The People Bulletin

It has been said that the utopia of the paperless office is about as likely as a paperless toilet. This is a humorous but pertinent analogy. Why is it that when we can spend hours emailing, surfing the internet and sending text messages, we can so readily surround ourselves with paper? Is it that we are reassured by holding a physical piece of paper rather than a virtual document? Is there a cultural need to scribble notes, lists and memos?

It would be unrealistic to suggest that businesses can do away with paper altogether; however, the less paper office is most definitely a reality, especially in the HR function which produces and circulates a huge number of paper documents on a daily basis. In fact, many HR departments are producing and circulating considerably less paper than they were just five years ago and are reaping the business and environmental benefits of doing so.

How to go about achieving paperless HR

The HR department is one of the biggest producers of paper documents, creating, processing and circulating hundreds and sometimes thousands of documents each month such as contracts, disciplinary records, salary details, accreditations, time and attendance information and pension records. To move to automated HR processes would eliminate the circulation, processing and management of all these paper HR documents, but how can this be achieved?

There are a number of technologies on the market which can help the HR department go paperless. Amongst these technologies are electronic document management and self-service systems.

Electronic document management (EDM) systems have been around since the late 1980s, but when they were first launched they were limited to stand-alone systems for the electronic imaging of documents. These days, they can be tightly integrated into a range of software systems including human capital management (HCM)/HR systems enabling the imaged documents to be linked to the relevant employee records.

Despite a common misconception that document management is all about electronic filing, there is a lot more to EDM than just this. Modern document management systems assist with the electronic creation, delivery, management and processing of documents. Together with workflow systems which enable the electronic circulation of documents for information and/or authorisation, the need for paper documents is eradicated.

HCM-integrated self-service technologies are also vital for helping to eradicate the printing, posting and filing of paper documents. These technologies enable authorised staff outside of the HR department to directly access and input information into the HCM system, such as annual leave information and training details. Authorised line managers can also be given the authority to access information and create reports about their teams directly from their PCs, removing the reliance on the HR department to produce reports and forward them on. 

Why go paperless?

The technologies to assist the HR department in going paperless are readily available but what are the benefits of moving from paper-based to automated processes?

• Cost savings. Moving to automated, paper-free processes cuts stationery, printing and postage costs. By electronically delivering documents instead of posting them, this typically saves £1 per document when stationery, postage and labour costs are taken into account. When third party storage costs are also considered, the cost savings can run into many thousands of pounds every year.
• Improved efficiency. By sending, storing, retrieving and processing documents directly from their PCs, staff no longer need to spend time printing, photocopying, posting, locating and retrieving paper documents, allowing them to spend more time on value-adding activities. As documents are received and retrieved more quickly, this also enables tasks to be completed and queries to be resolved in a timelier manner.
• Freed-up storage space. By electronically storing incoming and outgoing business documents, filing cabinets full of paperwork can be eliminated, freeing-up storage space. With office space at a premium, especially in inner city London, occupying expensive office space with filing cabinets is far from economical.
• Aids regulatory compliance and business continuity.Paper documents can get lost and destroyed, either by accident, such as in a fire, or intentionally in the case of staff fraud. With the loss of personnel documents such as staff absence records and disciplinary documents, the organisation may not be able to provide proof of underperforming and/or disruptive members of staff during dismissal hearings and/or defend itself against staff grievances. Similarly, without copies of contracts, the organisation would be unable to dispute terms and conditions and the loss of PAYE records would, of course, be in breach of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) regulations and could result in penalties. With the electronic, secure storage of all HR and payroll documents, these risks are eliminated.
• Improves decision making. With self-service technology enabling authorised line managers to have instant desktop access to key HR information, such as performance, absence and timekeeping information about their teams, this can assist with decision making. For instance, poor staff performance can be identified early on so that appropriate action can be taken to remedy the situation.

The green agenda

There is no escaping the increasing pressure on organisations to reduce their negative environmental impact. By cutting paper consumption, fewer trees are being destroyed for paper production. By saving more trees, greater amounts of carbon are being naturally sequestered from the atmosphere. 

Carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of a paper document are also cut by moving to paperless processes. For instance, carbon is emitted during the manufacture of stationery, by road, rail and air vehicles during the transportation of paper and every time a document is printed or photocopied. Therefore, by making paper obsolete, all emissions created throughout its lifecycle, from production through to destruction, are also eradicated. 

Outlook for the paperless HR department

Although totally eliminating paper from across an organisation remains an unlikely utopia, there is considerable scope for moving to paperless processes in the HR function where paper-based records are still frequently received, produced, circulated, filed and processed. Technologies, such as EDM and self-service solutions, which integrate into organisations’ core HR systems, make paperless HR a reality. And with the numerous benefits these technologies provide, few organisations can deny that paperless HR makes smart business as well as environmental sense. 

Case study – The Royal Parks

The Royal Parks (TRP), an executive government agency responsible for administering and maintaining London’s Royal Parks, is rolling-out human resource (HR) self-service and workflow functionality.

This added HR functionality, which has a planned go-live of summer 2010, will be integrated into TRP’s existing human capital management (HCM) system, enabling 130 staff across TRP to access the HCM system themselves. To date, the HCM system has only been accessible by the HR team.

Authorised managers and employees at TRP will be able to ‘self serve’ by accessing and updating HR information themselves such as holiday dates, sick leave and training details. Time-consuming, paper-based HR procedures will also be replaced with automated processes. For instance, the workflow functionality enables reports to be sent electronically. It also streamlines annual leave requests and accurately records absence, enabling line managers to have greater control over their workforce.