Have you seen the recent New York Times article about airline pilots replacing bulky, printed in-cockpit flight manuals with digital versions on iPads? It makes great sense being that the digital version weighs a fraction of the 40lb. paper version, receives updates in real-time, and is easily searchable.
When PCs were revolutionizing the way businesses operated in the mid-90s, the so-called "paperless office" held the promise of eliminating the mass amounts of paper that clogged file cabinets and inboxes. It required careful organization and storage in order to keep track of everything.
The reality was much different, however. Computer crashes, software glitches, and even the occasional server-room fire necessitated maintaining hard copies of just about everything as a backup. Perhaps you recall when people used to print copies of every email "just in case." In addition, government regulations required certain industries to maintain paper archives or face consequences.
However, technological advances in data security, including reliable, redundant backup systems, along with regulatory acceptance now make the paperless office (or, less-paper office) not only a reality, but in many cases, a competitive necessity.
At a recent NYeHealth summit, Maria Trusa, executive director of the Scarsdale Medical Group, stated "In 2004 I had to convince 11 physician partners that EHR (electronic health records) was something we needed to do. The cost of running our practice was beginning to skyrocket. The staff was always looking for charts and as a result things were getting out of control. We had two full-time and two part-time employees dedicated to finding charts. And because those charts took up so much room, we were considering moving because we physically needed more space."
Trusa's group quickly needed to adopt EHRs or face the significant expense of moving to new offices, all because they were drowning in paperwork.
On a good note, you don't have to wait until there is a fiscal gun to your head to start reaping the benefits of the paperless office. Going digital will save you money, not only on physical storage space, but also on labor. No more wasting time spending hours digging through the file cabinets to track down one misplaced invoice. Even if you already conduct much of your business digitally, there is almost always opportunities for increased efficiency, convenience, and cost savings by leveraging technology.
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