Paperless or Less Paper?

"Paperless office is certainly a reality and it is going to transform the world soon" - Krishnan, LL2B.com...Others quoted in this article might disagree: "'Paper will continue to be in use because it is backup, evidence, physical and tangible,' says Dr. Chinny Krishna of the Blue Cross. 'I don't see the mindset changing in the foreseeable future. Until e-mails and such electronic documents are seen as factual, paper will be used simply for the fact of proof that something happened, an agreement has been made, or an event has taken place. We find it much easier to refer to a hard copy of a critical document than scramble to access it in the computer. Most of us can't let go of our precious wood pulp security blankets.'"

"'Partially possible,' says Vasantha Rajagopalan, branch manager, SBI giving it an 80-20 chance. 'People are getting used to dematerialised (hey, that's a new word!) forms of transaction....'"

What do these predictions mean for e-commerce and e-government in the Indian context? The thinker quoted above, Krishnan, is engaged in a crusade against paper in government offices. His efforts have been endorsed by the Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), "which uses his web enabled, platform independent, paperless solution developed totally using open source technology....Said Sudeep Jain, MD, ELCOT: 'The average cycle time was earlier 15 to 21 days, whereas, after the implementation of the electronic system, it was only 5 to 7 days'." Krishnan points to the environmental benefits of such a paperless office: "It would reduce the consumption of paper and stationery by over 50 per cent and would save our valuable forest resources." From 1992 to 2002, world consumption of paper and board products grew from 250 million tonnes to 325 million tonnes.

Perhaps it is "fear of glitches" that might stop an organisation from transitioning to a completely paperless office. After all, electronic forms of communication "are still seen largely as editable - meaning anyone can make changes in their text." Other sources of concern include "increasing virus attacks, computer glitches and crashes, erratic power supply and a growing fear in the lack of safety and security".

This article concludes by referencing authors Abigail J. Sellen and Richard H. R. Harper, who - in The Myth of the Paperless Office - predict that "Paper will continue to occupy an important place in office life but will increasingly be used in conjunction with an array of electronic tools. The paperless office is a myth not because people fail to achieve their goals, but because they know too well that their goals cannot be achieved without paper."