The 10 Last Hurdles Keeping You from a Paperless Office

Most teams are no longer struggling with digital transformation. They’ve already rolled out systems. They’ve scanned their archives. They’ve moved key workflows online.

And yet—Paper still shows up. In signatures. In onboarding packets. Invoices mailed by vendors and approval forms were printed “just for clarity.”

Not because systems failed, but because behaviors didn’t change.

This isn’t about gaps in technology. It’s about how information moves—or gets stuck—inside human systems that weren’t designed to evolve with the digital ones.

If digital systems are in place but paper keeps finding its way back in, the issue isn’t your tech stack—it’s the invisible habits, handoffs, and exceptions baked into day-to-day operations. We’re here to break down those final hurdles that quietly stall transformation so you can finally move past “almost paperless” and remove the blockers for good.

Why Offices Stall Before 100% Paperless

A paperless office means eliminating paper from intake, approval, storage, and delivery—not just scanning it to create digital versions of documents.

Most organizations today aren’t far off—they’ve digitized the bulk of their workflows.

But progress often halts just before the finish line. Teams still print for wet signatures, store physical backups “just in case,” or rely on mailed forms from vendors or clients. These final fragments aren’t technical—they’re behavioral. And that’s where many efforts to go paperless quietly lose momentum.

Unless your transformation strategy addresses habits, exceptions, and external inputs, your paper trail lingers—along with the inefficiencies it causes.

The Human Systems Creating Hurdles

You’ve built the infrastructure. But what happens when people don’t use it?

This is where most digital transformation efforts stall—not at the system level, but at the human one.

A digital transformation strategy is an operating principle for how people interact with technology—and how that interaction evolves. When legacy behaviors are left untouched, digitized tools coexist with paper-based workarounds: employees print for comfort, defer to manual approvals, or maintain shadow copies “just in case.”

Even with a well-funded digital transformation framework, behavior doesn’t shift automatically. Without active reinforcement—through workflows, policies, and culture—habits survive beneath the surface.

This often means your digital transformation journey moves forward on paper but stalls in practice. Friction creeps back in. Information flow breaks down.

And the last mile becomes the hardest part to cross.

The 10 Hurdles Holding You Back From A Paperless Office

So what’s still standing in the way?

Even with a clear transformation strategy and modern tools in place, paper tends to resurface where it’s least expected. It shows up in approvals, backup copies, or supplier workflows—stalling momentum and interrupting flow.

To go paperless, businesses must address the human, operational, and cross-organizational habits that pull them back to paper.

These aren’t technical gaps. They’re friction points that keep organizations from meeting their business goals—even after digital systems are fully deployed.

1. Printing for Signatures

Are e-signatures legally valid? Yes—e-signatures are legally binding under regulations like ESIGN and eIDAS in most jurisdictions.

The Problem: Teams still print documents for physical signatures—contracts, forms, and internal approvals—even when digital options are available.

Why it happens: Uncertainty around legality, outdated compliance assumptions, and executive preference for “wet ink.”

Why it persists: Legal myths, slow adoption among partners, or lack of integration into daily workflows.

How to Fix It:

• Adopt e-signature platforms with ESIGN, UETA, or eIDAS compliance built in
• Train staff and executives on legal validity and audit protection
• Integrate digital signatures into workflows from document creation through storage

Digital signature tools are one of the most accessible digital transformation solutions available—but only if teams trust and use them.

2. Paper From External Sources (Vendors, Clients, Mail)

Digitizing documents at the point of entry prevents paper from re-entering digital workflows.

However, many organizations continue to receive physical paperwork from clients, vendors, or traditional mail systems. Invoices arrive in envelopes. Contracts show up by courier. Without a system in place to digitize these documents at the gate, paper slips back into the workflow unnoticed.

The Problem: Even in mostly digital environments, external paper sources create a leak. These documents don’t get routed properly, scanned consistently, or stored in the right systems—introducing friction, delays, and visibility gaps.

Why It Happens: Not every external party has modernized its systems. Some vendors still fax. Some clients mail paper forms. These habits are outside your control.

Why It Persists: Teams lack a standard intake process. Scanning is ad hoc, filing is inconsistent, and indexing is often skipped entirely.

