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PRINTING
Paper use down in more than half of businesses as SMEs call time on
slow paper-based processes
Digitalisation is more than just a buzz-
word. As surveys by AIIM and Xerox
show, the transition from paper-based
to electronic processes is having a
significant effect on how information is
managed and distributed, as businesses
continue to make progress towards
eliminating paper.
In AIIM’s latest annual survey of paper
use in the workplace
Paper-Free in 2016,
Are we there yet?
, released in the run-
up to World Paper Free Day (WPFD) on
November 4, half of business executives
say they have seen a decrease in the
amount of paper received by their
organisation – 9% of respondents
describe this fall as rapid.
Two thirds of respondents say that
demand for paperless processes is
growing, with 25% claiming to run a
clear/paper-free environment, up from
18% in last year’s report. The main
benefits of going paper-free are faster
customer response times (50%) and
higher productivity (42%).
The business functions that have
shown the greatest fall in paper
use are Human Resources (HR),
particularly in the areas of recruitment
(49%) and employee lifecycle (48%);
Accounts Payable (41%); and Accounts
Receivables (39%).
Almost half (45%) of businesses
achieve payback on their paper-free
investment within six months; one in 10
(9%) does so within just three months.
Despite this progress, it is unlikely
that all business processes and
transaction will go paper-free any time
soon. Reasons given for sticking with
paper include the human factor when
handling, reading and note taking (47%);
a lack of management initiatives to
move away from paper (47%); and a lack
of understanding and awareness when it
comes to paper-free options (39%). Two
thirds (65%) of business executives still
use handwritten signatures on paper.
AIIM chief analyst Bob Larrivee
remains optimistic nonetheless. He
said: “People instinctively like paper,
and for many it still feels natural to print
out a document to read, sign, edit or
share. But things are gradually changing
as people become more comfortable
using technology for such tasks and
realise that e-signatures are just as
valid as physical ones. Enterprises are
also seeing the benefit of digitising
content, in terms of customer
service, collaboration and overall
productivity, which will only help the
move to paper-free.”
Eliminating paper
In a separate survey by Xerox, more
than 80% of small and medium-sized
businesses in the UK, US, France and
Germany said that within the next 12
months they wanted to eliminate paper
from time-consuming processes, including
invoicing, HR and financial reporting.
However, only 28% say their
implementation of plans to digitise paper
processes is well advanced. Overall,
12% of SMBs are one to three years
away from implementation.
The main reasons to go paper-free
are to increase productivity, grow the
business and reduce print costs. Almost
half (43%) of UK SMBs say they waste
a significant amount of time on paper-
intensive processes and 60% say this
has a major impact on their bottom line.
Other ways in which businesses aim
to reduce paper use include introducing
Managed Print Services (MPS) – 42%
already have an MPS contract and 40%
plan to put one in place in 2017 – and
integrating mobile devices with workflow
processes to increase the productivity of
mobile workers, meet customer demand
for remote information and improve
customer service.
Like AIIM’s report, the 2017
Office
Productivity Trends to Improve the
Bottom Line
survey highlights a lack of
awareness amongst businesses about
their options. Only 20% of SMBs are
aware of existing paper-free solutions in
the market.
When it comes to seeking advice,
50% of SMBs turn to an office
equipment dealer, one in four looks to
their IT reseller and 37% approach a
product manufacturer.
To download a copy of AIIM’s report
Paper-Free in 2016, Are we there yet?
,
please visit
.
UK SMEs regard network connectivity as the most important feature of any scanner solution,
followed by the ability to integrate with document management systems and having a simple
user interface, according to new research by Brother UK.
Nick Gosden, Head of Scanner Category at Brother UK, attributes the popularity of these
features to growth of collaborative working, an increasingly mobile workforce and the need for
more efficient document capture and workflow.
He said: “These findings confirm the trajectory of the scan market with businesses
seeking integrated solutions rather than products that stand in solitude. With scanner use
most common among business functions like customer communications and accounts
payable, scanners have to have a role within workflow strategies and need to include features
like cloud connectivity and integration with internal systems to derive efficiency.”
Just over half (52%) of the 400 decision-makers and IT purchasers surveyed by Brother
scan 11-100 documents every day, with 45% using a dedicated scanning device rather than
an MFP.
When scanning, 44% scan directly to a network server, 27% to the cloud and 19% to
a document management system. Over a third (39%) of documents are scanned to meet
confidential, legal or regulatory standards.
…when we try so hard not to
Scanning in the UK
