Marketing Essentials 2012

Chapter 7: Basic Math Skills

eMarketing Feature

Going Paperless
Small tablet computers, such as Apple's^® iPad help businesses go paperless. Paperless means that paper is replaced with technology. Companies implement paperless functions to save on the cost of paper and printing supplies, as well as time saved by the elimination of a paper trail. E-mail certainly has helped all businesses reduce paper costs. Another example is a warehouse operation in which time spent inputting data into a computer from paper records is eliminated by entering the data directly onto an iPad. In a hair salon, owners provided iPads to customers to use while waiting during treatments; thus replacing the cost of magazine subscriptions. Companies that deliver merchandise use computer tablets to collect electronic signatures when items are delivered; track the location of the truck via GPS, and can even be equipped to show photos in the company's catalog to entice customers to purchase accessories.

Innovate and Create
(A) Have students assume that United States companies spent approximately $8 billion on paper last year. One company estimated that it saved $100,000 in paper costs in one year when it replaced paper processing with computer tablets. How many companies would have to save $100,000 to cover the annual cost of paper used in the United States in one year?

(B) Have students research the cost of an Apple iPad to see how much money has to be invested by a company to equip 50 delivery persons with high end iPads.

(C) Calculate the net savings, if any, from the $100,000 savings from going paperless.

(D) Brainstorm other uses for computer tablets in marketing to cut down on expenses.