A few years back it was dream of a many office administrators and managers to create the paperless office – one where everything was handled digitally and we wouldn’t need to print a thing, ever again. Start-ups and businesses began sprouting up everywhere, promising organisations from schools and colleges to SMEs and big corporations that they could guarantee a paperless office for the future.

The truth is we are still using a large amount of paper in our daily office practice even though there is some pretty helpful technology around to help us achieve the opposite. Do you really need to read that information in hard copy or can you transfer it to your tablet or even your mobile phone? Is it necessary to print out contracts nowadays or can customers sign them digitally and store them online?

The new range of multi-function printers off the factory floor allow us to cut down on wastage and reduce the amount of paper we use. All it takes is a slightly different strategy and a more eco-friendly outlook. Let’s face, it’s easy to stick a document on the copier and have it photocopied. Most office staff probably don’t even think twice when they do it.

After all, it’s the way we’ve always done things in the office. Isn’t it?

The good news is businesses are beginning to embrace the idea of the paperless office again. With new MFPs they are able to find different ways to disseminate information. Rather than printing off copies for a meeting, they are storing documents on the copier hard drive that can then be accessed by any pc, tablet or mobile device such as a smartphone.

Staff are being trained to think differently when it comes to all those printing tasks because businesses now have the incentive to become more eco-friendly. Sending a document to a digital device costs nothing, so you are already saving money on consumables by not printing out. Yes, it’s nice to give a customer a professionally printed brochure but why not give them the opportunity to view it digitally and boost your green credentials instead?

If your business is still spending a significant amount of money on consumables such as paper and toner then perhaps it’s time you had a good look at how you operate. Undertaking a full audit of all your printing processes can help highlight a large number of areas where you can save money and help develop a staff office strategy that lowers your impact on the environment.

The latest MFPs don’t just give you the opportunity to cut down on consumable consumption but help you seriously cut the amount of electricity you use because they work more efficiently and have programs such as sleep modes.

Whilst implementing the paperless office may have been something of a pipe dream in the past because we didn’t have access to the right technology, it is no longer the case for most businesses. Of course there will be occasions when you need to print something but with the right strategy and the latest MFPs you can make a big dent in the amount you currently spend on paper as you go about your daily business.

To find out how much you can save, contact ISL on 0208 911 3780 and request your FREE Print Audit.