Considering the new technologies available to achieve the "paperless office"

1. Achieving the Paperless Office
Many organisations have set out to achieve ‘The Paperless Office’ and found it impossible to deliver. The traditional approach
to IT projects is to implement an ‘Add on’ office based application, which usually targets a particular process, but ultimately
fails to deliver the level of integration required to be used consistently as part of normal day-to-day office life.
The Paperless Office Ltd has solved this problem by providing a totally new form of service – delivered via the Web and fully
integrated with common place office processes – such as photocopiers, Email and the every day Browser window on the world.
Using software technology developed in the UK since 2003, TPO offer a resilient web based document inter-change & archive
solution accessible by anyone with the appropriate permissions. We specialise in delivering a Digital Document service, there is
no capital required to purchase hardware and software, no expensive implementation project or per-seat licences to buy and
pay annually for – we simply charge for the archive space used, with unlimited & FOC end user access.
For the first time, an organisation approaching ‘the paperless office’ does not need to worry about the cost of access to the
service, consequently huge value can be derived from all those who need to contribute documents, subsequently leveraged by
those authorised to view those same documents, enabling the benefits of improvements in work flow processes to be realised.
A huge strategic benefit of using this approach, is that low cost pilot projects can be trialled & tested within the adopting
organisation, in advance of any major changes, and at very low cost. This allows for improvements in business process and
document work flows to be worked out in the real office environment – a huge benefit in comparison to traditional business
process analysis.
There is a long tradition of big expensive IT projects failing to deliver, often due to the inability of the organisation to adopt to
the changes required by the computer application – using the TPO service allows for a low risk, low cost, lets-try-it approach,
no huge capital to justify, no corresponding savings to be proven, its simple and its quick.
The proven results can then be rolled out and adopted more widely when all parties are happy that the new workflows are
workable in real office life. Its about making the technology work for people – rather than the other way around.
The TPO web platform can accommodate new document workflows via simple configuration changes implemented through an
administrators control panel – managed by key roles in the adopting organisation, consequently there is no software house to
pay simply to enable the smallest change, or new document type to be integrated.
Some time ago we realised that only when a document archive can be used by all those parties who need access to it – can the
route to a ‘Paperless Office’ be achieved. So we set out to deliver a low cost of entry for the organisation, and then set out to
remove the barriers to document contribution.
The TPO definition of a ‘Web Service’ is: always on, available to all – those inside and outside of the organisation, always
accessible whether at the desk top, at home, or on the move, low cost, very usable - training for administrators – but no training
required for the every day or occasional user – this increases the scope of delivery and lowers roll out costs when compared to
traditional computer projects.
Traditional Document Archiving solutions require the implementation of dedicated scanners - this assumes that all documents
start out as paper, whilst the TPO service can be used with existing scanners, we also realised this creates a considerable
restriction to document contribution, and limits the scope of the solution. So TPO have developed interfaces to those office
technologies which are common and all encompassing – Email for example, is available to everyone, and most of the public.
With TPO anyone can import documents directly into the archive via an Email import address – the sender simply posts an
Email with the required document attached, and the subject line formatted “key1, key2, etc’ - clicks on SEND, within minutes
the document is stored and indexed ready for viewing. Of course the document can be any digital format, Word, Exel, PDF, Jpeg,
this powerful feature provides for a simple structured import by anyone – whether inside or outside the organisation.
The same approach can be used with the newer photocopier machines now available for the office environment, these are
known as MFD’s, or ‘Multi-Functional Devices’, when networked via the local office Lan, they can be used very simply to scan
direct to Email. Anyone in the office can now walk up to a copier, select the document type (via a menu), and Email a digital PDF
scan of the paper document directly to the document archive. The import Email address defines the document type.
These direct-to-archive routes bypass the traditional scanning department, the huge plus is – import can be from anywhere by
anyone, the negative is – the potential loss of the retrieval document indexing keys. When the import route is a copier, there
The Paperless Office Ltd – Unit 5, Brecon Court, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Park, Torfaen, Cwmbran, NP44 3AB.
Telephone : 0844 544 9056. Company No. 05268492 VAT No:936 0964 03

2. will be no keys input at all. TPO have a solution to this problem, because the archive is accessible via the web from anywhere,
then an dedicated indexing team, or indeed outsourced specialist operation (typically off shore) can be utilised to view these
documents and post index them using information derived from the document content, this of course assumes the document
contains its own index keys as part of its printed matter, typically this is the case.
So for good old fashioned paper, it can be seen that Email import not only enables direct-to-archive for anyone, but also
delivers the lowest possible cost of document indexing when the keys form part of the original printed page.
TPO have taken integration to another level – the Digital Post Box, we are all familiar with the Red Royal Mail post box, an icon
of the UK for many years, the future equivalent is a Digital Post Box. Now imagine a web browser displaying a picture of – a post
box slot – but one where the button says ‘click to Post’, this simply opens a dialogue box on the users PC screen or mobile
device, which allows them to search for & find the document they have previously saved, this is uploaded, or ‘Posted’ to the
digital box.
As part of the posting process the sender can also be asked to complete an ‘Address’, this can be the meta data required by the
receiving organisation, for example, the primary keys associated with the document, this might be an Account number, or name
& phone number, whatever is required. Clearly, each ‘Post Box’ then becomes dedicated to the document type being posted,
using this approach some intelligence can be built into the Post Box, allowing for the retrieval keys input to be qualified, for
example, a look up against the Account number could be made, or another primary key. These ‘intelligent’ post boxes are
bespoke coded (using dynamic access to held tables) and therefore have to be developed, but a basic post box can cost from
only £750 each to implement.
So TPO provide multiple routes to ensure that documents, sent by anyone from anywhere can enter the organisations workflow
in a digital pre-stored pre-indexed format and therein lies the major achievement, since from this point onwards the ‘Paperless
Office’ can be encompassed, all embracing, for internal and external users, the future is paperless.
TPO is a low head count UK technology company, backed by the Manchester University Business School. We own the software
and operate the web platform, we deliver document inter-change & archive services. To deliver a complete set of solutions we
partner with other companies. For example, if a room full of filing cabinets need emptying, we engage a scanning partner, if the
adopting organisation needs a review of internal work flow processes we will engage an IT solutions partner – you direct their
analysts to write the change programmes. In short, we provide the web technology, partners provide the leg work.
We can also automate the collection of document print streams from the back of existing ERP systems, and process them into
singular documents, and deliver these automatically to Email an address, which can be embedded within the document, or held
in the database. Often termed ‘E-Billing’ we engage a third partner to implement E-document delivery solutions.
In summary, we deliver our service using innovative technology with partners where a project focussed business engagement
is required.
Dave Amos
Operations Director
The Paperless Office Ltd – Unit 5, Brecon Court, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Park, Torfaen, Cwmbran, NP44 3AB.
Telephone : 0844 544 9056. Company No. 05268492 VAT No:936 0964 03