Bundling sustainably: How going paperless can make a big impact
As sustainability demands grow, Bundledocs highlights how e-bundling software can make your firm more operationally efficient and demonstrate your commitment to being a responsible business
Sustainability is now a critical consideration for companies and is important for achieving longevity and staying ahead of competition. One of the most significant issues for the legal industry is paper usage, the creation of which contributes to waste levels and has a significant impact on the world’s natural resources. The legal industry has been reluctant to change but it is becoming increasingly vital to embrace sustainable operations. If you are looking to make a change and embrace sustainability, using e-bundling software can be your first step on this journey.
Operational and cost efficiency
Using secure cloud-storage, your documents are readily accessible online meaning that the number of physical copies will be reduced, allowing your firm to become more paper-light. E-bundling software allows users to instantly send and receive electronic documents, meaning you are saving time, money and are working more efficiently and with less paper. As physical bundles require printing, e-bundles will also help to reduce total costs for businesses. Bundles often develop over time, with many collaborators contributing, leading to multiple versions being created. In the long run, collaborating on one digital document will make a noticeable difference on operations and cost.
Through the automation of time-intensive tasks, e-bundling solutions can help streamline your business operations by boosting productivity levels among employees who will spend less time manually editing bundles. As paper documents must be transported to their destination, cloud solutions can help in reducing carbon emissions and cost of postage.
Improved client perception and increased reputation
Across the globe, people are looking to engage in more green practices and for companies to become more environmentally conscious. According to Deloitte, consumers want businesses to take the lead and support them in developing more environmentally sustainable habits, and 34% of consumers would trust brands more if they were recognised as an “ethical/sustainable provider by an independent third-party.” If businesses are not actively engaging in sustainable efforts, consumers will look for services elsewhere.
In recent years, ‘greenwashing’ has become a serious issue for businesses who convey misleading or false information on their sustainable efforts. Companies who are greenwashing their operations are now facing a growing threat of litigation, and will have to report annually on their social, economic and environmental (ESG) impacts. Accusations of greenwashing can cause significant reputational damage, leading to a loss of client confidence, a poor public image impacting business development, and ultimately benefitting competitors.
Regulatory and legislative considerations
As new sustainability laws come into effect later this year, it is important for UK firms to realise that sustainability is no longer encouraged but expected. Depending on firm size, companies will now have to disclose their energy use, carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions in annual financial reports. The UK sustainability disclosure standards aim to reduce greenwashing and unify sustainability reporting.
One way for firms to understand and prioritise their sustainability issues is to undertake materiality assessments. The main objectives of materiality assessments are to identify the most significant ESG areas for companies, their investors and stakeholders. From this assessment, companies can make sustainable changes that are critical for growth and longevity. Depending on the outcomes of individual firms, going paperless could be a vital step is preparing for the regulations that are coming this year.
Ensuring court compliance
E-bundling solutions ensure that your documents are up-to-date with the latest court regulations and requirements. Users can automatically generate customised indexes and bookmarks, which can reduce physical bundle duplication and possible errors. During the bundle creation phase, legal firms can reduce paper usage when physical bundles are not needed. Most courts have a document upload centre, allowing firms to upload e-bundles instead of supplying resource-heavy hard copy bundles.
Secure-share features allow users to share documents online, facilitating safe collaboration with third-party firms, counsel and clients. Before sharing, it is always important to check with courts on their document specifications and upload process. While many bundles may be too large to be sent via email, e-bundling software allows users to share password protected documents online with no file-size limit.
Start embracing sustainability
By embracing sustainability efforts and reducing paper usage, law firms will benefit the environment, and their own business by streamlining operations and improving reputation. Choosing e-bundling will mean that businesses are choosing a cost-effective solution while making progress in their sustainable journeys.
