If you are looking to SAVE time, REDUCE workforce costs, IMPROVE customer service, INCREASE collaboration and have MORE insight and control over your business, then Business Automation is the path you need to start looking into ASAP!
But what is Automation?
Well, it’s a key technology that can simplify your organisation’s operations, improve efficiency and lower running costs. A solid automation solution will typically result in between 40% and 75% savings that can be seen for several months to several years, and as the figures start to stack up, so too does a growing interest in implementing a Document Management System (DMS).
What exactly is Automated Document or Content Management?
In essence, Automated Document Management software allows an organisation to control and manage document and information lifecycles to increase efficiencies and reduce risk. It lets you seamlessly control your documents from creation all the way to archival or destruction. A number of benefits associated with an automated document management process includes increased productivity, reduced costs, increase in efficiencies and a reduction in risk.
A great content management system also shares and manages information across a range of departments and systems within the organisation and provides strategies, methods and technologies for centrally storing and managing information in an organisation.
Not sure whether to push on with manual systems or take the automated plunge?
Let’s take a closer look at a real workplace example to see how automation stacks up against the manual process – here we will use Accounts Payable.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:
Without automation:
An invoice or work order hits the accounts payable inbox to be processed. After it is received, it goes through verification, PO matching, an approval process, and manual data entry before being queued to be paid.
During this process, it can go from inbox to inbox and in-tray to in-tray before it gets approved to be paid, then it is manually processed by the authorised person, and manually archived in a filing cabinet accordingly.
A manual accounts payable process that involves moving invoices between departments and various staff for appropriate sign off exposes the risks of the invoice getting lost in the system, or delays payment, which can result in excess fees, accounts put on hold or missing out on pay-on-time discounts.
A benchmark manual data entry error rate of around 1-2% could cost your company big bucks.
With automation:
A good digitisation process prevents lost paper documents and has built-in alert functions to reduce the frequency of failures in conducting documentation processing. Documents are also centrally managed so the relevant information can be retrieved easily by the person who needs it.
For example Kyocera’s Enterprise Content Management has a unique stamp system, which sets a clear authorisation process as it moves from person to person in the authorisation chain and alerts are sent to remind the person to process the document. This ensures efficient movement through departments, and enhances best practice through consistency of benchmarked protocols.
The business world is always evolving, thanks to technology. McKinsey reports 25-46% of existing workforce activities in Australia could be automated by 2030. So if you’re resisting change or ignoring the call to technologically grow, you may get left behind. Not only that, but you’ll also miss out on innovative ways to reduce costs, improve productivity and increase revenue.
To learn more about how Sharp Office can automate your document solutions, please do not hesitate to contact our team on (02) 4962 1313 or marketing@sharpnew.com.au
