All Aboard the Workflow Express: Customer Service Takes the Fast Track

By Bill Foster and Barbara Collins, Optical Image Technology, Inc.

(Note: This article was originally published in the January 2007 edition of Document eNotes)

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Western civilization is riding the fast track of the technology train and it accelerates in the blink of an eye. Moving full-speed ahead, technology has become all-encompassing in our daily lives. We live with technology—flat screen televisions, digital cameras, high speed Internet. We play with technology—GPS systems, satellite radio, and voice-activated toys. Perhaps more vitally, we work using technology—VoIP, Webinars, document imaging systems, workflow, and more.

The technology train switches tracks frequently. As a result, new tools are available for customer relationship management and customer service. Two technologies that have evolved considerably are document imaging and workflow which, used in tandem, dramatically improve the customer experience. Imaging, archiving, and workflow enable document- and process-intensive businesses, such as insurance, higher education, and healthcare, to offer high-quality customer service. Digital archiving and workflow have revolutionized the customer experience, making the dreaded phrase “please hold until we find your file” a thing of the past.

Boarding the Workflow Express

What are workflow and digital archiving, and how do they improve the customer experience? Workflow and digital archiving are critical components of business process management (BPM). They enable companies to make information more manageable, efficient, accessible, and secure. Workflow simulates the way documents are processed in a traditional paper-based system. As an alternative to manually filing papers or physically mailing documents internally, businesses route information electronically using a predetermined set of rules and archive documents using an electronic filing system.

Rules set on the Workflow Express should revolve around the who, what, where, when and how related to each process.Examples of rules, at a fundamental level, might include who needs to view a document; what approval or denial decisions need to be made; when does the document require a decision; and where within the electronic storage repository does the paperwork need to be filed or archived. Rules can also instruct employees on what to do with a document, and provide them with the tools they need in order to complete a job. Workflow software can also assign tasks to alternate employees in the event of a processing challenge such as an employee absence or an incomplete file for student or employee applications.

Workflow enables companies to ensure that every step of a process is handled consistently. It ensures the standardization and completion of information, while facilitating exception handling. Tasks can be placed on hold until all materials such as recommendation letters or insurance claim photos are received. Notification of their receipt in the database can automatically ensure that processes move forward to the next step, shortening delays.

Although all paper-intensive organizations benefit from workflow, three industries for which document management and digital workflow are indispensable are outlined below.

Bound for Insuranceville

During a typical day at an insurance business, the volume of new insurance documents in a mailroom can be overwhelming. They might range from claims and applications to handwritten correspondence from policyholders. To make these documents accessible to authorized insurance representatives, they are scanned at a scanning station, and cataloged within the storage repository with customer details such as policy or medical ID numbers. At this point, workflow electronically routes the documents within the organization so that they can be viewed simultaneously by authorized agents at different locations. One, two, or perhaps ten different electronic signatures may be needed as a document makes its way through the organization following pre-assigned procedures, until each workflow step is complete.

Larger insurance organizations may scan more than 1,000 items daily and then route them to the appropriate individuals for follow-up. This might involve dozens of automated workflows handling hundreds of images. Customer service workers can answer policy questions in a matter of minutes, regardless of the age or the physical location of the policy. This results in fast, efficient service, providing improved customer satisfaction and increasing an organization’s competitive standing.

Next Stop: Education

When a parent wants to learn the status of a child’s enrollment or financial aid application, workflow and document tracking significantly reduce response time from the financial aid or admissions office. Rather than digging through multiple files, a university representative accesses the electronic document repository—a process that is much like surfing the Internet—for the unique student identifier, which might be a personal identification number (PIN). If a file is incomplete, workflow and document tracking help to determine where the application is during the admission process. Has the application been received and an electronic file repository created for the applicant? Is the application awaiting additional paperwork? The process of document imaging and workflow provides faster answers for stakeholders, facilitating a better customer experience. As an added benefit, admissions and financial aid offices using workflow and document management significantly reduce the incidence of lost, duplicated, incomplete, and misfiled documents.

Primary schools and higher education institutions can benefit from workflow applications. Workflow can assist a development office by processing gifts more quickly and generating customized thank-you letters. In enrollment services, workflow can alert staff regarding the next steps required to enroll a new student. Much of the paper can be completely eliminated from the process by using on-screen processing, dramatically reducing paper file storage.

Healthcare Junction

There are many benefits to the use of workflow and document management. None, perhaps, is more critical than the tracking of healthcare information such as lab work and patient history. To address the increase in American ambulatory care visits (more than 1 billion visits in 2004 as reported by the Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics), electronic records and document management are more vital than ever to the provision of high quality patient care and service.

Immediate tracking, retrieval, and management of past and present patient information improves the quality of patient care. Automated workflow increases processing speed of documents requiring review, authorization, signatures, or other actions, and eliminates the incidence of lost files and other vital patient information. Electronic storage also tracks which staff accessed the records or approved a procedure, which is important for billing inquiries, audits, and compliance.

All Aboard

Organizations that transition from a paper-intensive environment to technologies such as imaging and workflow benefit by educating employees about the advantages of the system. Imaging and workflow put knowledge and service at the fingertips of customer service personnel. With workflow, paperwork can be distributed automatically to multiple users with instructions as to which actions need to be followed. And when customers have an inquiry, staff has quicker access to the customer policies or medical records, enabling quicker responses and eliminating the need for callbacks. Workflow also leaves a trail of who, what, and when information was accessed for audits. This helps to facilitate corporate compliance and at the same time makes the system and employees more accountable to the customers.

Bill Foster is the Director of Technical Support and Barbara Collins is the Public Relations Coordinator for Optical Image Technology. To learn how document management and workflow can enable your company to process information and documents efficiently, please visit www.docfinity.com, contact us at 814-238-0038 or email info@docfinity.com.