Is the office of the future really going to be paperless?
I don’t think so. Paper is here to stay and that’s OK.
A few paper facts:
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Americans discard 4 million tons of paper every year.
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The average American uses 650 pounds of paper a year.
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Enough to build a 12 foot high wall from NYC to CA.
A Little Paper Humor
The Paperless Office will come around about same time we see the Paperless Bathroom.
But Wait … Didn’t the movie “Demolition Man” starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock have a paperless bathroom where they highlighted the “Three Shells”
Come on … Wipe that grin off your face. You know you saw the movie and got a chuckle out of that scene. Just in case you missed it click here.
Where does that leave us?
Businesses will still need to deal with paper. Some government agencies have 60 and even 75 year retention policies. Also, see LexisNexis Applied Discovery White Paper for general policies on Records Management and Retention policies.
Paper will persist … this is OK. The SMART COMPANIES will have a plan.
Paper is an asset. The information inscribed upon the paper (and sometimes the paper itself) is valuable. Protecting and managing it is important. Disposing of it when the time is right is also important and should be part of every Paper Based Process.
Paper is here to stay and that’s OK.
Additional Reading:
A few more paper facts for your reading pleasure.
What do you think?
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Will we ever see a paperless office?
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Do you have a paperless office today?
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Will receipts and other paper based detritus ever go away?
Drop a comment here. Or ping me at one of my contact points below.
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