Working paperless: The power of digitization

Digitization helps organizations save time, avoid errors and get more insight from their data. A nice added benefit is that you need less paper at the same time. That not only saves trees and carbon emissions, but also costs. Moreover, digitizing business processes helps you meet increasingly stringent sustainability requirements as well as fulfilling Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Regulations around environment, CO₂ and reporting

Starting in reporting year 2025, large organizations will be required to report on both their carbon emissions and sustainability performance(CSRD), and starting in 2027, these companies will be held more accountable for impacts throughout their supply chains (CSDDD). For smaller organizations, this means being prepared earlier helps. Working paperless with LeanForms gives you insight into paper and carbon savings, information that is increasingly in demand.

Even without a legal obligation, many companies today are already adopting paperless operations as part of their sustainability or CSR strategy. It is a concrete way to show investors, customers and employees that you are doing business in a transparent and future-oriented way.

Paperless working and practice burden for SMEs

Not every company is directly affected by European directives such as the CSRD, but the pressure to be more sustainable is increasing for SMEs as well.

In tenders, requirements for CO₂ reduction are increasingly being set. Instruments such as the CO₂ performance ladder are playing an increasing role in sectors such as construction and infrastructure.

Companies that want to distinguish themselves or demonstrate sustainable operations (for example, with an ISO 14001 certification) can use paperless operations as concrete proof. In addition, more and more clients and supply chain partners expect their suppliers to provide insight into their environmental performance.

Digitizing now will benefit you in your daily work, and it’s an investment in the future where sustainability reporting is likely to move further into SMEs.

Here’s how to make the move to paperless working

• Inventory
  What processes or forms currently require a lot of paper? Often these are inspections, checklists or work orders.

• Choose a concrete starting point
  Start with one process where the most gains can be made, such as audits or security checks.

• Make it digital
  Set up the process through LeanForms and involve employees in the transition.

• Compare outcomes
  How much time, paper and errors will you save compared to the old situation?

• Build on
  Extend the approach to other processes and use the results to build support.

Practical effects in daily practice

Digitizing not only delivers sustainability gains, of course. With LeanForms, data are recorded directly and stored centrally, so you are always working with up-to-date information. Errors and duplicate work are reduced and reports are available faster. This saves time and increases the quality of your processes.

Conclusion

By digitizing processes, you benefit on multiple fronts: You work more efficiently, increase the quality of your data and at the same time contribute to sustainable business. In short: efficiency, quality and sustainable business go hand in hand!

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