The CEOs of several major accounting organizations are openly urging world leaders to do better. The A4S Accounting Bodies Network, for example, “has committed to a set of principles that support action by the accounting community to address climate change” (Accounting for Today, Nov 2015). A week before the climate change summit COP 21 in Paris, this group sent an open letter to the world’s leaders urging them to commit to an agreement in Paris that sets a clear signal for governments to lower carbon emissions. But what does the accounting profession have to do with climate change and carbon emissions? After all, the work of accounting is hardly what has brought on climate change. In this article, we take a look at what accounting professionals have to do with lowering carbon emissions and helping businesses go green, and consider how the use of document management software (DMS) is essential to this process.
Accounting for Sustainability
Accountants can take a leadership role when it comes to sustainability. Accounting professionals can include sustainability factors into an organization’s strategy and make sustainable, eco-friendly decisions and values more transparent to stakeholders.
Improve Business Decision-Making
Accounting with sustainability in mind can improve business decision-making. Instead of focusing on cost reduction, accounting professionals can spot opportunities for innovation and make a difference through the provision of societal benefits.
Audit with Sustainability in Mind
The auditing process can be overhauled, much like the accounting process. In addition to auditing records for accuracy, a sustainability audit can reveal potential areas for improvement. Fortunately, organizations like A4S Accounting Bodies Network, of which the American Institute of CPAs is a member, can help with integrating new, environmentally friendly processes.
Lower Carbon Emissions
The good news is that you can be a catalyst for change, whether or not current world leaders take up the suggestions made to them by the accounting profession. In fact, accounting professionals can do better than that. They can directly contribute to lowering carbon emissions by utilizing document management software.
Going Green with Document Management Software
There is a reason why organizations decide to go green: it’s the right thing to do. Fortunately, making your organization more environmentally friendly doesn’t involve sacrifice. Instead, switching to a paperless office offers you benefits.
Now is the time to go green. Document management software programs like eFileCabinet makes it easy to transition to an eco-friendly, paperless office. In fact, DMS is a major contributor to the green movement.
Stop Paying for Paper
If you haven’t looked at your expenses for the year, you may not realize how much paper is used in your office. Unfortunately, the true cost of paper is more than the number that is reported in your expense column. In order to save resources, it’s better to reduce or eliminate the amount of paper you use in your office.
Skip the Toner, Postage, and Filing Cabinets
When you use paper, you also require the use of printers, ink, postage, envelopes, folders, filing cabinets, and much more. Keeping track of paper isn’t easy. Having to print, copy, staple, and track paper takes a lot of time and effort. It also wastes valuable resources and increase your carbon footprint.
Spend Less Time Searching
One of the most annoying things about paper documents is that it takes a lot of time to find them. Even if you have a meticulously organized filing system, there is always the possibility that a file is mislaid, is left sitting on someone’s desk awaiting action, or just vanishes. With DMS, searching for information takes seconds. And with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), you can even search entire documents without having to dig and read through everything in the storage room.
Don’t Mail Your Documents
The great thing about using electronic document management software is that you can skip every step of the paper process. You no longer have to mail or courier documents. It’s easier, faster, and more secure to transfer files with your DMS. What if you need a signature? No problem. With eSignatures, you have that aspect covered without having to print a single piece of paper.
It’s Time to Lower Carbon Emissions
Accounting professionals aren’t the only ones who can lower carbon emissions. If you’re ready to convert to a paperless office and reap the benefits of electronic document management, then you should give us a call. Fill out the form on this page today to start your free 15-minute demo.