--- title: "Paperless office: start realistically instead of switching radically" description: "How to introduce the paperless office pragmatically: first digitize incoming documents, then the filing – and approach the existing backlog calmly." type: "wissen" product: "documents" slug: "papierloses-buero" source_language: "de" target_languages: ["de", "en", "es", "pl", "tr"] published: "2026-06-10" status: "publish" faq_json: [{"q":"What does paperless office mean?","a":"A paperless office means that documents arrive digitally, are processed digitally and archived digitally. Paper becomes the exception – the last sheet doesn't have to disappear for the benefit to arise."}, {"q":"Where do I start with the paperless office?","a":"With today's incoming documents, not with the backlog: scan mail and receipts directly after arrival, file email attachments automatically – this way the digital repository grows from day one."}, {"q":"Do I have to digitize old file folders immediately?","a":"No. The backlog can be digitized step by step or on an as-needed basis, for example when a file is needed anyway. What matters is that nothing new is filed on paper anymore."}, {"q":"May I destroy paper originals after scanning?","a":"Often yes, if the scan is proper and the archive is audit-proof – this does not apply to certain documents such as notarial deeds. When in doubt, ask your tax advisor."}, {"q":"What does a paperless office cost?","a":"That depends on the tool. With webRichtung documents you pay based on usage: account and users cost 0 euros, processing costs from 0.09 euros per document (0.06 euros in batch)."}] language: "en" source_id: "wissen/papierloses-buero" source_hash: "cab5a92f9d27ea4627330c0d44e2afd8dd556fcb72b848dd87e427c0e277f023" --- Ein papierloses Büro bedeutet nicht, dass kein Blatt Papier mehr existiert. A paperless office doesn't mean that no sheet of paper exists anymore. It means that documents arrive digitally, are processed digitally and are archived digitally – paper becomes the exception. The realistic path there doesn't start with the backlog in the basement, but with today's incoming documents. ## Why "realistic" is the most important word Many conversions fail because of the ambition to be completely paper-free by a deadline. Then the team faces mountains of old folders, the scanner backlog grows, and after two weeks everything is back to the old ways. The pragmatic approach reverses the order: first ensure that nothing new is filed on paper anymore – the backlog comes later or on an as-needed basis. ## Getting started in four steps 1. **Digitize the intake.** Incoming mail is scanned directly after arrival, ideally transferred automatically from the scanner into the filing. Email attachments such as invoices should land in the document repository without manual effort – for example via a connected email import. 2. **One filing instead of many.** A shared, searchable document repository for the organization beats scattered folders on individual computers. What matters is that you can find documents by their content, not just by file names. 3. **Adapt workflows.** Approvals, notes and deadlines belong in the system, not on sticky notes. Good tools recognize deadlines in documents and present them to you for approval. 4. **Approach the backlog calmly.** Digitize old files step by step – for example, whenever a file is handled anyway. Much may be disposed of after the retention periods expire anyway. ## What happens to paper originals After so-called substitute scanning, many paper originals may be destroyed if the scanning process is properly documented and the digital archive meets the requirements for unalterable storage. Exceptions exist nonetheless – such as notarial deeds or documents with evidentiary function in the original. Clarify the details for your case with your tax advisor. For tax-relevant receipts, the GoBD apply: digital documents must be stored in an unalterable, complete and findable manner. You can read more about this in the article [GoBD-compliant archiving](/en/wissen/gobd-konforme-archivierung.html). ## What technology you really need It takes less than many think: a scanner (or the existing multifunction devices), a document management system with good search – and discipline at the intake. [webRichtung documents](https://www.webrichtung.de/module/documents/) is built for this: documents enter the system via browser upload, directly from the scanner (WebDAV), via SFTP or automatically from email mailboxes, are read, classified and made searchable. The GoBD archive stores documents unalterably with Object Lock over 6, 8 or 10 years. The cost question also remains manageable: account and users cost 0 euros, billing is based on usage – from 0.09 euros per processed document, 0.06 euros in batch. This way the paperless office grows with your actual volume instead of with a license bill. ## How you can tell it's working A good test after four weeks: can your team find any document from the past few weeks in under a minute – without knowing who filed it? If so, the foundation is in place. Then the next step is worthwhile: catching up on old records and connecting further intake channels such as additional mailboxes. This article provides general information and does not replace legal or tax advice.