Review, Reorganize, Revamp Your SMB: How to Achieve Continual Returns with Paperless Processing

By Laurel Sanders,Optical Image Technology, Inc.

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One of the barriers for SMBs (small and midsized businesses) that are on the route to digital storage and paperless processing is the fact that management and staff have to wear so many hats. The problem is usually not because of an inability to find a solution provider, although finding one that understands your specific needs may be a challenge. The crux of the challenge is that automation requires a thorough understanding of your organization, how its people think and work, and clear communication of the goals for the technology implementation. A thorough understanding can lead to an implementation that is poised to help your company advance, while a lack of understanding can lead to a less-than-adequate electronic system.

SMBs are typically blessed with a staff of employees who possess diverse skills, but have fewer specialists than a large enterprise. They sometimes are resistant to automate because they fear they won’t have the time or resources that are needed. Although they may be very proficient in their jobs, they may be reluctant to work with technology. Implementation of an electronic document management system (EDMS) requires forethought and communication. Although the SMB staff may have people with some IT knowledge, they often have other roles and responsibilities, and this makes true commitment to a major IT implementation difficult.

On the positive side, SMBs have some attributes that make it easier for them to adapt to change. This openness to change is critical for continuous quality improvement. Workers may be more flexible, adaptable, and in many cases, they are knowledgeable about several departments or areas within the business, partly because they often have multiple responsibilities. Greater crosspollination of information occurs than what might be found in a much larger enterprise. This broader knowledge, when combined with the basic principles for effective automation that are described below, can help an SMB to ensure successful IT projects that will revolutionize business in the present and continue the revolution well into the future.

The “RE” challenges and how to address them

Grammar school taught all of us the meaning of the prefix “re–” – to do something over again. Even the most efficient paper-based environment causes us to do things again, whether we want to or not. SMBs that are considering automation are usually challenged by needing to locate and relocate information quickly. Collecting the appropriate documents for internal and external sources often requires considerable manual searching and, in some cases, communication with others on staff. If the filing system is complex, meaning that a file could be organized and filed in multiple logical places, a thorough knowledge of the filing system and accurate recall may also be needed. This can lead to frustration for both workers and the customers they serve.

Coupled with customers who demand information almost instantly, this creates organizational and communication challenges that are difficult to master in a manual environment. Whether a user needs files to support a customer or to finish processing a document, or an auditor needs access to records, or a court order requires information to be provided quickly, staff is constantly searching for information. Documents may be misfiled, “in process” on someone’s desk, or stuck to another file and permanently misplaced. Other materials that seem to be lost may be buried unknowingly on someone’s desk and even forgotten until it is too late. The life-long loyalty of staff that can rely on their collective corporate memory to find information is past: today the reality of continual new hires and remote workers complicates the difficulty in finding information quickly, and sometimes even finding information at all.

Information retrieval: no pain, no gain

In a digital world, as in a paper-based office, effective organizing is a critical starting point for accessing information for every type of critical business data that is stored. Critical data may be found in documents, images, electronic forms, emails, voice files, faxes, and other media. The word retrieval suggests that information contained in these and other forms is of corporate value and may need to be brought back for review.

Although an electronically stored record may not necessarily move physically, the data that is requested is ideally brought to the end user, and this requires intelligent searching and indexing. People in different departments within a company will naturally be interested in different data within the documents that are stored, and each will search for information using different criteria. Some information may need to be accessible to multiple departments, whereas other information may be restricted to a particular department or level of employee. This has important implications for setting up the appropriate security, but it also underlines the challenge and importance of effective indexing for varied parties.