How to Fix It:

• Set up a digital mailroom workflow that captures, tags, and routes incoming paper automatically
• Create intake scanning stations at physical entry points for documents
• Index and archive documents into cloud-based content systems on arrival

This small adjustment closes a major gap—and protects the integrity of your digitized products and services ecosystem.

3. Manual Onboarding Packets for Employees or Clients

Manual onboarding isn’t just outdated—it’s a repeat offender. Every new hire or client restarts the paper cycle from scratch.

Even when forms exist digitally, organizations often default to printing because the process isn’t fully aligned.

The Problem: Paper-based onboarding creates inefficiencies, delays approvals, and adds extra handling to an already complex process.

Why It Happens: Legacy packet templates are still in circulation. Paper feels familiar. Some teams worry digital processes won’t meet compliance needs.

Why It Persists: The process is repeated over and over. Without redesign, every onboarding cycle reinforces the same paper-first behavior.

How to Fix It:

• Use electronic forms to replace print-based templates
• Add e-sign workflows for acknowledgments, policies, and tax forms
• Route everything digitally from day one using HR or CRM integrations

Shifting to digital from the outset eliminates duplication, improves auditability, and delivers a high-quality experience for both employees and clients—helping you improve customer satisfaction at the same time.

 

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4. Keeping Paper for Compliance

Teams scan documents—but keep the paper copies anyway. Not for operational use, but out of fear: “What if we need the originals in a compliance audit?”

The Problem: Organizations cling to physical files long after scanning, believing the paper may still be required for regulatory compliance.

Why It Happens: There’s confusion about what auditors or legal frameworks actually require—especially when dealing with signatures, contracts, or sensitive records.

Why It Persists: Compliance feels high stakes. Teams worry that deleting the original could expose the business to penalties or reduce legal defensibility.

How to Fix It:

• Confirm that scanned records meet legal standards for your industry and jurisdiction
• Use document systems that include encryption, retention policies, and immutable audit trails
• Educate compliance stakeholders on digital integrity protections

Digitized records with access controls and audit logs are generally compliant with legal requirements in most industries. Aligning your retention policies with this reality helps modernize your business models—and supports data-driven decision-making across departments.

5. Routing Approvals on Paper (Despite a Digital Front-End)

A purchase order gets entered into your system. Then it’s printed, walked across the hall, signed, and scanned back in.

If even one approval step still uses paper, your workflow isn’t truly digital.

The Problem: On the surface, the process looks automated. But behind the scenes, physical paperwork breaks the chain—adding time, risk, and room for error.

Why It Happens: Digital tools aren’t fully connected. Teams fall back on manual steps when routing logic or handoffs aren’t clearly defined.

Why It Persists: Paper becomes the workaround. People bypass the system when a button’s missing, a rule’s unclear, or access isn’t standardized.

How to Fix It:

• Map your current workflow end to end—not just where the software sits, but how it’s actually used
• Eliminate hidden paper checkpoints by redesigning handoffs and approvals
• Route everything through a digital workflow engine that reflects your full digital transformation framework

The tech may be in place—but until it’s fully adopted, the flow stays broken.

6. Staff Printing PDFs to Read or Review

Paper is intuitive. Digital files have to earn that same ease of use.

Even in well-digitized environments, staff often print PDFs to review contracts, mark up drafts, or take a break from their screens. These prints aren’t routed or stored—they’re informal, habitual, and nearly invisible to the broader system.

The Problem: Staff bypass digital workflows when it’s faster or more comfortable to read on paper, especially for long or complex documents.

Why It Happens: Screens cause fatigue. Digital markup tools feel clunky. Paper is tangible—and for many, it’s still the most natural medium for careful review.

Why It Persists: These behaviors are rarely tracked and often seen as harmless. However, at scale, they quietly chip away at transformation efforts, creating fragmented document trails.

How to Fix It:

• Provide user-friendly digital review tools that mimic physical interaction (markup, annotations, side-by-side views)
• Track print behavior to surface patterns and adjust workflows
• Create nudges and defaults that support digital-first habits—especially in your mobile app if that’s where your business operates

7. Clients Requesting Printed Copies (So Staff Default to Paper)

You can still be paperless—even if your clients prefer paper—as long as your internal processes stay digital.

