Is a workplace in which as much communication and as many procedures as
possible have been computerized. The paperless office was predicted in
the 1960s. The recent widespread availability of e-mail, the Internet,
and word processing, file transfer, and intranet systems means that it
is beginning to become achievable for those organizations that wish to
pursue it. In a truly paperless office, document storage is on computer
rather than in filing cabinets and written communication is not
circulated in hard copy but e-mailed. This is largely unattainable, as
most people still prefer paper to electronic copy, especially when
faced with reading more than one page. Encouraging employees to cut
down on paper usage can help achieve environmental management targets,
and storing information electronically can lead to greater
communication efficiency, which may result in competitive advantage.