| Office automation and document management | | | | source documents need to be formally destroyed |
| technologies, also known as Enterprise Content | | | | and recycled for benefits to accrue. Before |
| Management systems (ECM) are uniquely positioned | | | | destroying originals, ensure that rigidly developed and |
| to help organizations reduce the impact they make | | | | applied policies and procedures are approved by the |
| on the environment. Using these tools may allow | | | | legal team. Other than recycling, scanning does play |
| business processes to be dramatically improved and | | | | an important role in that it gets staff used to |
| have a significant impact on the carbon footprint at | | | | conducting business digitally, and may allow staff to |
| the same time. There is of course a caveat. By | | | | telecommute. |
| themselves the technologies won't make a | | | | 6. Find a relatively risk-free internal process, and go |
| difference. These ten steps will help in ensuring that | | | | digital from start to finish. Once staff members (and |
| the technologies are implemented, and processes | | | | the organisation) are comfortable with handling digital |
| amended, in a phased, manageable and sustainable | | | | documents instead of trusty old paper, find a |
| fashion. | | | | process which can be completely digital. This will |
| These tools are not the silver bullet, yet may be | | | | normally be an internal process such as applying for |
| used effectively as part of an organization-wide | | | | leave, or claiming expenses. Implement e-forms |
| environmental drive. Think "Less-Paper" rather than | | | | processes, and make it impossible for staff to revert |
| paperless, and look for those processes in the | | | | to printing and signing the forms. Many organisations |
| organization which could be changed to become more | | | | already have e-forms technology as part of their |
| environmentally friendly. Adopting an incremental | | | | corporate platforms, so the cost of implementation |
| step-by step approach should assist in building trust | | | | could be slight. |
| and acceptance of the value of these technologies, | | | | 7. Implement digital signatures. Many complex |
| and facilitating roll-out to other areas of the | | | | processes, or those which involve multiple parties, |
| organization. | | | | may require signatures of some kind. Note that the |
| | | | regulatory environment surrounding digital signatures |
| 1. Build a team that is committed to the initiative. | | | | needs to be thoroughly understood first. The legal |
| Senior executives should be a part of this team, and | | | | team and all participants involved in the process must |
| need to be committed to making sure that the staff | | | | agree to the use of digital signatures. Involve major |
| under their employ know and understand the | | | | suppliers and customers, and identify where digital |
| rationale and benefits of the environmental drive. | | | | signatures can be used. Signing of contracts, and |
| Included in the team should also be members of the | | | | agendas or minutes of meetings may prove to be |
| compliance or corporate governance unit, legal, IT | | | | ideal opportunities to use this technology. |
| and affected user departments. If an environmental | | | | 8. Implement e-forms technology where possible. |
| champion has been appointed, they need to be a | | | | Steps 6 and 7 above should have provided a clear |
| key figure in this team. | | | | indication of how a process can be implemented |
| 2. Make sure that a robust framework of policies and | | | | digitally without ever producing a paper document. |
| procedures is in place which supports the drive. | | | | Take a process approach, and find a process that will |
| These corporate instruments should send a clear | | | | benefit all concerned by making it easier to populate |
| message of commitment, so that "green" becomes | | | | forms via the internet. It is unlikely that all customers |
| embedded in the ethos or culture of the organization. | | | | or suppliers will be willing to move to a purely digital |
| The policy framework is essential if staff members, | | | | world, but a large percentage is likely to embrace the |
| clients and suppliers are to be comfortable about | | | | new processes. |
| conducting business electronically. | | | | 9. Start distributing output documents electronically. |
| 3. Start with reducing the amount of paper printed. | | | | Reduce the volume of paper printouts by offering |
| There are many ways to achieve this, but it all starts | | | | customers the option of receiving electronic invoices |
| with the right attitude. Documents should be printed | | | | and statements. Once again, involve the legal team |
| on both sides of the page, and without the "banner" | | | | to ensure that this meets any regulatory |
| pages that sometimes print, showing who printed the | | | | requirements, and then encourage recipients of the |
| document. The wasted paper which is often left in | | | | output to receive electronic information. Look for |
| bins next to the printers should be reused for draft | | | | opportunities to reduce any internal printouts, by |
| printing. It may be useful to have separate printers | | | | saving the output directly to the document |
| for drafts and for final versions, so that users won't | | | | management systems. |
| print onto the back of someone else's draft. | | | | 10. Monitor, track, evaluate and market the benefits. |
| 4. If documents start their lives in digital format, they | | | | If the organisation is deriving benefits, and no-one |
| should stay that way. A classic example of this is the | | | | knows about it, it will have little value. Look for |
| all-pervasive e-mail. Employees should be penalised for | | | | methods of monitoring the effectiveness of the |
| printing and storing e-mails in hard copy. They | | | | changed processes, and report these benefits to the |
| originate in electronic format, are best suited for | | | | compliance and environmental officers. Apply the |
| distribution in that format, and should be stored in the | | | | principles and technology to new processes, and roll |
| systems that created them, not in a physical file | | | | out across the organization. |
| cabinet. | | | | The focus of these improvements has been on the |
| 5. Implement scanning into processes which will | | | | environment, and implemented correctly, these |
| deliver clear benefits. Chose processes carefully so | | | | technologies can make a difference. Couple this to |
| that quick wins are derived, and which improve | | | | the fact that customer service, productivity, lower |
| productivity, lower cost and improve service delivery | | | | costs of doing business, and compliance will most |
| at the same time. It must be highlighted that | | | | likely also have been improved, should prove a strong |
| scanning alone does not improve the environment, as | | | | motivation for introducing these new, improved |
| the source documents are still in paper format. The | | | | processes into the organization. |