With the unprecedented shift in employees working from home due to COVID-19, companies have had to adapt on-the-fly and figure out ways to get day-to-day processes completed. Workflows in most companies are still paper oriented and move hands several times from creation to the final stages of being stored as a record. It is a mistake to tackle work from home solutions without addressing the workflows in place and how to digitize and optimize them across all departments.
 
Below are three ways we have helped our customers achieve increased mobility, automation and time savings through workflow enhancements.
 
Editable PDFs
 
Since everyone may not have access to the same document in hardcopy, it is important that employees can make changes to a document without having to type out whole new documents. Scanned in documents are usually PDFs. Having the ability to take that document and immediately make changes is a critical time saver. Another key function to add to the capability of editable PDFs would be the tracking of versions so when users have accessed the document there is a trail of reads and changes made. Having different versions of documents allows for quick reference to past policies and who contributed which ideas. Keeping your documents editable is very important but security protocols must be in place and valid credentials need to be provided to ensure the company is protected and an audit trail is in place.
 
Approval Processing
 
Virtually each department in an organization has some level of an approval chain. Having the ability to automate approvals speeds up processes and provides increased visibility of the stage the process is in to the end user and management. Limiting the days of sales outstanding and getting money into the bank is a big deal. Through the systemization of approvals and the sales process, a company can quickly and efficiently move a deal along and know what is missing or needs action. A virtual dashboard provides action items for all users and allows managers to view documents that are in all stages and either approve, deny or remove documents in the portal. This technology can be deployed remotely to a server and has a browser-based application that boasts controlled and logged access with remote connectivity for users.
 
Fax Routing
 
Faxing no longer has to be tied to a fax line. You can fax from wherever you are and the fax server can be virtually hosted versus having to be on-premise. Address books can be uploaded to the server and your fax number doesn’t have to change. Even more impressive are the routing and workflow enhancements you can implement with a fax solution. You can receive faxes directly to your email or they can be directly routed to your workflow. For example, a pharmacy receiving a 500-page fax, no longer has to manually enter the data into their system and instead the information is automated and imported into their designated portal. The ability to have faxes go through optimal character recognition (OCR), so they can be searchable, and be automatically routed to designated users within an organization is an extremely effective and time-saving remote initiative worth the investment.
 
At Copiers Plus we understand that each organization is different and therefore so is each solution. We would love to work with you to figure out ways your remote infrastructure can be enhanced through initiatives like these and more. Feel free to reach out at 800-648-7081 or online to set-up a complimentary virtual assessment.
 
Drew Smith currently serves as Director of Communications for Copiers Plus. The company specializes in modernizing office equipment and increasing efficiencies in workplace communications throughout the state of North Carolina. To learn more about how Copiers Plus is providing their customers with innovative document solutions and enhanced printing transparency, visit www.copiers-plus.com. Drew would love to hear from you at [email protected].