UK Paperless Office Dreams are Coming True

A recent survey by Kyocera Mita has revealed a massive 40% drop in the number of pages printed by UK office workers over the last 12 months. This is the first time print volumes have fallen since the annual environmental survey started in 2007 and the reduction from an average 10,000 daily sheets to 6,000 is not to be sniffed at. We take a look at the probable causes.

1. Greater confidence in technology

The use of mobile technology is growing fast as manufacturers develop new types of devices with increasingly more sophisticated functionality. The average professional worker on the move will carry several devices with them that enable them to connect with the office, communicate via a plethora of media and share documents. As technology marches on and wins the trust of users, the need for printed documents decreases.
In addition, electronic document management software solves an array of business problems whilst keeping documents secure. Also, it reduces the need to print documents by making them easier to share and process and negates the need for storage facilities such as filing cabinets.

2. Improved print management

Tough economic times have forced many businesses to take a long, hard look at their costs with uncontrolled print and copy often proving to be a major burden. Software to track and minimise output is becoming an increasingly standard office commodity. This can deliver significant cost reduction, especially when implemented alongside more basic actions such as setting printers to use both sides of the paper when processing multi-page documents.

3. Reduced paper-based processes

Increasingly, software is available to enable traditionally paper-based processes to become automated so that they can be conducted entirely in electronic format. Even tasks such as approvals, which have traditionally required a signature on a paper document, are now being catered for with new technology.

4. Changing attitudes

A recent study by Lexmark showed that almost three out of four UK office workers are printing fewer emails than one year ago and over half are outputting less general business and marketing material. This suggests that it is becoming increasingly acceptable to share and store business documents in electronic format.

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