Whether the issue centers on reducing costs or dealing with increasing demand for limited storage space, the effort to create a paperless environment provides a solution. The College of Business Administration embarked on such a path a number of years ago, and this year, Joyce Elam, executive dean of the business school, affirmed her commitment by making it an annual goal for Claudio Pico (EMST ’05), director, finance and administration, and the initiative’s sponsor.
Developed by Hyland Software, OnBase is a document imaging system that allows users to scan and retrieve documents electronically. It combines integrated document management and business process management in a single application.
“We expect all 40+ units in the college to adopt OnBase to move us from paper to electronic records,” he said.
A number of the units have completed their work, which involves scanning all documents. Once items are scanned, the documents can be destroyed. Multiple backups, some off campus, ensure the safety of the files.
The Chapman Graduate School is rolling out OnBase, under the supervision of Gregory Gonzalez (PMBA ’08), senior applications specialist, who is drawing upon his newly acquired Project Management Professional (PMP) credentials to guide the task.
“Each program in the Chapman Graduate School has assigned a lead, who serves as the point of contact, enhancing communication with the other members of his or her team,” he said.
College identifies multiple savings.
According to Pico, the issue isn’t just storage.
“We are trying to avoid the cost of equipment and supplies, such as printers, ink, cartridges and paper,” he said. “Florida International University (FIU) also has taken a step in this direction with its implementation of a new paperless financial system.”
There is even a positive environmental impact. As more and more email signatures carry the reminder: “Please consider the environment before printing this email,” a scanning system offers a good way to decrease paper consumption.
