PAPER IS EVERYWHERE - As many people who work in an office can attest, paper is ubiquitous. While buried under piles of memos, reports, do-do lists, order forms, and staff manuals, paper’s services seem indispensable, yet the paper itself seems to be a great burden. Both impressions are true!
PAPER OVERUSE HURTS THE BOTTOM LINE
Reducing paper consumption can improve efficiency and reduce costs. Additionally, it can earn a reputation for being environmentally conscious.
– Have you thought of the cost that filing cabinets, storage space, lost documents, postage, (outdated) printed forms (maintaining, updating, and distributing those documents), labor inefficiency (the cost of handling paper) represent?
IMPLEMENTING A PAPER REDUCTION CAMPAIGN
– While every company will implement paper reduction in a way that is most appropriate to its culture and organization, in general more or all of the steps to implement a paper reduction campaign are:
Getting started,
Dedicating adequate support,
Auditing paper consumption,
Identifying and prioritizing ways to reduce paper consumption,
Encouraging involvement,
Tracking improvements and sustaining efforts over time.
– There is considerable potential for any company or organization to reduce paper consumption.
– There is neither one simple path to reducing paper consumption, nor one quick fix. With this understanding, reducing paper consumption really is a wise investment. Not doing so will result in an ongoing drain of important economic and environmental resources.
– Transitioning to a paperless office
As mentioned above, the financial costs of paper extend far beyond just purchasing the paper. Creating a paperless environment within your company or institution is an important step toward your ability to become more economically and environmentally efficient over time, while staying current with new technologies and legal requirements.
Corinne, for Lean4U.
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