Four Ways to Remove the Physical Limitations of the Workplace with Electronic Document Management and Workflow

By Laurel Sanders, Optical Image Technology

(Originally published in the November 2007 issue of Document eNotes)

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Regardless of an organization’s size, employees face challenges connecting with business-critical information. Whether data is stored digitally in software applications, microfilm, emails, on paper, or other media, precious time can be consumed searching for information when it is needed. The methodology for organizing information is often stored in the minds of management and staff, and employee turnover further complicates the search, which can be costly. Information stored in job and loan applications, claims, contracts, and other materials that require reviews, signatures, and actions often become part of a desperate paper chase against time.

This article provides tips to help you overcome the physical constraints of your office, improve and facilitate communications, automate audits and demonstrate regulatory compliance, and enhance customer service.

1. Overcoming the physical constraints of your office

Most businesses that are required to produce, receive, retain, or provide access to large numbers of documents face constraints in their physical setup. Small organizations face limited space and often require offsite storage. Those using digital storage may face diverse software applications that are each efficient, but not intended to share data, resulting in redundancy and inefficiency. Larger organizations face additional problems: when customers call to inquire about the status of a document that is ‘in process’, staff may have to walk from one department or building to another. Alternatively, staff might have to place a request for data that is stored in an application that is inaccessible to the inquirer. There may be physical or digital copies stored in multiple physical locations or software applications; annotations and signatures may not reach all of the paper or digital copies.

An electronic document management (EDM) solution enables an organization to store all of its information in one central place. Information is indexed in multiple ways by each party or department that needs access to a subset of the data. Furthermore, EDM ensures that sensitive information can only be viewed or acted upon by those who have been preauthorized. Chasing digital or paper information is no longer an issue, because the data is accessible through one central system that houses the documents or points to their location. By adding digital workflow, documents that require a standard set of steps—including review, acceptance, denial, follow-up communications, or other actions— are pushed through the organization digitally. This makes the processes easier, faster, and more consistent, regardless of the physical office setup.

2. Improving internal and external communications

When an office is comprised of a handful of people, communication is relatively easy because of physical proximity. As an organization grows, challenges multiply because of the increasing number of people who require access and the diverse ways they need to search. By digitizing and centralizing information— papers, voice files, faxes, emails, images, and other objects—and establishing a thorough indexing plan that reflects the diverse needs of employees and constituents, the paper chase ends. Nevertheless, documents that move as part of a standard process can still be evasive. Digital workflow removes the barrier of office limitations. It pushes the right information to the right party for a specified action and enables those who are authorized to see who has handled each document. Workflow shows who interacted with each customer, and the time, duration, reason, and result of the contact. “I’ll find out and call you back as soon as I have the information” ceases to exist. Information stands ready to serve the inquirer.

Communication challenges grow when staff work remotely or third parties are involved. An EDM system enables staff and third-party businesses to gain access to information and documents securely over the Web, expediting processes significantly. Like a ripple from a stone’s throw, the circle of people who can simultaneously access centralized information enlarges exponentially. Access remains immediate.

3. Automating audits and demonstrating regulatory compliance

Accessing data in documents that are part of the current document lifecycle is challenging, but finding information quickly for auditors and the courts provides additional difficulties. Recent laws on electronic discovery and other regulations have caused companies to seek better solutions to demonstrate compliance. Entities responsible for verifying organizational compliance follow strict rules; companies engaged in audits or required to prove compliance have limited time to find whatever is required. Documents beyond the active part of the document lifecycle are often harder to access in a physical workspace than recent materials. Whether they are stored in legacy systems, on paper, microfilm, personal emails, or faxes, they may difficult to locate.

EDM enables all data, regardless of origin, to be stored in one searchable repository, significantly expediting the electronic search of information whenever it is required. Automated queries help staff or auditors to access whatever they need, even from remote locations. The alternative— moving documents onsite and assigning staff to search through them or to query databases that do not communicate—can be time-intensive and expensive, especially if staff is pulled from other duties. Centralized storage and workflow reporting tools remove uncertainty, enabling compliance and noncompliance to be verified without a doubt, and viewable in any form that the party requires. Searches that formerly took hours, days, or even weeks or months can be handled in a fraction of the time.

4. Enhancing customer service

Most important of all, an efficient storage, retrieval, and workflow system liberates staff from the paper chase and removes the physical limitations of office hours for customers whose questions surface 24/7. By linking digital data to a company portal, customers gain easy, secure access to whatever you decide they need. Staff talents can be redirected from the manual paper chase to more meaningful pursuits.

Intelligent deployment of EDM and workflow lets you redefine your office without engaging an architect. The doors to information are opened and closed as you decide. Flexibility and success are in your hands.

 

For information about Optical Image Technology and the DocFinity suite of workflow and document management products, visit www.docfinity.com, call 814-678-3241, or email info@docfinity.com.

 

©2007 Optical Image Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. DocFinity, IntraVIEWER, and XML FormFLOW are trademarks or registered trademarks of Optical Image Technology, Inc.