Let’s All Use More Paper! – #WPFD

I was reading the Wall Street Journal when an ad caught my eye. The caption read "PaperBecause -- It's Easier to Learn on Paper." The campaign is sponsored by a Domtar, "the largest integrated manufacturer and marketer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second-largest in the world."

The campaign centers around the ways in which electrons can never replace paper. The ads "will appear in major U.S. and Canadian media outlets, including: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Globe & Mail, Fast Company, Audubon, National Geographic and other consumer and trade publications. The campaign will also feature online banner ads and a series of short videos that will appear in a variety of online media."

The campaign follows on an earlier effort with the tag line, "Paper -- Essential for Life's Big Moments."

Well, I obviously don't agree with the thrust of the whole thing (It's a large jump to make from a preference for a paper diploma over a PDF to the universal case for paper). But I have to admire both the hutzpah of the whole effort as well as the skill with which it's delivered. I also have to wonder what life would be like to be able to take out big ads in the WSJ.

So a few data points on the other side can be found below as we get ready for World Paper Free Day.

For many years we have heard the mantra of going paperless. Business organizations of all sizes and industries of all types have sought to minimize their paper use and reduce costs and carbon footprint while at the same time increasing operating efficiencies and profitability. This is no small task, and it requires not only the proper use of technology but also change. Change in our Ways of Working (WoW) and change in our corporate culture. It requires a change in the way we think. This is perhaps the hardest challenge of all. Going paperless and the change required to get there.

The technology is here, but is your corporate culture ready for it? That is the true question and the reason we have put this simple guide together for you. We have identified a few simple things you can do today that will help you move toward a paperless business operation and help the world go paperless. Help us to improve this list of tips.

1. Use document scanners to convert paper documents to electronic format through document scanning then shred them – if allowed by law and industry – and send the shredded paper for recycling
2. Do not print or copy any documents unless absolutely required. Send all documents via e-mail or electronic fax as the preferred method to your customers.
3. If you do have to print, be sure to spell/grammar check before you print to eliminate reprinting. Also, try saving or printing to PDF instead.
4. Use Web 2.0 technologies like wikis and blogs for internal communication and collaboration
5. Use single source repositories and shared digital workspaces to develop, manage and refine documents like contracts, marketing materials and any other type requiring review and refinement
6. Use web interfaces and forms for online applications and order placement, replace paper forms with eForms
7. Sign up for e-bill delivery or online billing from your suppliers rather than paper statements, and pay your bills electronically
8. Develop and deliver all promotional materials in electronic form rather than paper using links and downloads for online and thumb drives or CD media at tradeshows and seminars
9. Map, design, and manage all business processes electronically. You can begin by mapping the processes and assessing how they can be improved as they are, then address process automation using what you currently own and/or may purchase
10. When a signature is required, match the signature solution to the signature requirements. While "click-wrap" is the easiest and most common, there are numerous options. Electronic signature tablets similar to those used in retail are one option; you can even get them sophisticated enough to capture the unique biometric characteristics of each individual for future comparison if the signature is questioned
11. Sign up for the digital versions of all trade magazines and newsletters, and make sure others in your organization do the same
12. Use direct Printed Barcode on the corrugated boxes or on the Product manual or use other Emboss technique for object tagging & Retrieving on the product itself instead of separate Paper based barcode stickers.
13. Paper is widely used between Business to Customer, Business to Business, Government to Business Vise Versa, and Customer to Business for day to day transaction purposes. Government & Corporate have to frame policy & implement paperless processes. Elevate, educate, and provide hands-on support to the non-IT savvy customers to use self-service applications. This reduces paper transaction cost, increases customer base through customer satisfaction. 
14. Outsource paper document digitization to a document imaging company. You may get more cost-benefit outsourcing to a company that focuses entirely on scanning than trying to keep the scanning in house.
15. Where possible, convert your paper-based data capture to e-Forms.
16. Encourage end users to upload scanned copies instead of mailing the documents.
17. Use the above tips and join us for World Paper-free Day, October 28, 2010.