Paperless office
Since Škoda Auto launched this project, the total volume of printouts and paper forms has been declining. A large part has been digitized, and some have even been eliminated. Paper documents remain only where there is a legal requirement. And although the entire car manufacturer has been involved in the digitization process, there is still a long way to go before achieving a completely paperless office.
Paperless Protects More Than Just Trees
The total volume of printing and paper forms at Škoda Auto has been declining since 2023. However, there is still a long way to go before we achieve a completely paperless office.
The Paperless Office project was launched at Škoda Auto in 2023 and is overseen by the GSC – Corporate Strategy & Regional Strategy department, in close cooperation with SVP experts across all areas. We have also gradually addressed several initiatives at Škoda Mobil under the “Print minimally, think digitally” heading. The project, which includes paper savings, optimised handling of documents and a modern approach to the workplace, was launched in connection with preparations for the Laurin & Klement Campus (LKK), as the new office concept with shared workspaces and flexible mobile work options required a different approach. The car manufacturer decided to make the most of new ways of working and reduce printing needs, which is why there is always one multifunctional device with printing, copying and scanning capabilities on each floor of the LKK. All these measures enable the carmaker to save millions of pages of paper per year, along with associated costs, reduce its carbon footprint and, at the same time, enable employees to work digitally, i.e. faster and more transparently.
Key projects
Digital signatures
Nearly 76% of employees and 92% of managers have agreed to use digital signatures in their employment contracts. Digital signatures are an excellent tool for signing internal processes, and the DigiPodpisy web application is used for this purpose at the car manufacturer. The application also allows multiple users to sign PDF documents electronically at the same time. Any Škoda Auto employee who has an MFA card with an activated PKI chip and an active company email address in the format xxx.yyy@skoda-auto.cz can use the application. DigiPodpisy can be used on documents within the Volkswagen Group.
After-sales activities
Thanks to the key activity "Modification of logistics processes in order processing," there has been a significant 60% reduction in printing, particularly in logistics (VAL). This reduction is linked to less documentation for shipped lorries and the transition to digitisation of CMR (international transport documents) and invoices.
Digitisation of production
In the direct area, paper forms have been replaced by applications, tablets, and monitors. The aim is to have all information available in real time and online. The Production and Logistics department has focused primarily on digitising transport documents. For example, CMR documents (used for transporting goods between different countries), waybills (providing information about the goods being transported), dispatch notes (containing information about the goods being shipped), and waste notes (ensuring their correct registration and tracking transport) are now available in electronic form. The modern TransFollow platform enables the electronic management of these documents.
Winning project of Hackathon 2024
The dispatch note digitisation project won Hackathon 2024, and the PPB, E0Z, and SVP Expert teams immediately began working on its implementation. It was also presented to visitors at InnoDay 2025. The dispatch notes will be in digital form and the editing system will be linked to the gates managed by the SO department. Security staff will have tablets with all the data on the goods being transported, and their flow will be fully digitised via the gate. There are around one million dispatch notes per year, and this project will significantly reduce the time needed to process them. Intensive work is underway to fully launch the digital process.
Digitisation of driving orders
In the area of Technical Development, a complete digital management system for test vehicles is being created, where the digitisation of forms concerns driving orders. This small form is used to leave the premises, is not systematically recorded anywhere, and exists in only one copy. In addition, it concerns up to 2,000 vehicles every two weeks. Currently, in cooperation with an SVP expert in area E, this form is in the implementation phase via UMS forms, and a pilot project will be launched in the third quarter. The same data will be transferred from paper to digital form, and the system itself will evaluate whether passage through the gate is permitted. The car manufacturer would like to gradually extend the use of the system to its entire portfolio of test vehicles.
Reducing the Volume of Škoda Mobil
The GKU – Corporate Communications department is also taking steps to reduce paper consumption. The original volume of 32,700 copies was gradually reduced to 25,000 copies at the end of 2023. The online version of Škoda Mobil, which is more widely read and visited by employees from indirect areas, has also contributed to the reduction in the number of copies published. The first issue in a completely new print run of 17,000 copies is the current August edition. The total reduction by GKU therefore affected almost 49% of Škoda Mobil copies.
Tip
A team of SVP experts is responsible for digitalisation at Škoda Auto. An overview of the projects they are currently working on can be found here.
Paper savings at Škoda Auto
Reduction in the number of copies in individual years
Comparison of the first half of 2024 with the same period in 2025
Status of internal form digitisation at the start and now
At the end of 2023, Škoda Auto had 438 forms in total, of which only 151 were in digital form. A total of 287 were still on paper, so the Paperless team began an intensive push to digitise them. Paper documents remained only where there was a legislative or procedural requirement. Each form is linked to a process workflow and a degree of responsibility, which has an impact on production, logistics etc. If a new electronic form is not well prepared, it could damage the process. This is because it is a summary of important information and authorisations in one place within a given structure. By the end of 2024, all forms had been mapped, 35 paper forms had been eliminated, and 53 had been identified that must remain in paper form for the time being. Subsequently, the digitisation of all others was initiated, with the rule that every new document must be digital. At present, Škoda Auto uses 257 digitised forms, 106 more than at the start of the project. All the others are already in the process of digitisation.
Note: The total number of forms changes according to the needs of internal processes. In addition to cancellations, new forms are also created. However, these are created digitally unless there is a legislative reason not to do so.
Digitisation