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The use of office supplies such as paper and photocopying machines is rising in one in three companies, a new industry study reveals.
A survey conducted by AIIM, a global community of information professionals, found that 32 per cent of firms are using more paper and photocopies than they have done in the past, while 35 per cent are using less.
The Paper Free Office report also found that the use of office equipment such as printers and scanners is on the rise.
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of all invoices that arrive in the form of PDF attachments are printed by office staff, while just under one in three faxed invoices (31 per cent) get printed and scanned back into the computer.
The report also reveals that 45 per cent of documents that are scanned are 100 per cent "born digital", which means that they are scanned just as they came from the printer.
One in five organisations (20 per cent) reported that they scan more than half of their inbound mail at or before entry, while a further 20 per cent said that they are more likely to scan at the point of process.
The survey also found that 38 per cent of companies have employees equipped to use portable devices to capture documents or forms when they are not at their desks, while more than 14 per cent are using portable scanners for forms and supporting documents.
Doug Miles, head of the AIIM market intelligence division, commented: "Our respondents estimated that on average their use of scanning and capture improved the speed of response to customers, suppliers, citizens or staff by six times or more - a dramatic improvement in a world that is only too ready to publicise poor service."
Companies were advised to scan documents or capture data as close to the source as possible, such as in the branch office, on the shop floor, in the field or at the customer's premises.