Our future with cyber technology is still unknown!
November 6
Since 2010, November 6 has been celebrated worldwide as ‘World paper free day’ with a view to raising awareness on the issue of paper waste. The idea behind this gala is that at least for a day for businesses and people to stop using any paper for one day to stop being so reliant on paper.
Many libraries have digitized books and periodicals. Many publishers have also made available books and periodicals in digitized form. People can subscribe to newspapers and magazines and buy electronic books like buying music online. Many newspapers have even stopped paper-based dailies. These are some practical examples of how use of paper can be minimized. But for public offices and private businesses to fully digitize it may be a bit more complicated. [The idea of paperless office was first discussed in 1975 in an article ‘The office of the future’ in 1975 in the Business Week (2387)].
An average office worker uses about 48 sheets of A4 paper every day, of which about half are wasted. Even after documents are being printed and distributed for various purposes 45% end up in bins. It is estimated that about 70% of total waste in offices are made up of paper and paper products, such as wrappings, boxes and packaging. If we save one ton (200k sheets) of A4 size office paper it will save 17 trees, 26k litres of water, 4k kw of power and 240L of fuel that goes into its production. Each ton of paper also saves $1065. It is simple math. Globally 408 million tons of paper & paper products, valued at $351.5 bn were consumed in 2021. Paper and pulp industry is the third largest polluter of all industries.
Difficult but not impossible
Difficult but not impossible
Many libraries have digitized books and periodicals. Many publishers have also made available books and periodicals in digitized form. People can subscribe to newspapers and magazines and buy electronic books like buying music online. Many newspapers have even stopped paper-based dailies. These are some practical examples of how use of paper can be minimized. But for public offices and private businesses to fully digitize it may be a bit more complicated. [The idea of paperless office was first discussed in 1975 in an article ‘The office of the future’ in 1975 in the Business Week (2387)].
Saving paper seems not to be high in the agenda of anyone although we hear in passing the need to save paper. By saving paper we are also saving energy, water and money and also contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emission. Perhaps the idea is not to aim straight away at a paperless workplace but to aim at a paper-lite workplace – one step at a time.
Starting in the early days of this century as the Internet took hold in offices around the world the idea of paperless offices began to be discussed as a possibility. The idea is that with the spread of countless applications offices are now able to share and store information and documents electronically minimising the use of papers. The rationale for a paperless office or at least paper-lite office is simple – it will help reduce deforestation, control environmental pollution and contribute to reduction in GHG emission.
The main issue is management of electronic documents such as proper classification and filing of documents and careful assigning level of authority for level of staff – need to know the basis. Working from home during the COVID pandemic demonstrated that most of the office functions can be achieved remotely. If all existing official documents are digitised the office can be fully paper free or partially made into a paper-lite office. The main issue is a way to track and manage documents and protect the documents with required security.
It is also an environmental issue
What do we gain?
A trail-blazer
Starting in the early days of this century as the Internet took hold in offices around the world the idea of paperless offices began to be discussed as a possibility. The idea is that with the spread of countless applications offices are now able to share and store information and documents electronically minimising the use of papers. The rationale for a paperless office or at least paper-lite office is simple – it will help reduce deforestation, control environmental pollution and contribute to reduction in GHG emission.
The main issue is management of electronic documents such as proper classification and filing of documents and careful assigning level of authority for level of staff – need to know the basis. Working from home during the COVID pandemic demonstrated that most of the office functions can be achieved remotely. If all existing official documents are digitised the office can be fully paper free or partially made into a paper-lite office. The main issue is a way to track and manage documents and protect the documents with required security.
It is also an environmental issue
What do we gain?
A trail-blazer
Every country in the world already has a certain level of digitized information system such as vital registration systems, health records, education records, import/export data, banking, etc. But these systems exist in parallel with paper records. Such digital records are extracted and printed when needed.In Estonia, almost all government’s works have been digitised without the need for paper trail.
All government information, processes and services are available for all employees of all public services, private businesses and citizens online without the need to submit any written requests. With this level of transparent digital sophistication Estonia has become the first paperless e-government where all transactions are done electronically without using paper.
This digitised administrative process also reduces bureaucracy, improves efficiency and transparency as movements of all information for approval and dissemination has electronic stamps so people are aware of where and the process is stuck. All outgoing information has to be digitally stamped and incoming information has to be authenticated and digitally stamped for classification and filing/archiving. Such e-governance ensures full accountability of the government with full transparency.
Paper has made a long journey since its invention in China more than two thousand years ago. It has become an essential component of our society. With the spread of internet technology accompanied by various software the need for paper in offices are declining, especially with the idea of cloud storage. Of course, paper will always be with us for the foreseeable future for other purposes. Meanwhile there are questions with regards to the risk of full-scale e-governance replacing paper with electronic storage of all information.
The concerns are focused on malfunctioning of software, which is always a possibility (as in the case of Boeing Max which caused two fatal crashes), cybercrimes committed by hackers with spywares, loss of personal data, espionage between countries for stealing data, technology and for political advantage, etc. According to an industry analyst, the cost of cybercrime including loss, damages and remediation in 2021 amounts to $6 trillion in 2021, which amounts to 6.1% of global GDP.
Our society is already pushing people towards isolationism with individualized hardware, software and hybrid working. Remote working and a fully e-governance will further reduce interpersonal communications, which is a vital component of human society. If a country fully implements e-governance there are marginalized minority populations in many countries who are always in the periphery who will have difficulties in accessing government services. The other aspect is constant upgrading of hardware and software which requires endless flow of money and training of service providers and receivers on a regular basis. Our future with cyber technology is still unknown!
The concerns are focused on malfunctioning of software, which is always a possibility (as in the case of Boeing Max which caused two fatal crashes), cybercrimes committed by hackers with spywares, loss of personal data, espionage between countries for stealing data, technology and for political advantage, etc. According to an industry analyst, the cost of cybercrime including loss, damages and remediation in 2021 amounts to $6 trillion in 2021, which amounts to 6.1% of global GDP.
Our society is already pushing people towards isolationism with individualized hardware, software and hybrid working. Remote working and a fully e-governance will further reduce interpersonal communications, which is a vital component of human society. If a country fully implements e-governance there are marginalized minority populations in many countries who are always in the periphery who will have difficulties in accessing government services. The other aspect is constant upgrading of hardware and software which requires endless flow of money and training of service providers and receivers on a regular basis. Our future with cyber technology is still unknown!
Contact Ramesh at ramesh.chauni@gmail.com
Very good! But it doesn’t require ‘e-governance’ to go paperless – just a change in organizational skills, of which I believe the UNICEF crowd has many, or not? I know people who still print their bank statements … “just in case the digital files get lost”.
ReplyDeleteThe key for going paperless is to ensure your data is well backed-up, either in the cloud or on a separate device of your choosing...