Abstract

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) are often seen as the backbones of the business industry. ERPs such as SAP and other modern solutions are providing a paperless and often automated environment within organizations for the past few decades. However, with the rise of startups and agile methodologies, business processes are now being rapidly introduced in these young companies. ERPs and other solutions are unable to keep up with the rapid introduction of new business processes and updates made to older processes. To meet these requirements, the ERPs are supported by paper-based forms or other alternative business processes. The inability of enterprise systems to incorporate these new rapidly changing processes, particularly for startups and SMEs give rise to a need for a new solution. This paper provides that solution in the form of a framework that helps to implement a paperless environment within SMEs. The proposed framework helps to create a paperless and automated operational environment by utilizing a combination of a list of software tools. The framework, using its prescribed combination of software tools, overcome the requirements of rapidly changing processes in SMEs and startups and eliminate the use of paper-based forms or other alternatives. The framework comprises of development of applications to digitize paper-based forms, data storage, automation, and data tracking and visualization.

All of which are seamlessly integrated and can be modified to incorporate new and changing business processes. In essence, this paper proposes the utilization of the Platform as a Service (PaaS) model for an organization’s self-service and development.