External preferences don’t have to dictate internal systems. Many businesses print copies of invoices, receipts, or forms simply because a client asked. But doing so by default reintroduces paper into your flow—even when better options are available.

The Problem: Client expectations lead to reprinting already digital documents, turning single requests into systemic paper usage.

Why It Happens: Some sectors still require physical documents. In others, clients simply ask out of habit. Teams comply to avoid friction.

Why It Persists: Without a digital-first approach, paper becomes the default—not the exception.

How to Fix It:

• Create a digital preference center where clients can choose email, portal access, or mailed copies
• Set expectations during onboarding so digital delivery becomes the norm
• Offer digital by default—make paper an opt-in, not the path of least resistance

This shift leads to an improved customer experience, while also enhancing internal customer experiences by reducing manual handling and allowing teams more time to focus on strategic business strategies.

8. Old Templates That Were Never Updated

Outdated forms are one of the quietest paper triggers in any workplace. HR, legal, and finance teams often rely on legacy documents originally designed for printing—not digital use. And that design shows.

The Problem: Old form templates that were built for print lead users to print—even if the process starts digitally.

Why It Happens: Forms are created by different departments and rarely centralized. Updating them isn’t seen as urgent, so they’re left untouched.

Why It Persists: Without assigned ownership, no one maintains the templates. Staff default to what’s available—even if it’s inefficient.

How to Fix It:

• Inventory all active forms across departments to uncover outdated versions
• Convert templates into fillable, accessible digital formats that align with your digital solutions
• Assign ownership for updating forms as part of your broader transformation strategy

Old forms designed for print encourage printing—even in digital systems.

9. Keeping paper as a Backup “Just In Case”

Keeping paper feels safer—but in reality, it introduces risk. After scanning, many teams hold onto physical copies “just in case”—even when they’re never referenced again.

The Problem: Retaining paper after digitization undermines trust in your systems and creates parallel versions of truth.

Why It Happens: There’s a lingering fear of data loss. Teams worry digital files could vanish—or be inaccessible during audits or outages.

Why It Persists: Policy often takes a back seat to caution. Teams cling to paper because it feels tangible, regardless of actual risk.

How to Fix It:

• Implement secure storage systems with encryption, role-based access, and automatic redundancy
• Communicate your retention policies so staff know what’s required—and what isn’t
• Build confidence with a robust disaster recovery plan that reinforces data availability and compliance

With strong backup systems and digital auditability, paper backups become unnecessary and insecure.

This mindset shift is critical to ensuring information flows without duplication or doubt.

10. No Paperless Policy = Everyone Makes Their Own Rules

A paperless policy defines when paper is allowed, how it’s replaced, and who owns enforcement.

Without one, even well-intentioned digital transformation fails to take root. Teams invent their own workflows. One department scans everything. Another stores paper “just in case.” The result is fragmentation—workflow inconsistency that puts the brakes on progress.

The Problem: Without a unified policy, every team sets their own norms for what gets digitized, how it’s handled, and when it’s archived (or not).

Why It Happens: Too often, digital transformation efforts focus on software deployment—not on operational governance or behavioral change.

Why It Persists: In the absence of a clear framework, teams default to whatever is easiest, most familiar, or least disruptive—creating pockets of paper dependence across the organization.

How to Fix It

• Create a cross-functional governance group to define rules and drive alignment
• Set clear policies for intake, approvals, storage, and backup protocols
• Assign accountability for enforcement, updates, and education

Do you need a paperless policy for my office? Yes—a clear policy helps enforce standards, assigns accountability, and ensures consistent adoption across teams and systems.

How an ECM Helps Solve the Paper Problem

Fixing isolated paper habits is hard. Fixing them without a system to support the change? Nearly impossible.

That’s where an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform becomes essential—not just as a tool, but as the backbone for policy enforcement, visibility, and digital-first adoption.

A modern ECM, such as Mercury, is more than a document repository. It’s a management system that centralizes intake, automates approvals, applies retention rules, and ensures everyone follows the same playbook. Whether you’re digitizing mail, onboarding forms, or compliance records, ECM gives you structure—plus a single source of truth for every team.

It also strengthens data security. With access controls, audit trails, encryption, and backup protocols built in, you can retire physical storage without losing peace of mind. More importantly, it makes policy stick.

Teams don’t just know the rules—they follow them because the system enforces them.