Solving Paper Waste in Business: eSignatures and Print Management

UK businesses are wasting a lot of paper

Research has shown that the average UK worker uses 45 pieces of paper a day, with two-thirds of that being waste! And that 39% of businesses have not implemented a paperless policy to try and reduce paper usage. More importantly, 11% of businesses have witnessed the loss of important documents, therefore resulting in compliance issues or financial losses.* 

These percentages are substantial and quite shocking, despite the UK having taken a big step toward digital transformation. 

Reduce paper waste with eSignatures

One of the ways users can reduce paper and help enhance their business digitally is by using an eSignature (electronic signature) solution. 

eSignatures enable users to sign documents digitally rather than having to print them out, sign them, scan them back in or send them back by post.  

eSignatures save trees, costs, and improve business processes and productivity.  

Integrate eSignatures into your apps

Developers can use the APIs to integrate eSignatures within the application for compliance and improve the end-user experience. 

Microsoft requires Indirect CSPs to manage their end-user agreements. Partners are required to provide confirmation of customer acceptance for all CSP customer orders. Partners will not be able to make new purchases or edits to a subscription for new or existing customers until the partner confirms acceptance from the customer. eSignatures are a great tool for this. 

Key benefits for end users: 

• Avoid time-consuming processes – legal, finance and other industries can have a contract or agreement signed within minutes and hours, rather than days and weeks 
• Cut down the amount of paper used – save costs on paper, ink, printer; plus help the environment, which in turn reflects well on the company and how it is perceived by others 
• Easily find previously signed agreements 
• Comply with various security standards 
• Set reminders and check whether the document has been signed at any time 
• Avoid errors caused by manual processes 
• Avoid delays in payments or getting a project started 
• Some solutions even enable users to send photo identification and use face match technology 

Are there documents that still need to be printed? 

There are many organisations who still need to print agreements and/or other general documentation. Luckily, these organisations can still help the environment and reduce paper waste by making use of print management solutions: 

• Track who is printing what and when 
• Encourage users to save ink/paper by printing double sided or printing in monochrome 
• Set fixed quotas and budgets for your users/different departments 
• Enable users to print from any device 
• Ensure sensitive documents aren’t printed until the user is at the printer 
• Stop unapproved usage 
• Manage the device from a central dashboard 

These solutions are great step towards a cleaner and more efficient way of life. 

Contact Grey Matter about eSignatures and print management

We can discuss the eSignature or print management solutions available to your organisation. We work closely with leading and niche eSignature and print management vendors.

Please contact Grey Matter at +44 (0) 1364 654100 or email [email protected].  

*Death of the paper trail report: https://www.workmobileforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Death-of-the-paper-trail.pdf 

Blog updated: 07/03/2023