Electronic storage presents little or no gain to a business unless employees can find what they want immediately. If a company strives to provide first-rate service to its customers, employees need to be able to search quickly and find a list of documents pertaining to the search criteria they are using. Full-text searching in robust document and records management systems makes this relatively simple from a technical point of view, but does not eliminate the importance of thorough indexing. Let’s take a hard copy of an encyclopedia for an example: an entry about traditional Chinese dishes might be indexed under food, culinary traditions, Asian food, Chinese traditions, traveling in China, and other terms, depending on who is looking for the information and for what reason. From the beginning of an automation project, management needs to encourage staff to discuss exhaustively the diverse ways they search for information so that the electronic documents are easy to find for everyone that needs them. In a document management system, multiple people will be able to view files simultaneously, accelerating processing speeds, but making effective retrieval vital. This is an instance where live discussion and interdepartmental brainstorming with people at all levels of the organization is very valuable.

One of the attributes that SMBs can use to their advantage is that employees often are retained long-term by being promoted outside of the departments where they were first hired. This promotes a better understanding of interdepartmental or even company-wide implications for documents, and should be used to a company’s advantage in the process of creating a thorough indexing plan. Providing quick and comprehensive information is critical for efficient e-discovery and delivery of information. Immediate retrieval of information enables organizations to serve line-ofbusiness needs internally as well as for customer service, and to meet regulatory requirements. IT staff, line-of-business staff, vendors’ professional services teams, and even IT consultants can be valuable resources in the creation of an indexing plan, depending on the SMB staff’s available time, resources, skills, and whether they will ultimately use the electronic storage system to access information.

Removing irrelevant records

In both paper and digital storage systems, it is critical to purge records that are no longer relevant to the business cycle. From a legal point of view, getting rid of documents in a timely and appropriate manner can be critical for numerous reasons. This might include potential lawsuits in the future based on existing documentation, or events that might not cause questions now, but could raise questions in the future. In addition, materials that are no longer pertinent to the business should be archived permanently or destroyed in accordance with industry regulatory requirements and retention schedules. Since improper file maintenance carries a high cost in wasted staff time, accurate file maintenance should not wait until there is an emergency or looming regulation. If files are not set for timely removal, they may appear over and over again in search lists even though they are not pertinent to the business. This wastes valuable staff time in the repeat perusal and temporary (and often repeat) dismissal of records as impertinent to the search.

In a digital environment, an electronic document management solution should include a hierarchical storage management system that integrates with the electronic data storage repository that houses your documents. The system should be configured to migrate and purge data in accordance with standard retention schedules that are defined by industry regulatory agencies or the appropriate staff. This will simplify the record management within the business and help keep information current. A hierarchical storage management system can aid significantly in simplifying and automating this process. Automatic alerts can be set up to notify the appropriate member of staff when a document needs to be purged; reports can even be generated to show what has been purged, if the purging is automatic. This streamlines materials and keeps business data current, while ensuring that records are maintained in accordance with regulations.

Reorganizing and reengineering your business processes

Business process efficiency is elevated through automation, particularly when organizations use workflow software that ties into their digital storage system. Regardless of whether materials enter the system via scanning, electronic forms, bar codes, emails, or other systems, automatic alerts—along with the appropriate documents—can be sent to the correct employee inboxes for immediate processing when they enter the electronic storage repository. The majority of mission-critical work in most companies involves routine processing of a set type and number of documents, which ideally should be handled via a set of standard rules that govern both processing and exception handling.

Routine paperwork can be processed more quickly and much more efficiently by tying together documents with automated document-driven workflow. Work that might have been formerly waylaid or “in process” because of employee illness, vacations, turnover, and subcontracting to a third party can be handled more efficiently by establishing business rules that electronically push the right work to the right people at the right time. Management can gain an instant overview of potential bottlenecks within specific business processes, as well as an overview of departmental and employee productivity. Furthermore, the status of items that are “in process” is traceable.

Just as the key to effective digital storage lies in intelligent indexing, the key to effective automation lies in processes that have been streamlined and made consistent prior to automation. This requires a thorough understanding of the business, its goals, its challenges, and its routine processes. Part of the analysis involves creating a set of diagrams that show who is responsible for reviewing, editing, approval, signing, or otherwise acting on each type of document, and the order in which each part of the process should occur. In the process of reviewing internal procedures, companies often discover redundancies and other inefficiencies that can be eliminated by streamlining and then standardizing the processes.

