How to use groupware to go paperless

What do you think of when you hear the word paperless? Many people may think that it is "environmentally friendly". It's true that paperless is more environmentally friendly. But the benefits of going paperless don't stop there.

So here are some of the benefits of paperless and how you can achieve them with groupware.

What is Paperless?

Paperless means making full use of electronic communication (e.g. email, chat, etc.) and avoiding the use of paper as much as possible. For example, efforts can be made to convert paper documents into PDF files and store them on a shared file server.

However, paperless does not mean "not a single sheet of paper". The objective is to separate documents that must be kept in paper form from those that must not, and to keep them organized.

What is Groupware?

Groupware is a group of tools that aim to improve work efficiency and productivity by sharing information and communicating. It has features such as chat, task management, schedule management, file sharing, and web conferencing.

Paperless Advantages

Let's look at the benefits of a paperless approach.

Finding documents is relatively easy.

Rather than keeping paper documents in a binder, you can access the information you want quickly by digitizing documents and sorting them by categorization or date.

Reduce the risk of information leaks

When paper documents are taken outside the office, there is a possibility that they may be inadvertently dropped. In the case of electronic media, by assigning access privileges to each document, there is no need to worry about the document being seen even if the client PC is misplaced or forgotten.

Cost-saving effects.

Paper documents are expensive in terms of paper cost, printing cost, and storage space (cabinet). By digitizing, these costs can be cut.

Documents can be shared with remote locations

Paper documents cannot be shared with staff in remote locations. With electronic media, information can be shared with remote staff over a network by placing electronic documents in a shared, viewable location.

How to achieve paperless using groupware

Now that we know the benefits of paperless, let's look at the last step of how to achieve paperless using groupware.

File sharing functionality for a paperless environment

Groupware comes with a file sharing function. By using the file sharing function, a paperless environment can be realized.

However, it is not enough to just have file sharing capabilities. It is important to choose a groupware that can benefit from the paperless system mentioned earlier.

In particular, "fast and light file search" and "being secure" are areas where each groupware has its own characteristics. Please use this as a reference to determine which groupware is best for you.

Bulletin board and business chat functions can also be utilized.

There are times when the content is not worth the trouble of compiling into a single file. In such cases, bulletin board and business chat functions can be useful.

The communication using bulletin boards and chats will remain in the groupware, which is useful if you want to review them later.

Web conferencing is also an effective way to go paperless

Web conferencing is a system that allows multiple staff members at distant locations to meet via the Internet.

Web conferencing is "a useful tool for communicating with electronic information. Since it is seamlessly connected to file sharing, bulletin board, and chat functions, electronic media is more convenient than paper media when using web conferencing.

Benefit from a paperless environment with groupware!

We hope you have learned that paperless is not only environmentally friendly, but also has advantages in terms of cost, security, and information sharing.

By making good use of groupware, you can receive the full benefits of a paperless office. Please consider introducing it at least once.