14 Facts: Why Using Digital Forms is Better Than Paper Forms
Field service workers spend around 40% of their time on administrative tasks like filling out, printing and filing paperwork. Eliminating paperwork can reduce manual errors, save time, reduce your ecological footprint and move forward to a more sustainable way of working. Here are 14 eye-opening facts about paper usage to highlight the importance of transitioning to digital forms for your company's future.
Many construction companies, contractors, and installation service providers still rely heavily on paper forms for tasks such as project documentation, permits, safety inspections, material requisitions, and employee timesheets. The use of paper forms has a major impact on the planet. Explore this impact with the facts below.
14 Paper Facts That Make You Reconsider the Use of Paper Forms
- Shockingly, it's estimated that about 4 billion trees are cut down each year for paper production worldwide, with Europe being a major consumer.
- Every day, around 80,000 acres of forests are cut down globally to make paper.
- In Europe, the average office worker uses approximately 10,000 sheets of paper per year.
- 45% of all print-outs and photocopies are binned or shredded before the end of the day.
- You would need to plant at least 1 tree, to compensate for the usage of 1000 paper forms.
- On average, tens of millions of paper forms are still used annually in the European construction and installation sector.
- Recycling a metric ton (1,000 kilograms) of paper saves approximately 17 trees, 26 cubic meters of landfill space, 26,500 litres of water, 27 kilograms of air pollutants, and enough energy to power the average European home for six months.
- The European paper and printing industry accounts for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Research suggests that the average European office worker spends about 30% of their time searching for misplaced documents, hindering productivity and workflow efficiency.
- Each company uses an average of 10 different types of paper forms for various purposes.
- Using 1 digital form could potentially save around 833 sheets of paper.
- Studies have shown error rates ranging from 1% to 5% in manual data entry tasks with paper forms across various industries.
- Each year, about 400 to 420 million metric tons of paper and paperboard are produced worldwide.
- Printing-related expenses, including paper, ink or toner, printer maintenance, and equipment can cost a company anywhere from hundreds to thousands of euros annually.
These facts emphasise why transitioning to digital forms is important: it helps the environment, boosts efficiency, enhances security, and saves money. Still unsure? Keep reading.
Why Your Company Should Embrace Digital Forms
We now know about the environmental consequences of using paper forms, so let’s focus on the benefits of using digital forms. Digitising forms reduces paper usage, helping to preserve forests and reduce carbon emissions. Besides that, digitising forms can lead to:
- An increase of 30% in productivity for your Team. Digital forms streamline data collection processes.
- A decrease in paper-related costs by 50% within the company. Digital forms reduce paper and printing costs and eliminate the need for paper storage.
- A significant reduction in manual errors. Automated validation and error-checking features in digital forms help ensure data accuracy.
- Seamless data transfer between different parts of your business, improving overall data management and decision-making processes.
- Easier and improved tracking and analysis of data over time.
Our digital forms save costs and streamline operations, they also prioritise sustainability. By partnering with Tree-Nation, we contribute to reforestation efforts. Switching to our digital forms enhances your workflow and supports a greener future.
How Can MoreApp Help Me Transition to Digital Forms?
Our mission is to empower a million users with our user-friendly digital forms tool. You can transform your paper forms into digital forms within several minutes. There is no need to be tech-savvy for that. Our Help Center offers valuable resources, including FAQs and tutorial videos, to guide you through the process. In case you need personalised assistance our Support Team and Digital Consultants are always there to help you.
Are you shocked by these paper facts and ready for a digital transformation? Your company can make a difference! Try out MoreApp’s digital forms for free during our trial period. Once you go digital, you'll never look back.
