At Blu Sky we started ‘Project Paperless’ last September, with the aim of reducing as much paper as possible around the office. We’re an accounting firm who love the cloud – we use Xero, Receipt Bank, Tripcatcher – so our office should be based in the cloud too!
We quickly realised that going paperless or, having less paper, wouldn’t happen overnight. It would take a lot of time and planning. It was also extremely important that all the team were on board with the idea from the start. Luckily change is something that we embrace at Blu Sky, so we knew all of the team would get behind the project quickly.
We started simple, and took little steps to reduce the paper in the office. For example, post used to be opened, actioned and then filed away. But now it gets scanned immediately, saved in an electronic folder and then shredded – no more bits of post around the office or in drawers. Our first step towards paperless! It was also a great way to introduce paperless to the rest of the team, and they could instantly see the benefits and it made everything easier for everyone.
We also focused on paper that we printed for internal or client meetings. And that’s were Adobe came in. Instead of printing letters of engagement, year-end accounts or self-assessment tax returns, we now send them for electronic signature. Think of all the paper we’re saving! At a click of a button the PDF gets sent out, signed electronically and then stored digitally!
We’ve changed a lot of our internal processes to take steps to going paperless, and we will never look back! Of course, you need to have the right technology in place to make it successful, and obviously a good scanner is the best place to start! It may sound like a big task, and one that you keep putting off, but keep reading to learn about some of the benefits we’ve found.
1 Work anytime, anywhere
We love hot-desking and flexible working hours at Blu Sky. So now that were on our way to being paperless we no longer need to move paper or files around from desk to desk, or even office to office! Everything we need is now on our desktop, meaning we can work anytime from anywhere – Jon even worked from the maternity ward!
2 Quick access to documents
Access to documents is fast and easy, it’s so much more efficient to have digital documents right in front of us, no more searching in files or folders for the right documents! Communication is also quicker and more efficient as we no longer have to wait on the post to send and receive letters or accounts back – they can all be done electronically.
3 Reduce costs
Printing less paper also means you save money on buying printer paper, ink and even postage on sending letters out.
4 More office space
Once all your documents are stored electronically you no longer need a filing or storage room, meaning you can use that space for something more practical and efficient, like more desks or a meeting area.
5 Environmentally friendly
Of course, one of the huge benefits of reducing the amount of paper you use is that it’s so much better for the environment. Think of all the tree’s you could save! We try hard at Blu Sky to be environmentally friendly, with recycling bins all around the office and encouraging everyone to use less paper!
There are so many more benefits of reducing the amount of paper your office uses. Yes, it takes a lot of time and planning, but once you have the right processes and technology in place, it’s so easy. Your business can be more flexible, efficient and cost-effective – make a small change now! The future is definitely paperless.
