of electronic forms on the rise, we continue to advance into a paperless society. Will we be there in my lifetime? It is hard to say. In a world where economic drivers are global it will come at a more rapid pace in order to maintain competitive advantage. It will require acceptance, in third world nations especially, to adopt and accept technology as a viable means of transacting business. It will take increased infrastructure enhancement and higher security measures to break the human acceptance barriers. The question now is not can we reach paperless status, it is a question of when. It is ready for you, are you ready for it?

Bob Larrivee is director of sales and marketing for the Americas with Docubase Systems, Inc. and a member of AIIM's EmTAG. He can be reached at blarrivee@docubase.net.