Document Management Blog

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Version One’s tree planting carbon offsetting scheme forms part of the company’s Clean and Green environmental initiative. In partnership with The Tree Appeal, Version One plants a tree each time a customer makes a software purchase and a reseller facilitates a sale. For every batch of 100 trees planted, ten refurbished computers are shipped to Africa for use by African school children. Version One has planted 3,500 trees since launching this scheme in October 2006 and has planted 500 trees in the past year, sending 50 computers to African schools.

Version One also reached the final in two other categories at the Green IT Awards 2010. Its Document Management Green Meter, which enables the positive environmental benefits of using Version One’s document management and imaging software to be more accurately tracked, came runner-up in the Document Management Product of the Year category.

In addition, UK environmental charity, Field Studies Council (FSC), in partnership with Version One, was runner-up in the Environmental Project of the Year category (private sector under 100 employees) for its innovative document management project, completing an impressive evening.

Julian Buck, Version One’s General Manager, says, “To win such a prestigious accolade, and finish runners-up in two other categories, is a tremendous achievement. Through our tree planting scheme and by developing innovative solutions to help organisations track, measure and reduce their carbon emissions we have demonstrated our long-term commitment to addressing environmental issues. We are therefore very proud to be recognised as an environmental leader within the IT industry by these leading awards.”

Version One’s portfolio of document management and imaging solutions enable the electronic creation, storage, retrieval, management, delivery and authorisation of business documents. By implementing Version One’s systems, businesses significantly reduce their paper consumption, cutting costs and improving process efficiencies whilst supporting their environmental agendas. UK soft drinks business, Nichols plc, has reported saving 454 trees and 973.35 tonnes of carbon as a result of using Version One’s document management and imaging solutions over the last six years. Nichols plc sells and markets the Vimto brand across the world and the Sunkist and Panda brands in the UK.

Allan Doyle, IT Manager from Nichols plc, says, “The efficiency and cost savings as a result of using Version One’s solutions, including savings of over £100,000 each year, have always been clear. However the environmental benefits of using Version One’s software have proven more difficult to measure – up until now.”

Doyle continues, “With Version One’s green meter linked to our document management and imaging solutions, we have calculated that to date, our paperless processes have saved us 454 trees, 3,786,332 sheets of paper and 973.35 tonnes of carbon, which is a remarkable achievement.”

Version One’s document management green meter, launched in October 2009, enables the positive environmental benefits of using Version One’s software to be more accurately tracked. In particular, the green meter calculates CO2, paper and tree savings relating to the following actions:

• Distribution of a document by electronic mail
  (rather than printing and posting the document)


• Distribution of a document by automated fax
  (rather than printing and posting the document)


• Automated storage of an outgoing document
  (rather than printing and filing the document)


• Electronic document authorisation
  (rather than photocopying and circulating the document).

The green meter calculations are based on a range of formulae, including those obtained from The Carbon Trust (using DEFRA tables). The carbon and paper savings are presented to users numerically as well as in an easy to understand tree graphic.

Doyle says, “We now know exactly how many trees and how many tonnes of carbon we have saved by replacing the printing, photocopying and posting of documents with automated delivery, authorisation and storage. We will soon be using the green meter for real-time calculations of our paper and carbon savings so that we are always aware of the positive environmental benefits of paperless processing.”

Nichols plc will be providing all staff with visibility of the green meter calculations via its Intranet and will be using the information to highlight to employees how their actions have a direct impact on the environment.

Doyle adds, “At Nichols, we recognise that every one of us has a responsibility to the environment. This is why it’s important to be able to explain to staff how their actions may or may not be directly impacting carbon emissions. Solutions such as Version One’s green meter make this possible as employees are provided with clear evidence that if they choose to manually process a document instead of processing it electronically, they are a direct contributor to climate change.”