We may be living in a digital world, but it's been predicted that the demand for paper will double before 2030. You may not think much about the documents or emails you mindlessly print, but paper waste is a big problem for our environment. Pulp and paper production is the third-largest industrial contributor to air, water, and soil pollution.
While you may think that your field service business doesn't use a great deal of paper, think about all the documents your field team needs for jobs, including job cards, quotes, invoices, and forms. If you're looking for ways your field service business can save the environment, reducing office paper usage should be the first thing on your list. It's one of the simplest ways to protect the environment, and with these helpful tips, you'll be using less paper in no time.
Don't print emails
An easy way to reduce waste in your office is to encourage your team to stop printing emails. To minimise the need to print emails, give your admin staff dual computer monitors so they can view multiple documents at a time. When your employees need to print an email, make sure they print on both sides to save paper.
Use digital forms
If you need to collect customer information, use a digital form instead of paper. You can use many systems, including Google Forms, Jotform, Formstack, and Paperform. Besides reducing paper waste, it's also easier for your technicians to collect data. You can also use workflow automation to connect the digital form system to your other apps to send the information to your admin team automatically or store it in an online document. With a mobile device, they can get the customer to share the information they need on-site. They don't have to worry about misplacing the document, and your admin team can get the information they need as soon as possible.
Store files digitally
There's no need to print and file documents when you can store them on shared drives or safely in the cloud. When files are stored digitally, your technicians or admin staff can access any document simultaneously. Digital documents also reduce the risk of important information being lost.
Purchase recycled paper
Paper made from recycled material produces 73% less air pollution. By purchasing recycled paper, you're supporting environmentally friendly paper production. You could also do your part to help recycle paper by getting paper recycling bins for the office.
Use Service Management Software
One of the simplest ways to reduce your field service business's paper usage is to start using Service Management Software. With Service Management Software, you can create digital job sheets, send quotes and invoices via email, get electronic signatures, and attach digital documents and photos to job cards. There are also many other benefits of Service Management Software that make it a good investment. You can get real-time job updates, keep an eye on your technicians with vehicle tracking, schedule job ahead of time, and manage your technicians' diaries.