SMBs with limited IT resources can simplify the analytical process by proactively collecting as much data as possible about the steps involved in each line of business’s standard procedures. Whether a customer is applying for a loan, filing a claim, or completing a job application, there are several steps involved in the process. Some electronic document management software vendors with robust workflow products provide an array of services that can assist clients in analyzing and streamlining these processes, and help them to create the designs for effective process automation. The potential value of these services should not be overlooked when selecting a solution provider, even if you intend to do the design and execution on your own.

Revamping: not a one-time remedy

Business executives who are committed to continual quality improvement should realize that process improvement is not a one-time exercise. Although business demands might already keep staff on their toes and may make it challenging for staff to take the time to re-analyze their processes, management should encourage staff to take the time needed for a periodic re-evaluation of the business processes, as well as the technologies that have been put in place. Today’s enterprise solutions enable integration with business applications to help SMB management achieve more with less. The best solutions for most SMBs are scalable for growth, enabling the business to add pieces and parts as the company grows and new areas of need develop.

By making review and revamping a priority, you will ensure that your SMB’s lines of business are performing as efficiently as possible. This will save you time and money in the long term. Just as a car requires periodic maintenance to ensure that it will continue to run properly, processes require proactive analysis. Automated workflow software solutions with robust reporting tools enable you to identify current or potential bottlenecks, reallocate staff work based on productivity information, and to make sure that you continue to serve employee and customer needs as your business continues to grow and change.

Reallocating staff talent to provide better service

One of the greatest advantages of automation beyond the ability to provide easy, secure access to information is the additional service you can provide by reallocating staff to more meaningful duties. Companies that pride themselves on providing high-quality service can reassign staff who were formerly busy filing and searching for information to more useful activities. Rather than releasing staff from positions (such as record filing) that become redundant, valued staff can be redirected to provide more services or more individualized customer support, allowing a company to grow and provide more services without adding more people. The natural voluntary attrition of staff creates an ideal opportunity to capitalize on automation with positions that do not need to be replaced, or other positions being created instead that are more useful to the company and its constituents. This leads to our final “RE” topic of the day….renewals, a mantra for any organization that is hopeful for, or counting on, repeat business.

Renewals: ensuring resounding success

The ultimate goal of most organizations, regardless of industry, is to remain profitable. The best method for obtaining the success that ensures continued profitability lies in giving customers the products they need with services that surpass the competition. A strong electronic document management solution can enable an SMB with products that are similar to those of their competitors to outshine them in terms of service. By eliminating hours, weeks, or even months of time spent on searching for information, locating where documents are in a process, and processing them manually, workers have more time to listen to customers and focus on strengthening their business relationships.

When you choose solution providers and their technologies, make sure you choose vendors who understand what you want to achieve, who will partner with you, and who will work with other vendors to help you obtain your goals. A well-conceived EDMS system should help you to provide stellar “service with a smile” more easily and with less frustration and stress, leading your business onward to resounding success.

For more information about effective indexing, please see the article “Five Tips for Effective Indexing Across Your Enterprise: What Your Document Management Vendor Should Be Telling You” at http://www. docfinity.com/reference/effective_indexing.htm by Harold Hockman, director of professional services at OIT. To read more about IT solutions for SMBs, please review the article “SMBs: Solutions for Common Challenges that Will Help Keep Your EDM and Workflow Projects Manageable and On Track”, by Ron Prichard, COO, at http://www.docfinity.com/reference/edm_and_workflow_for_smbs.htm. To learn more about Optical Image Technology’s DocFinity suite of integrated workflow and document management software, please visit our website at www.docfinity.com, email us at info@docfinity.com, or call us at 1-800- 678-3241.

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