Reducing carbon footprints: the role of intelligent document processing in ESG initiatives

Every environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy has a starting point. For many businesses, it begins with a simple question: how can we reduce our carbon footprint without disrupting day-to-day operations?

One answer is intelligent document processing (IDP). While it might not sound like the obvious place to begin, it’s a practical and measurable way to make real progress - particularly for companies dealing with high volumes of paper-based or manual invoice processing.

Here’s how IDP can help companies align with environmental goals and streamline sustainability efforts.

Reduce your carbon footprint by going paperless

Manual document handling typically involves printing, scanning, mailing, and storing physical copies. That’s not just time-consuming - it’s also resource-heavy. From paper usage to transport and storage, every step adds to your carbon footprint.

Switching to IDP drastically reduces the need for physical documents. Invoices and receipts are captured digitally, processed automatically, and stored securely in the cloud. 

The result? Lower paper consumption, reduced energy usage, and less reliance on traditional infrastructure.

Avoid data entry errors

Mistakes in manual data entry often lead to duplicate work. Reprocessing invoices, correcting errors, and chasing approvals all create unnecessary digital and physical activity. That’s extra energy, extra time, and extra emissions.

With IDP, automation reduces human error by capturing and verifying data at the source. That means fewer reworks, less back-and-forth, and a leaner, cleaner workflow - which allows your finance team to focus on more high-value tasks.

Energy-efficient automation

Unlike traditional systems that rely on high-power servers or desktop-based software, many IDP solutions are designed to run in the cloud. This brings two major sustainability benefits:

1. Optimized infrastructure – Cloud providers consolidate workloads and manage resources more efficiently than on-premise hardware.
   
2. Scalability – Businesses can scale usage based on real needs, avoiding the energy waste of idle systems.

Concerned about cloud-based emissions? It’s a fair question. However, leading cloud providers increasingly power their data centers with renewable energy, and their infrastructure is often significantly more energy-efficient than local servers. In most cases, moving document processing to the cloud results in a net reduction in carbon emissions. ​A study by WSP Global, an environmental consulting firm, even found that moving IT infrastructures from traditional data centers to the cloud reduced companies' carbon emissions by 72% to 98%. ​

Ready to make the switch?

Reducing your carbon footprint doesn’t always require sweeping changes. Sometimes, it’s about identifying the everyday processes that could work smarter.

Procys makes intelligent document processing easy to implement and even easier to scale. Whether you're just starting your sustainability journey or looking to improve existing processes, we’re here to help you work smarter - with less waste and more impact.

As you have seen, the environmental benefits of moving to the cloud are real. Combine that with less paper, fewer errors, and faster workflows, and IDP becomes a small change with big results.

Try it for yourself! Create a Procys account and process your first 50 invoices for free. No credit card information needed. 

See how fast and simple automation can be, and start building a cleaner, more efficient workflow today.

Create your free account