Are paper documents really the way to go? Paper is being used in the shape of forms and letters that even if primarily used to bring in information, also have to be archived for compliance reasons. This leads to problems of storage and retrieval that eventually force companies to open document storage solutions which are a resource hungry affair. Paper has been in use in businessessince its earliest form as papyrus in the Mediterranean and later as paper which was invented in China. The sole purpose of paper, back then was to simply document information which could be archived and preserved for years for the purposes of education, transactions, deeds, and sending messages. Today, paper is used for a lot more than the aforementioned; they are used for demonstrating value in the form of paper money, cheques, vital documents, vouchers and tickets as well. When it comes to the documenting, storage, retrieval and display of information, paper does what it does best; which is to provide information in a physical form such as newspapers, magazines, art, books and diaries. Paper is also widely used for packaging since it presents a light, yet strong form factor when placed together. And these are only some of the applications that paper has been used for. But doing what it does best (give information a physical form) it also presents a vulnerability as such vital documents can also be stolen. Moreover commonly used paper is not water resistant and is brittle which is why, when the Information Age set in; a lot of industries, businesses and companies did find security with digital forms of information storage. However paper as mentioned earlier, has found other uses even in construction for example. And while the digital age keeps on bringing in vulnerabilities and loop holes within its own ecosystem, paper is still being used by businesses worldwide for bringing in information. It is being used in the shape of forms and letters that even if primarily used to document information, also have to be archived for compliance reasons. This leads to problems of storage and retrieval that eventually force companies to open document storage solutions which are a resource hungry affair.
Records management solutions have helped take the burden of document storage and retrieval off the company’s shoulders by providing completely offsite solutions, meaning that security and safety of the records is a guarantee. But third party records management companies have also allowed owners to scan and digitize their documents which although cost-effective, also presents a better way for corporations to make their documents available worldwide.
The environmental complications caused by the creation of virgin paper are also leading to bigger problems for paper. Although, recycling of paper has helped reduce the damage done, paper recycling is still not well structured like in the caseof metal recycling. Document shredding companies do help in bringing in all the unnecessary documents from companies and businesses helping make recycled paper a cleaner and better option; but paper still has a long way to go before it can become completely obsolete. "Blackbox" is one of the world’s leading Storage Solutions companies established in United Arab Emirates. We are a specialist in safe & secure storage and established Document & Records Management services.