In communication methods followed in the past, paper had a great significance but now the modern times the usage of paper as a mode of communication has significantly reduced. Transfer of knowledge from generation to generation in the form of books, manuals still follows but the way the next gen accesses the same has changed considerably. This could be one possible reason why people embrace information and data in digital mode. The demand for audio books is gaining more popularity across the world. Email is one of the most used means of communication in the new world. The use of electronic fax is now more common in offices. Diminishing forest area, unprecedented climate change and other changes affecting the quality of life have provoked people to go with the concept of GoGreen which discourages the use of paper. In modern cities, the ever increasing cost of real estate also plays a significant role and as a result storing paper documents turns out to be prohibitively expensive.
Managing sensitive paper documents and sharing selective information is also a tedious task if you don’t have the information in a digitised manner. Even though a vast majority of users are aware of the above facts and accept the need of a document management solution in their environment, excuses like DMS solution being very expensive, no need to store documents in a centralised location, not much volume of paper to justify the need to go in for a software, information stored is not that sensitive etc. are commonly heard. There still are users who are comfortable with paper and many might not be willing to change over to a completely digital way of doing things. There is a notion among a set of people that electronic documents can be easily manipulated and some says their subsidiaries are still relying on paper documents hence their preference also needs to be considered.
The paperless office remains a myth no doubt and there is not a single software which can be a one-for-it-all to address the requirement of a myriad of users but surely if you look for the right solution, there is one which will fit your needs.
Contributed by Ashish Baby