Save paper and reduce your company’s carbon footprint

September 4, 2017
Loc8 Insights Save paper and reduce your company’s carbon footprint

How many invoices, spreadsheets and other documents do you print daily? And how many of these do you lose, stain or damage and have to print again? Well, here is some info that might make you think about changing the way you run your operations…

One major factor that for years has been silently contributing to climate change is the excessive use of paper. Since trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide, reducing the level of greenery directly contributes to creating a greenhouse effect and increases global warming. Also, the act of cutting down trees itself is carbon intensive due to the large machinery used in the process

One way to battle this problem is by reducing your need for paper. Since paper is made primarily from wood pulp, a major cause of deforestation is the high demand for paper products. It’s never too late to play your part in preserving the environment and to switch to modern and digitized business tools.

Cloud based software

All companies, small or large, have a need to manage their projects/jobs and organise their workforce. Using cloud-based project management software is a great way to implement a paperless system of operation in your organization. Unless you work for a firm in which storing physical documents is crucial for work, switching to a paper-free business model can not only save costs but also improve productivity and customer service.

Cloud-based services also secure the privacy of your data and your client’s data by implementing strict security protocols that make it difficult for unauthorized users to access your files. Furthermore, to ensure even more security and make your operations run smoothly, most cloud-based solutions will enable you to integrate with other software. If you are a service business owner, for instance, this would mean that you could dramatically reduce your paper consumption and centralise all your operations from job management, to workforce management, financial management and so much more.

Grab a signature

Each organization’s requirement for paper is different. But for your service business, there are so many scenarios in which you could completely suppress the use of paper. Let’s take documents that require customer signature as an example. Using a field service management software on your mobile allows you and your techs to capture pretty much everything you need when you are on a job.

E-signature is definitely a trend that is catching up, and courier services have made the most of this technology. Simply use the screen of your mobile to capture the signature of your clients on the spot. The details are transmitted to your company’s main server and a record is kept without using any paper at all. No paper printed, instant validation, no back and forth between you and your client, time saved, job well done and on time!

Take a photo

Photos, screenshots and all types of imagery are also something that your service business might need to save important information. When technicians go on a job it is not rare that they encounter another issue while fixing the task they were initially called for. In this case, there is nothing easier than to simply take a photo of the problem, upload it straight to the app, create a new quote instantly, get it approved and schedule another appointment to come back and fix the problem later. When you start digitalising one part of your business, often you will realise that other aspects will head naturally towards digitalisation as well.

Build and share reports

Creating and sharing reports is the ultimate example to highlight why businesses no longer need paper. If you have started the process of running your operations through software, building reports will now give you something to smile about!

Spending hours on reports and printing never-ending reams of paper to share the reports with your employees is a bygone era. If you make the most out of your field service management software and use all the relevant integrations that you need, then your reports are already made without you having to do anything. The employees of your choice will then have access to the different reports whenever they want to and from anywhere.

Beyond the urgent necessity for companies to be more responsible and aware of their paper consumption, cloud-based software is just the perfect solution for businesses. Data is safely stored, documents can no longer get lost, everything is retrievable and the flexibility and scalability offered allows companies to improve their internal flow of communication. The perfect compromise!

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