Opinion: Managing Paperless Documents

By Bob Helms

Chairman and CEO

Pegasus TransTech

This Opinion piece appears in the Jan. 28 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

The case for going paperless is compelling, but how to get there is not evident. If you’re ready to eliminate the mounds of overwhelming paperwork in your office, you need to select a document-management solution. Or, if you’re already using one but not experiencing the full benefits of automation, it may be time to look for something new.

Electronic workflow improves the flow of information and employee productivity by eliminating manual paper handling — filing, copying and faxing documents. The benefits of that are self-evident.

Converting paper documents to electronic images and automated processes should allow you to quickly eliminate the cost and worry of lost or misplaced documents that could have a negative effect on your billing and payroll functions — not to mention your revenue and profit. A good document management solution will increase your staff’s productivity and accuracy and speed your time-critical business processes.

Electronic images are immediately accessible and integrate easily with other business applications, so a document-management solution improves customer service as well. You quickly access complete and accurate records, reducing response and turnaround time. At the same time, information security is increased.

There’s a wide range of document-management solution options available — both server-based and cloud-based. But how do you choose from them all?

Here are six factors to consider when making the choice to go paperless in your company:

• Implementation: How long does it take to be up and running so your users can scan, index, store, retrieve, route and share documents?

How efficient is the vendor in leading and managing the project?

Ask prospective vendors to describe their process and timetable and then ask them for two or three references from companies that are about your size.

Any operational disruption — and the amount of time it takes before you are up and running — is not only a lost opportunity but also lost efficiencies that you hope to gain by using the software.

• Easy to Use: If you choose software too complex for your employees to learn if they receive poor training, either they won’t fully utilize it or the cost of training will be daunting and you may not see the expected benefits of your investment. Better to choose a document-management solution that is both simple to use yet powerful.

• Flexible and Scalable: Will your electronic document management software and vendor be able to meet your future requirements in terms of number of users and the amount of electronic documents processed? Does the solution grow with you and run equally well on a single desktop? Find out before you purchase. The bottom line is you should validate that you are getting the document-management solution that you need today with room to grow in the future.

• Security: Sensitive and confidential documents must be stored securely to provide protection against intrusion and data loss. In a paperless office, you can add several levels of security. The best document-management solution allows you to set individual and role-based security at folder and file levels. That means you can give different people access to folders and documents based on their roles in your company. Ask your vendor about their security levels.

• Experience in the Transportation Industry: Does a vendor have broad experience and expertise in the trucking industry, serving other customers much like you? Do they speak your “language?” Make sure the vendor knows the ins and outs of your business or you will waste a considerable amount of time and money teaching them about your business processes, industry requirements, compliance issues and the like. Expect your vendor to be an expert on their products — and a professional in your industry.

• Automation and Workflow: Will your document-management solution provide you with the ability to automate business processes with electronic workflow? Workflow is a powerful automation tool that allows you to streamline time-critical business processes like accounts payable and receivable, maintenance, recruiting and more. It will boost productivity by enabling you to identify, optimize and track virtually any business process and quickly implement a standard repeatable process.

These workflow processes generate optimal results, regardless of the specific individuals involved in the process. Workflow constantly measures overall performance and reports the metrics. Management can analyze any process for ongoing improvement opportunities.

Make sure whichever document-management solution provider you choose provides workflow solutions on the front end of your implementation. Otherwise, you will miss out on much of the value of going paperless.

Technology alone does not solve business problems. The proper selection of a technology and solutions vendor is the first step. Companies that continually look for ways to leverage technology can make business improvements to productivity and efficiency. Document-management solutions can turn expensive manual processes into automated, electronic exchanges of documents and data that boost productivity and speed cash flow.

A document-management solution makes perfect economic sense for large and small carriers alike. Just ask yourself how much money can be saved by reducing the amount of paper used and minimizing the amount of time spent by your staff to manage a complicated paper process and file storage system. The difficult task of securing business-critical information and backing up files is simplified with a document-management solution. But you will want to consider the points outlined here before making a decision on a document-management solution vendor. The right solution can revolutionize the way you do business.

Pegasus TransTech, Tampa, Fla., provides technology-enabled business process improvement solutions.