What is driving organizations to be paperless?

Submitted by Bob Larrivee, AIIM Director/Industry Advisor

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you are a fan or foe, believer or naysayer, the mantra of paperless office is still here and to a degree, getting louder. A couple of questions come to mind when I hear this. First, what is driving the move to paperless? There are mandates out there likes the one we in the US heard from President Obama, that all patient records will be digital by 2014. This is certainly something the healthcare industry must address as there are fines associated with noncompliance, but there is still a grey area in how everyone will move in that direction. The Electronic Health Records industry has its view and other business entities theirs not only in how to make it happens but more fundamentally, what constitutes a patient record.

 

Then there is Check21 which took effect October 28, 2004. In simple terms, this US Law enables recipients of paper checks, to create a digital version of the check eliminating the need to handle the paper check. Now banks can simply scan the original and use the scanned image for future processing needs. It is estimated that 70% or more of US banks are now taking advantage of this process. So, even though this allows banks to move closer to a paperless environment, it is still not completely paper-free.

 

In the insurance industry, I have seen a move toward paperless environments from the agent perspective. Agents combine ECM with specialized electronic signature tablets to transact business and the claims offices are now converting their materials into digital form for processing. While there are no mandates here that I am aware and it seems completely voluntary though accepted, State by State there are differing views as to what is acceptable and what is not. One State may accept the electronic signature while the next still requires retention of the original wet ink signature in hard copy.

 

When I do research on this topic, I cannot find conclusive evidence that it has happened within any specific sector only that small segments of a business have moved in this direction. In my view these are indicative of the continued effort to streamline operations, increase efficiency and establish better governance over information, yet I am not seeing the surge and wide acceptance that many hope for. So the questions I have for you are:

 

What mandates do you have driving you to become paperless?

 

What steps have you taken to be paperless?

 

What definitive research is available that demonstrates a move toward the paperless environment?

 

What say you? Can the paperless office become a reality or do you know of research demonstrating its probability or impossibility? Do you have a story to tell? I want to hear from you.

 

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Bob Larrivee – AIIM blarrivee@aiim.org

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Comments

[Natasha]

Don’t you know that “paperless office” idea is mostly dead, with its remnants lurking mostly in some academic corners? :) Today’s reality is hybrid (electronic and paper) recordkeeping – more challenging, but much more interesting!

[Pac_eDocs]

Business process streamlining is the main driver we see as a reseller of paperless products and services. The digital signature seems to be the most common barrier.