Q&A with Bill Brikiatis, Director of Corporate Marketing for eCopy, Inc.

While the totally paperless office is a vision that has yet to be achieved, integrating paper into electronic business processes is an attainable accomplishment that can improve operating efficiency and deliver profit to the bottom line.

Small-and-medium-size businesses in particular are well positioned to take advantage of technology that can move paper into the digital mainstream. Unencumbered by corporate IT departments and lacking excess resources to mask operational problems, smaller businesses have the agility to respond quickly to challenges. So while the paperless office remains a myth, eliminating paper from business processes to create a seamless digital workflow is a definite reality.

For a look at how to incorporate “paperless” practices into your businesses, we spoke with Bill Brikiatis, director of corporate marketing at document imaging and distribution software company eCopy, Inc.

Why should a paperless office be on IT’s agenda?

“Businesses that excel at managing information will see increased productivity from office professionals, improved workflow efficiencies, better customer service, and lower overall expenses. Since business processes almost always involve paper, the challenge is to merge parallel work flows—an electronic process and a manual paper-based process—into a single, efficient work stream. The solution is to develop information management strategies that manage and control for both electronic and paper-based processes. That is where IT can take a leadership role, “said Brikiatis.

What steps should IT take to pull paper into electronic processes?

“The first step is to consider the types of documents being used. For instance, are they used in high-volume, repeatable transactions or in ad hoc business processes? That will dictate whether you need a specialized, production-focused scanning operation or if you can distribute document imaging capabilities at multiple points in an organization.

Next, evaluate document imaging solutions with your office environment in mind. Look at your office workflows and how your company is organized—for instance, single site or multiple sites.

Finally, consider the user experience. If you plan to distribute document scanning capabilities to 20 or more people across the organization, look for applications that are easy to use and readily adopted. Avoid solutions that require on-going user training and IT support,” said Brikiatis.