According to a recent post on CNET, a survey by market research firm, InfoTrends found that “. . . paperless document deliveries will increase from 4.2 billion in 2012 to 8.6 billion in 2017, while paper deliveries will drop from 19.5 billion to 15.9 billion over the same period.” While these reductions are significant, we’ll still be using huge amounts of paper well into the near future.

But why?

The author argues paper is simply more convenient for a variety of recordkeeping needs. He states, “Personally, I prefer to have my own records and have used them many times for actions like establishing residency and managing taxes. For me, all the downloading is a pain.”

However, for many others, it comes down to access or lack thereof. There are millions of people across the United States and billions more worldwide who have limited to no internet access. All these people have is paper. Unfortunately, businesses are increasingly moving toward digital-only solutions and services — freezing out a staggering number of potential consumers.

Sogolytics recognizes that it’s better to offer services clients may not need than the inverse. As such, not only do we allow you to distribute hard copies of your surveys, but we also give you the option of letting your participants print a completed copy for their records. In addition, the Scanner-Ready feature enables you to import offline responses into the platform for data analysis.

While technology has made our lives easier, tech companies should always be flexible enough to accommodate those who cannot or will not participate in the digital age. Just playing the odds, and dismissing so many people is a chance they should never be willing to take.