The Paperless Office — A Practical Guide to Going Digital
A practical guide with 7 steps to transitioning to a paperless office, including tools, ROI, and success stories.
Why Go Paperless?
The average office in Israel consumes approximately 10,000 sheets of paper per year per employee. This is not just the direct cost of paper and ink — it also means storage, organization, document searches, and wasted time. The average employee spends 7.4 hours per week searching for information in files and physical documents.
The paperless office is no longer a futuristic dream — it is a reality that many businesses are embracing. With digital tools like digital signatures, cloud storage, and smart scanning, it is possible to reduce paper consumption by 80–90%.
Table of Contents
The Benefits of a Paperless Office
- Cost savings: Paper, ink, printers, maintenance, physical storage — all costs that disappear.
- Time savings: Searching for a digital document takes seconds, not minutes.
- Accessibility: Digital documents are accessible from anywhere and from any device.
- Security: Digital documents are protected by passwords and encryption — unlike a physical folder that anyone can open.
- Backup: Digital documents are automatically backed up — they cannot burn, get wet, or be lost.
- Environmental friendliness: A significant reduction in paper consumption means fewer trees cut down.
7 Steps to a Paperless Office
Step 1: Map Your Paper Processes
Before starting, it is important to know where the paper comes from. Make a list of all processes that use paper:
- Contracts and agreements signed manually
- Printed invoices
- HR documents
- Printed reports and presentations
- Notes and reminders
- Correspondence by regular mail
For each process, define the priority — what is the easiest and most worthwhile to move to digital first.
Step 2: Start with Digital Signatures
Signatures on documents are one of the biggest paper consumers — and the easiest to replace. With SignFlow, you can start signing PDF documents digitally within minutes:
- Register for free.
- Upload a document.
- Send for signature.
- Receive a signed document — without a single sheet of paper.
Contracts, agreements, HR documents, lease agreements — everything goes digital.
Step 3: Switch to Cloud Storage
Move all your documents to cloud storage — Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or a similar service. This ensures:
- Access from anywhere
- Automatic backup
- Fast search
- Easy collaboration
Step 4: Digitize Existing Documents
Use a scanner or scanning app to digitize important physical documents. There is no need to scan everything — focus on documents you still need access to. The rest can go to an archive.
Step 5: Switch to Digital Invoices
Digital invoices are recognized by tax authorities in Israel. Invoicing services allow sending digital invoices to clients — without printing and without mailing.
Step 6: Adopt Digital Communication Tools
Instead of printed memos — emails and task management systems. Instead of meetings with printed materials — on-screen presentations. Instead of sticky notes — note-taking apps.
Step 7: Train and Implement
The success of the transition depends on people. Train the team, explain the benefits, and give time to adjust. Start with a small pilot team and expand gradually.
ROI — Return on Investment
Let's do the math for an office of 20 employees:
- Savings on paper and ink: 1,000–2,000 NIS/month
- Storage savings: 500–1,500 NIS/month (office space, cabinets)
- Time savings: 2–3 hours/employee/week × 20 employees = 160–240 hours/month
- Shipping savings: 500–1,000 NIS/month
- Cost of digital tools: 500–1,500 NIS/month
- Net savings: 1,500–3,000 NIS/month + work hours
The investment pays for itself within 1–3 months.
Success Stories
Law Firm
A law firm in Tel Aviv switched to SignFlow and reduced paper consumption by 85%. Time to receive signatures dropped from 5 days to hours. Annual savings: over 40,000 NIS.
Accounting Firm
An accounting firm with 500 clients sent annual reports for digital signatures instead of by mail. Savings: 3 weeks of work and 15,000 NIS in printing and shipping.
Real Estate Company
A real estate company managing 200 rental apartments signed all lease agreements digitally. The result: faster deal closings, fewer cancellations, and organized documentation.
SignFlow as Part of the Solution
SignFlow is a central part of any "paperless" strategy. It handles one of the biggest challenges — document signatures. With its features (templates, bulk sending, audit trail, security), SignFlow streamlines the entire document process in an organization.
For details on plans and pricing, or contact our team.
- Going paperless saves thousands of shekels and hundreds of work hours per year
- Start with digital signatures — it's the easiest and most cost-effective step
- The investment pays for itself within just 1–3 months
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to go paperless?
The transition can be gradual and low-cost. Tools like SignFlow offer free plans for starters. Cloud storage is available at low prices. The investment pays for itself within 1–3 months through savings on paper, printing, storage, and shipping.
How long does the transition take?
It depends on the size of the organization and the complexity of processes. A small business (up to 10 employees) can transition within one to two weeks. A medium organization (10–50 employees) — 2–4 weeks. A large organization — 1–3 months. The key is to make the transition gradually.
Is a paperless office legal?
Yes, in most cases. The Israeli Electronic Signature Law allows digital signatures on most documents. Digital invoices are recognized by tax authorities. There are a few exceptions (such as wills and negotiable instruments) that still require paper, but these represent a very small percentage of documents.