Can a Clear Desk Policy work?

[David Harrison <david-x -dot- harrison -at- BAE -dot- CO -dot- UK>]

Management are always generating new initiatives to help/improve Tech Dox
departments, after all they must be concerned with "Continuous Improvement".
The latest, which has landed in my lap, is the (not so new) idea of
implementing a Clear Desk Policy.
They are coming form the direction that improved paper handling, along with
reductions in all the Reports, Memos and Forms which intrude into our daily
lives, can consume up to 10% of our daily routine. In a department that has
over 80 authors with 10 managers and sub-managers this can add up to
considerable savings. Rough estimates that reduce waste time by a half
calculate out to potential savings of almost L200,000 per annum - a worthwhile
target.
However, and there always is an however, I am concerned about the real
potential and wonder what success other businesses may have gained (or failed
to gain) from similar exercises. My worry is that most managers use paperwork
as a tool. The reams of reports, memos and forms are all sources of
information which they use/need almost hourly to help them make decisions about
the business as a whole. But, for most authors, paperwork is a product.
Is it really possible that, by focusing on the very same paper mountains,
and by trying to reduce the load placed on authors in the way of excess memos,
 reports etc., then similar savings can be expected? In our aerospace
business many authors will often juggle bundles of A1 drawings and piles of
references and tables just to extract the right information for their current
document. Talk to them about a clean desk,  and they ask if they can have
three more around them just to spread the information that they need for a
single job. If mangers had similar quantities of paper on their desk it's more
likely that they're trying to manipulate a number of different jobs at the same
time. (Perhaps they need a more efficient technique for paper-handling. )

So, have any others out there experienced either success, or failure, in
this gallant effort of fighting the paper ogre? Am I looking at lost cause,
or am I just being narrow-minded? Is it a waste of time, or a real
opportunity? Does a new process need sustained effort, or does it become a
good habit?
Any tips or experiences that other authors and managers have experienced would
be most welcome.

Cheers

David Harrison

(david-x -dot- harrison -at- bae -dot- co -dot- uk)