Adobe developed the Portable Document Format (PDF) in 1993 as a way to easily create, exchange, and present visually rich documents, regardless of the device used. The invention was one of the biggest steps toward the “paperless office,” perhaps second to computers.
Digital technologies can make a workplace more efficient, collaborative and environmentally friendly.
Paperless Productivity
There’s greater focus on sustainability as companies evaluate their environmental impact, especially in the hybrid world of work. An Adobe study of U.S. workers found that 57 percent believe paper consumption is the biggest contributor to their employer’s environmental impact.
PDF has been around for 30 years, so you’d think that most organizations have already sunset their paperless offices. Adobe’s Future of Digital Work Study revealed that one third of technology leaders still do about half of their work on paper.
Cloud-based technologies can eliminate or reduce the need for documents on paper and other resource-intensive processes. A salesperson can close a deal using cloud-based software without having to print a presentation, sign a contract, fly, or drive a car rental. This is something I witness every day in our customers. Adobe Acrobat allows them to convert slides into PDF format and then email or track them. Adobe Acrobat allows them to share contracts, allowing both parties to work together on the contract terms and edit and add comments directly into the PDF.
Acrobat Sign allows our customers to archive and share contracts once terms have been agreed. Additionally, with the Acrobat Sign integration with Microsoft Power Automate, our customers’ sales teams can automate the entire workflow using a simple drag-and-drop system to set up automated and customized e-signature workflows for their contract—no coding experience required.
This example also demonstrates how digital documents and e-signatures can significantly increase sustainability—and productivity—by removing paper from the equation. The headquarters of the footwear brand PUMA employs 1200 people and processes around 500 contracts each year. PUMA was able to reduce the amount of paper used to manage its contracts by using Adobe Acrobat Sign. The company was able to reduce the contract process from several days down to just a few short hours, saving thousands of sheets and reducing CO2 emissions.
Sustainability at Scale
Sustainability initiatives are often intimidating, either because of their size, scope, and cost. According to our research, 1 in 5 employees thinks their company will spend over a million dollars for sustainability initiatives within the next five years.
Paper-to-digital conversion can assist companies in scaling up their sustainability efforts. Documents created, signed and shared with Acrobat reduce environmental impact by 95% compared to paper-based processes. Adobe Acrobat’s document and eSignature solutions convert 30 billion paper-based documents each year into digital workflows in the U.S., saving 2.7 billion pounds greenhouse gases, 3.2 million gallons water, 1.1 bn pounds of wood and 177 mlbs of waste.
Digital document solutions can be incorporated into a larger sustainability strategy by any organization. ITV is the UK’s largest commercial television network. Its goal is to have zero carbon emissions and no waste by 2030. ITV automated its document process by using Adobe Document Cloud and electronic signatures. More than 800 employees saved 3.4 millions pieces of paper per year by switching to Adobe Document Cloud. ITV was also able meet its quick turn requests, and remain productive, despite the production challenges.
Adobe was a pioneer in the digitalization of paper documents 30 years ago, with its PDF format. We’re committed to continuing our mission with the guiding principle of scaling our impact by enabling our global customers to meet their sustainability goals through our products. Adobe Document Cloud has processed over 8 billion electronic and virtual signature transactions in the past year.
Learn how to make your business more sustainable by saving time, resources, emissions, and costs—as well as provide data and benchmarks for sustainability initiatives—through our free calculators that estimate the environmental savings that come with using Acrobat digital document products.