Green Leaf Report

This week I did the second in our series of paperless strategy presentations at work; this time we were in front of an executive audience.  We’re starting to get traction; the argument has been so indirect that it can be frustrating, though.  I’ve deliberately removed all mention of the environment from our call to action and benefits analysis; the corporate response to that just seems like people start checking their watches.  For all the great environmental things I’ve seen presented on a corporate level, the cost component is the primary benefit noticed: ‘Sure we were able to quit using all this electricity that burns nasty coal….and we saved money money money money…’

Ok, so we’re in business to make money.  But at what point can we make decisions that sometimes have softer benefits?  I hear about these environmental initiatives, but I don’t see much speed in putting those types of projects/benefits in place.

So our paperless strategy is based on improved audit and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.   Repeat this, everyone.  It’s a good call to action for the finance world, and saves lots of trees.  It’s hard to make the cost-saving argument around paper; it’s too darn cheap.  To paraphrase my undergraduate economics professor: ‘If trees were as rare as diamonds, we’d be paying more for our paper.’  Let’s not get to that point.  Go paperless.  Do it for the audits and SOx, and whatever other reason you need to use.  But do it.