'Paperless' movement a boon to cities' security
Across the U.S., many municipal governments are starting to come around on the idea of switching at least some of their behind-the-scenes operations to paperless processes. This is often seen as a judicious cost-cutting measure but, with the right document management platforms and workflows in place, may also be able to significantly boost both their efficiency and security.
Austin – the capital city of Texas – recently launched an investigation into the ways in which a switch to paperless processes might be able to benefit its governmental dealings, according to the Austin Statesman.
What's the motivation?
In general, the impetus behind the decision seems to be the understanding that relying on physical document management and storage for many processes is simply no longer the best way to conduct city business.
"I think there is potential for our city to act more efficiently and more wisely and that is for us to improve access to services by minimizing the amount of paper that we use and old ways of getting things done," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said when announcing the decision earlier this year. "We're one of the most innovative cities in the world and how we do our work needs to reflect that spirit as well as that knowledge base."
Starting slow?
Meanwhile, many cities are also taking small steps toward what could eventually become totally paperless processes, including using document management and workflows for certain aspects of work, such as dealing with city business. According to the Rapid City Journal, the city council in Chadron, Nebraska, recently budgeted for such a change with an eye toward both greater communication between elected officials and increased security.
When local governments switch even some of their functions to using document management and proper robotic process automation, they could position themselves to save a lot in terms of both man-hours and financial considerations.
