Why businesses are driving a paperless revolution
Going paperless isn’t just the right thing to do for the environment: it’s also a great business decision, giving teams hours back in the day.
Going paperless isn’t just the right thing to do for the environment: it’s also a great business decision. Embracing digital, streamlined ways of working reduces paper-pushing ‘busy work’, giving teams hours back in the day to focus on the real jobs to be done.
Organisations that ditch the filing cabinets for online solutions are enjoying the benefits of increased productivity, a better consumer experience, and a cleaner, greener brand identity.
So how can you get started on the paperless journey — and how exactly can it save you time and money? Leading e-signature software provider DocuSign recently released a report detailing exactly how.
Paperless processes save time
When it comes to good business, time is of the essence. Where it once took weeks for paper documents to be sent off, signed and returned, digital agreements can reduce this timeframe to mere hours.
The ability to instantly sign digital documents speeds up the sales cycle and avoids giving customers too much time to second-guess their decisions.
Digitising processes also shows a commitment to innovation and efficiency, reassuring your new customers that they’re in good hands.
Businesses like Domain have been able to reduce the sales process by an average of 13.5 days, with 64% of documents completed in under an hour. Where it once took 20 minutes to process a document, it now takes two.
Seven-figure savings after going paperless
Digitising manual, paper-based processes has not only saved organisations time — it’s also saved them considerable money.
Microsoft has seen seven-figure labour and paper cost savings annually, while Melbourne-based law firm Collin Biggers & Paisley has been able to reduce the billing hours for lease documentation by 80% — subsequently passing on a 50% cost saving to their clients.
When teams aren’t tied up in piles of paperwork, they’re free to add value in other ways, whether that’s innovating, getting work done faster, or collaborating on new ways to improve service offerings.
Digital transformation is imperative for organisations looking to gain an edge over their competition. Research shows that digital leaders are 50% more profitable, generate 13% greater revenues and have 19% higher market valuations than their industry peers.
Go paperless for a greener future
It should be no surprise that paper-based processes are hurting the planet’s finite natural resources — but many don’t realise just how harmful the paper industry is.
Did you know it takes ten litres of water to make just a single piece of A4 paper?
To produce one tonne of paper, it takes approximately 957 litres of petrol. That makes the paper industry the fifth largest energy consumer worldwide.
Reducing our reliance and demand for paper means less deforestation, less water wasted, and less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
With the simple act of going paperless, DocuSign customers have already:
- Saved one million square feet of forest
- Saved over 14 million kilograms of wood (the equivalent of 94,232 trees)
- Prevented over 33 million kilograms of CO2 from entering the atmosphere (the equivalent of keeping almost 7000 cars off the road in a year)
- Saved 350 million litres of water (enough to fill 140 Olympic swimming pools)
Going paperless gives businesses the competitive edge
Sustainability and green credentials are an important way for organisations to stand out in a crowded market.
Research shows that more than 80% of consumers value sustainability, and two-thirds are willing to pay more for products from companies committed to positive environmental impact.
Going paperless boosts customer loyalty and establishes your brand as one that is forward-thinking, sustainable and committed to doing the right thing.
It also streamlines your processes and allows you to provide an engaging and seamless online buying experience.
Today’s consumer expects to be able to do everything on their laptop or phone, wherever and whenever suits them best. From discovering your company to signing a deal, the entire sales process should be digital and able to be completed on the one device.
What’s next?
The benefits of going paperless spread to every aspect of your business. To learn more about how leading organisations are embracing digital transformation and making the move online, download the DocuSign eBook today.
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