Tips to go paperless

1

Create online forms instead of paper surveys or questionnaires

Easily create and distribute online forms for event responses, hardware requests, volunteer signups, and more, in just minutes with Forms. After you send out a form, you get responses in real time. You can use summaries and charts in Forms to explore your results.

Learn how

Forms

2

Track important schedules and deadlines

Keep track of tasks by creating an online project plan in Sheets. List tasks and assign them to team members. Anyone can directly update the task list online in real time, without having to sift through everyone’s email updates. Then, use Calendar to create an online team calendar that everyone can access and update when schedules or deadlines change. When you schedule team meetings in Calendar, attach the project plan to the event and ask for everyone’s updates prior to the meeting.

Learn how

• Calendar
• Sheets

3

Create, store, and share content online instead of printing it

Store and manage images, videos, PDFs, and other files using Drive. Drive then syncs to the cloud so everyone’s always accessing the most up-to-date content. The sharing features and access controls in Drive make working with internal teams and external partners simple and secure.

You can create new documents right in your browser window. Instead of printing lots of handouts for your next training session, write and share the handout online in Docs, or share graphs and presentations online in Sheets or Slides. Everyone can see the latest version on their computer, tablet, or phone, and add feedback in real time.

Learn how

• Drive
• Shared drives

4

Create a virtual bulletin board

Need to share announcements, upcoming events, or the latest project developments with your team? There’s no need to print and post this information. Use Groups to create a mailing list that works as a virtual bulletin board and reaches everyone’s inboxes at once.

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Groups

5

Brainstorm and provide feedback online

Getting input on your work can be difficult with large teams and multiple printed drafts for reviews and sharing. Create your files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides online, then share them with team members and stakeholders to receive targeted suggestions.

Learn how

Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides

6

Share resources with your team on an internal website

Keeping track of resources can be time-consuming, especially if you’re managing teams across the globe. Keep all of your assets in one place with Sites. Now everyone in your organization—no matter where they’re located—can stay up to date with the latest resources.

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Sites

7

Keep drafts together in a single file, and revert to earlier versions any time

While working on videos, images, PDFs, and other files, you might keep multiple drafts as references. In Drive, you can store all drafts in a single file to stay organized, and you can revert to earlier versions at any time if necessary.

If you create new items in Docs, Sheets, or Slides, all drafts are automatically saved in the same file. Just use the revision history to see changes and switch to earlier versions.

Learn how

Drive

8

Scan physical documents on the go and store them online

Instead of keeping paper receipts or documents, scan them using the Drive app on your mobile phone. Now you have instant PDFs of any transaction at your fingertips.

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Drive

9

Send a PDF version of your document or spreadsheet

PDF files are easy to download and open in existing programs, but updating them often means creating and sharing multiple versions of the same file. Instead of converting files to PDF each time, send a link to a PDF version of your file in Docs or Sheets. Whenever you update the source file, you won’t have to create new files or update the link you already shared—your team will automatically open a PDF of the latest version.

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Docs, Sheets

10

Train new employees anytime, anywhere

Have a distributed workforce that needs timely training? Want to reduce onsite training costs and printing materials? Use Google Meet to conduct virtual training classes across the globe and save time and travel costs. Then, use Sites to create a webpage with all of your onboarding and training resources so people can easily find important reference materials in one place.

Learn how

• Google Meet
• Sites