Re: Multi-part, Multi-Color Invoice Forms

[George Kinney <GKinney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Is this old fashioned office edict a dying dinosaur? Are people just 
>producing multiple laser copies, one form type, one color and distributing 
>them...maybe with an "identification label" or something to indicate who 
>gets them? I hope so or else I'd love to hear someone elses laser solution.

>Has anyone done a cost comparison between the number of extra 8x11 paper to

>the original 4 part forms?

Yes, its dying out. And yes, multiple laser copies, plain white paper, 
are common.  Some places bother to put 'Customer's Copy', etc. on them, 
most places don't. 

I can't quote a particular figure, but I know that we save many $1000s of
dollars a year since we dropped the expensive multi-part forms and all
the typewriters and line-printers that went with them.  Cut-sheet paper is
cheaper anyways.  

I'd talk to your shippers and customers first. See if they actually need/use
any of this stuff. Their answer might surprise you. We found that all the
copies 
we produced and sent out the door were thrown in the trash. Nobody kept any
of it.
(Or if they did keep it, they couldn't explain why.) The other big collector
of 
copies is accounting. Do they actually use it? Or does it just get stuffed
into 
a bankers box?  (A lot of accountants are pack rats, comes with the
territory, 
but that doesn't mean they actually need it.)

I should mention that the majority of our business is electronic, in and
out, so 
we usually only produce paperwork if its requested. 

Personally,  I think most organizations would have a harder time justifying
the
old fashioned forms vs. laser copy.  

Anyways, that's my $.02.