For many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) document processing can be a task greeted with as much enthusiasm as a migraine headache. On the surface, it should be viewed as the simple process of producing, routing, tracking, editing and storing documents associated with the daily conduct of their businesses. In reality, however, it is often an arcane, tedious exercise in keeping track of the status of documents, forms, requisitions, and other important documents in their movement through the review and approval process.
For SMBs, defined as having between 10 and 500 employees, the risk of losing or misplacing critical documents can have dire consequences ranging from lost productivity to lost customers. Sales and expense reports, purchase orders, acquisition forms, invoices and payroll are all document-heavy records that represent a minefield of missteps, all susceptible to misplacement in the shuffle from one office to another.
It’s easy to imagine this scenario, especially for SMBs that haven’t updated their process for managing workflow tasks for some time. Moving paper files from desk-to-desk is a sure-fire way for important information to fall through the cracks. It’s also way too time-consuming in a business environment that expects fast turnarounds given the advancement in workflow management technologies made available in just the past decade. In short, automating these tasks saves on labor costs, ensures the security of sensitive documents from unauthorized eyes, speeds data entry and facilitates easy access for knowledge workers.
The reality of today’s business is that many key decision makers spend a lot of time on the road and out of the office. This lack of real-time access causes bottlenecks in your processes. Decisions have to wait until they get back online, causing on-the-fly workarounds with emails and phone calls to get someone– anyone– with authority to make the decision. Once that decision has finally been made, it is very difficult to track all the activity that supports it. By extending your information to your mobile workforce – you can ensure that your business continues to run as efficiently as possible, regardless of where you or your employees are.
It all starts with workflow management solutions, as they replace these piles of paperwork with electronic, digital alternatives. Users can automatically be alerted when a document requires their attention, ensuring that the next step in the review process does not progress prematurely – thereby eliminating the possibility of missing an important step. Upon completion of the process, the document(s) can be shared with an authorizing manager with the confidence that all approved reviewers have had an opportunity to provide input.
Konica Minolta is the perfect partner for SMBs to improve the efficiencies of their business workflow automation and digital transformation. Our portfolio of solutions and services can handle your document management and workflow automation needs by – maximizing productivity while helping you save on overhead costs.
Workflow automation solutions offer an attractive alternative to that migraine SMBs anticipate on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Fortunately, Konica Minolta offers a range of workflow solutions that can make this pain a thing of the past.
USA
Global
