Which technological change can reduce dependence on physical documents?

Correct answer: Digital signatures and online record systems

The governing concept is the use of digital technology to improve office efficiency and records management. Digital signatures can authenticate documents electronically, while online record systems can store, search, share and retrieve information without requiring every transaction to be printed. These tools reduce paper consumption, physical storage needs and delays in document movement, although proper access control and backups remain important. Therefore option A is correct. Buying more filing cabinets increases dependence on physical storage, increasing paper copies has the opposite effect, and manually writing registers continues the traditional paper-based process. The question asks for a technological change, not merely a different storage arrangement.