How Zoho became a paper-light enterprise
Introduction
Do you remember what business was like fifteen years ago, before cloud solutions, e-invoices, and digital signatures? Historically, business operations have relied extensively on manual processes and lots of paper. Without digitalization, the remote or hybrid work model we rely on today would simply not have been successful. In the face of unpredictable times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the business world has realized the importance of digitalization.
Even with corporations digitizing most processes, offices worldwide go through billions of sheets of paper annually. What’s the point of monitoring paper consumption? Aside from the obvious benefits for the environment, paper usage statistics are a great way to evaluate an organization’s progress towards digital transformation. Low paper usage is an indicator of effective cloud adoption for day-to-day operations and smarter resource optimization.
Is it practical to eliminate paper from your business completely? The short answer is no. However, the goal is not just about reducing paper consumption, but also about simplifying and streamlining processes. Decreasing dependency on paper leads to increased visibility, better accountability in processes, and an overall boost in productivity. Most organizations refer to this as being “paper- light,” which is precisely what we’ve achieved at Zoho Corp.
Why read this e-book?
This e-book details Zoho Corp.’s experiences in evolving into a paper-light organization. We’ll discuss in detail:
- The drivers behind Zoho Corp.’s transformation from paper-based processes to digital workflows to manage various functions such as facilities, security, food, travel, and related day-to-day business activities.
- Our paper-light maturity roadmap: The steps we took to overcome challenges, the paperless processes of multiple departments, and the tools and techniques that enabled the transition.
- The results we experienced. How digitization helped us become significantly more organized and gain better control, visibility, and collaboration throughout the organization, resulting in improved employee productivity, business operations, and outcomes.
- A ManageEngine customer’s digital transformation story. Our comprehensive suite of products helped one of our customers go from complete paper-based processes to becoming a paperlight, digital organization.
Why take the paper-light route?
Cost
You save big by investing in tech devices and solutions. While it may seem counterintuitive at first, recurring expenses, like printer purchases and maintenance, ink cartridges, stationery (e.g., paper!), and storage for these, are costly. It’s cheaper to store files online than to print, file, and store them in cabinets. The long-term benefits of digitization will be profound for your organization.
Efficiency
Democratization of technology means providing access to the right people at the right time. Employees can share files within an organization and communicate online, in real time. This makes it easier for them to collaborate, especially in a hybrid work environment.
Security
Digitizing sensitive documentation is easier than ever with granular security control. It’s hard to secure your hard-copy files, which could be easily misplaced or stolen. Having them online ensures you know who is viewing your files and what modifications are being done to them.
Data availability
No more relying on a single source of information or taking multiple copies for backup. Cloud solutions have evolved to protect and retain information without compromising user experience. Investing in these tools eliminates the possibility of losing or misplacing important data.