Can a Boise copier company become a “Green Office” ?

 

I find this question to be interesting. I think that if you asked around, the consensus would be that it isn’t likely. After all, we sell machines that produce copies and prints. 

 

I would probably be in the minority and suggest that the products neither include nor exclude us from working to achieve this goal. Like many Boise companies we are very conscious of the benefits of a green office.

 

A Green Office through Paper Reduction
Like many companies in Boise, we strive to reduce the amount of paper that we generate. E-mails have replaced letters and memos as one example. However, we cannot always control the amount of paper that we receive. But we do control what we do with it once we receive it. That’s what I focus on at Fisher’s. 

 

Let’s take one common business function, Accounts Payables. While we do receive some invoices electronically, we still get our fair share of mail. Here’s what happens when it comes into the office.

·         We scan the paper invoices. We then recycle the paper, we do not store it.

·         All of our coding is applied to the now electronic document, and it is assigned to the appropriate department for approval.

·         An e-mail is automatically generated to the appropriate manager. If the invoice is not acted on (approved, rejected, etc) within 24 hours a reminder goes out. This is repeated and escalated if necessary. If the primary person is out of the office on vacation, then we can set up a delegate, or the manager can log in remotely.

·         Once the invoice is acted on, it is immediately routed back to AP for processing, and a check is cut.

 

What we have found is that by having the information electronic, we can decrease the time it takes to obtain an approval. Additionally, having all invoices in an EDM system, recurring expenses can be checked against previous statements. Retrieval of information is significantly faster, requiring keystrokes as opposed to digging through file cabinets or worse, old boxes. We are better able to manage when we pay an invoice, taking advantage of early payment discounts.

 

Finally, financial reports can be printed directly into the system and shared as needed instead of being printed on paper. Access to all accounting and financial information is strictly controlled by user log-on credentials.

 

This program has been very successful for Fisher’s and helped propel us farther down the path to a green office.

 

As a fiscally responsible business we keep a close eye on expenses, including payroll. As with most Boise companies we have a typical level of turnover in administration for a variety of reasons. As we gain efficiencies in our Payable department, we have found that we have been able to replace what previously required two full time employees with one part time. This has freed up that money to reinvest in other core areas of our business.

 

Currently we are implementing in other areas within Fisher’s, including our sales paperwork. I look forward to sharing our successes with you soon.

 

Now obviously there are many other facets of becoming a green office, and we work on that too. However, establishing processes that allow you to reduce paper waste is a great way for any Boise company to start. Let us show you how we did it. Fisher’s is a different kind of Copier Company.