BEYOND GREEN

Ever since personal computers first made their way into our lives, the promise of a paperless office has seemed “just around the corner.” After all, why waste all of those trees and filing cabinets when you can store your information on a magnetic disc?

On the other hand, several factors have inhibited the spread of paperless offices. For one thing, the growth in computer technology has been accompanied by the growth in copier technology. It’s hard to go paperless when creating paper documents is so incredibly easy.

In addition, there are inherent drawbacks to desktop computers. For instance, it takes time to transfer existing paper files to digital files. In addition, desktop computers are hard to carry with you on field assignments. More importantly, computers always seem to find the worst possible time to crash and send all of your data into a flaming oblivion, and they present a set of challenges for capturing legally binding signatures. And once all of those problems have been solved, upgrading to a paperless office still requires an initial investment of time and financial resources.

For all of the reasons listed, the sales of paper in the United States showed no sign of slowing during the technology boom. Now, fortunately, the benefits of paperless offices are finally overcoming the drawbacks. Scanner technology is making the paperless transition easier than ever. Notebook computers are small enough to take on any field assignment. Data backup systems are inexpensive and reliable. E-signature software is booming, and the cost of technology is decreasing by the month.

The market is responding to the technology shift. In recent years, nationwide sales of copier paper have flattened when compared to economic growth because more and more offices are reducing or eliminating the use of paper.

In 2006 I was searching for a corporate broker for Viridian Group. I wanted someone who felt strongly about the need to conserve our natural resources in the office. I was blessed to find Sandi Herrera, who had successfully implemented a paper reduction system at her pervious brokerage. As we talked, a mutual sense of creativity and excitement overtook us. We both wanted to create a Real Estate office with zero paper consumption—or as close to zero as the business could possibly allow.

Sandi’s success was immediate. Our new office contains delightfully few file cabinets, and our agents can access their files anytime from anywhere in the world. We have experienced cost savings in printers, paper, ink, file folders, file cabinets, and office space, among others.

All of our agents carry notebook computers, which automatically file and store every document on our network for easy retrieval. Signatures are captured with a magnetic stylus, and signed documents are converted to an unalterable PDF format. Copies of the documents are burned to CDs for our clients.

Creating a paperless office has been a relatively smooth process, but not completely without its hurdles. Sandi says the biggest difficulty has been getting people to trust the reliability of computers. In addition, variations in eyesight make it difficult for some people to read from a computer screen. In order to overcome such discomforts, we do keep a printer onsite for clients who prefer hard copies of their documents.

Sandi had the advantage of building a paperless office from scratch. It’s always easier to build a paperless office than to upgrade an existing office. If you’re looking for ways to reduce or eliminate the use of paper in your office, Sandi suggests that you begin with a mindset shift. “Think about the environment before you print any document,” she says. “Get in the habit of reading [documents] on the computer screen versus printing them out.” It takes a conscious decision, and it’s easier than most people think.

Once you’ve made the decision to reduce your use of paper, there are several easy steps toward that goal:

1. Scan and convert documents into PDF format. PDF is the preferred format for document storage because PDFs can be made unalterable, which keeps signatures legal. You can download free PDF creators from several Web sites, including http://www.primopdf.com/.


2. Send electronic faxes instead of paper faxes. We use eFax, which provides us with a unique fax number. eFax is easy to use and costs far less than a landline fax.


3. Align your office with a like-minded title company. Although the other suggestions work for any type of office, this one is for Real Estate offices in particular. More and more title companies are reducing their paper consumption, but the transition is slow. For Las Vegas REALTORS^®, First American Title Company in the Howard Hughes Center is well on its way to being paperless.


4. When you must print, use the two-sided option. Do the math! Two-sided printing reduces paper consumption by half. If you do print one-sided or one-page documents, then use the blank side for scrap paper.


5. Back up your data. Once you get caught up in the paperless fervor, it only takes one catastrophic loss of data to put you back into filing-cabinet mode. Computers are imperfect, so store your documents in more than one location. For instance, save documents to your desktop and also to the network or an external hard drive. That way, a misbehaving computer becomes an annoyance instead of an emergency.


6. Invest in notebook computers. The previous five suggestions allow you to reduce your office’s paper consumption significantly with minimal effort and virtually no financial investment. However, if you’re ready to take your office to the next level, then it’s time to invest in notebook computers. These computers take the place of all the stacks of paper your agents carry with them. The investment in hardware, software, and training will pay for itself, but it will take some time. Notebook computers are the pen-and-paper of the future; it’s up to you to invite the future into your office.


7. Keep a printer handy. I would love to eliminate paper completely, but that’s not possible in today’s world. Some of my clients insist on paper documents, and I am happy to oblige them. A paperless office is an office that uses as little paper as possible. Zero is not yet an option.

As we gain awareness of our impact on the environment, conserving our natural resources becomes part of our lifestyle. In business, reducing consumption is a classic cost-saving strategy. Beginning the transition to a paperless office is therefore the best practice for the environment and also for your business.

Green Tip of the Month
Finding the real cost of paper.

How much could your office save by going paperless? Consider the cost of paper, ink, file cabinets, and all the peripheral costs associated with printing and storing files. You can calculate your office’s paperless savings potential at http://efactusa.com/roi.html.

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/.