Standards
The benefits of storing documents electronically in an organised fashion are self-evident. Document distribution becomes simpler and the ability to diligently control access is made possible. Tracking and auditing of activities becomes a significant management tool. Clearly the information has to be codified, and is frequently compressed for ease of handling. It would be of little use if someone else were subsequently unable to decode that information.
Standards have become critical and many are agreed internationally. For example, those that define the format of compressed files like Tiff and JPEG. Also the format of structured documents such as XML. Other standards emerge as de-facto once their usage becomes pervasive, such as Adobe PDF. Both ease the exchange of information between systems, and to all intents and purposes remove the need for the original paper.