Bitkom: German Offices Ditch Paper and Filing
3 min read
A Bitkom industry association survey shows that companies and offices in Germany, likely triggered by Covid-19, are consuming significantly less paper and are more focused on digitalization. However, there is still room for improvement.
Paper is patient, as the saying goes. But when companies and authorities cling to it or even to fax machines, many people in Germany are losing their patience. In fact, a lot has changed in the past five years since the onset of Corona and the mandatory work-from-home orders. More and more companies are moving away from analog media, communicating digitally, and storing content in the cloud to make it accessible to all authorized users.
Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of the 602 German companies with more than 20 employees surveyed by the Bitkom digital association use somewhat less or significantly less (32 percent) paper today than they did five years ago. The “unchanged” proportion is higher in large companies with more than 500 employees at 27 percent compared to the average of 21 percent, and in businesses with up to 99 employees.
Large Companies Are Filing More Paperwork
When it comes to filing cabinets, the situation remains “unchanged” for 34 percent of companies. Only 57 percent of companies are using fewer or significantly fewer (20 percent) filing cabinets than in 2020, while 5 percent are using more. In particular, human resources or personnel departments, accounting, finance and controlling, as well as top management are still clinging to their analog paper piles with shares ranging from 94 to 82 percent. In customer service, sales, and logistics, these figures are 69 and 65 percent, respectively. Traditionally, the least amount of paperwork is found in production and manufacturing, with 30 percent. However, Bitkom evaluates the reduction in filing cabinets overall as a success.
Many companies believe they have already made significant digital progress. Every ninth company (11 percent) sees itself at the forefront of digital innovation, while just over a third (37 percent) considers itself a pioneer. Nearly half (49 percent), however, still view themselves as laggards. One percent of respondents even admit to having missed or overlooked digitalization.
Digital services need improvement
When it comes to digital services, most customers wish that financial institutions would enhance these offerings. This is reflected in the slightly worsened grade of 3.1 compared to 2.9 in the previous survey. Rohleder acknowledges that banks are continually improving in this area but struggle to “keep pace with the rising expectations of customers.”
Digital offerings from banks are particularly important to younger Germans, more so than physical branches and in-person consultations. A user-friendly banking app is crucial for 78 percent of all respondents, with the figure highest among 16- to 29-year-olds at 85 percent. 73 percent of respondents desire a wide range of online banking services, and 62 percent value the ability to use mobile payment options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far has the paperless office come in Germany?
The trend is clear, but the goal is not yet reached. According to Bitkom, most companies have at least one paperless core process. However, fewer than 10% operate entirely paperless – especially regulated industries are lagging behind.
What are the biggest obstacles?
Legal retention requirements, lack of digital signatures, habit, and insufficient digital competence. Many employees print documents out of habit, not out of necessity.
What are some quick wins?
Digital invoice processing (saves 60-80% of processing time), electronic signatures for contracts, and a document management system as a central repository. These three measures eliminate most paper piles.
“Fewer than 10% of companies operate entirely paperless – especially regulated industries are lagging behind.”
Increasing Trust in AI
More than a quarter of respondents (28 percent) would now entrust their financial planning to AI. In 2024, this figure was significantly lower at 20 percent. 30 percent, compared to 26 percent the previous year, even believe that AI can provide better recommendations for financial products than bank employees.
Bitkom President Rohleder comments: “Although a majority remain skeptical, the growing interest of Germans in AI applications is also evident in the financial sector. For banks and financial service providers, this technology offers enormous potential not only in terms of internal processes but also for private customers, for example, for highly individualized financial planning.”
Source image: Unsplash / rupixen
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