At the core of every organisation, exists hundreds, if not thousands, of documents, as data is continuously processed, sent, and stored. There is a document for practically every interaction imaginable.
Whether it be customer invoices, employee documentation or confidential contracts, you likely possess a paper copy or digital record. So, how exactly can an organisation manage all these important documents without creating chaos and confusion?
The answer lies in a structured yet powerful outbound document management process.
In this blog we’ll explore:
- What outbound document management is
- The benefits of an outbound document management process
- The challenges of a subpar outbound document management process
- How to improve your outbound document management process
- Final thoughts
What is outbound document management?
Outbound document management is one of the most important aspects of any organisation.
Generally speaking, organisations have two types of outbound document management systems; paper and electronic models. For this blog, we’ll be exploring how multichannel document management software can improve accuracy, reduce turnaround time, and enhance your services.
Benefits of having an outbound document management process
Adopting new and innovative outbound document management solutions can bring a plethora of benefits to your organisation. Here are just a few of the many advantages that a good outbound document management process brings to the table:
- Increases productivity
- Reduces storage space
- Streamlines procedures
- Enhances document delivery
- Provides better data security
- Fosters regulatory document compliance
- Reduces the likelihood of human error
- Improves document control and organisation
What happens when the process isn’t up to scratch?
Without effective outbound management processes and procedures, you could be risking more than pure disorganisation. When you adopt the model that isn’t up to scratch you could find that:
- Your sales decrease – ultimately, too many avoidable mistakes will negatively impact your sales and revenue. The mismanagement of documentation will lead customers to believe that the quality of your service is declining and discourage them from doing business with you.
- Your errors increase business costs – poor outbound document management services can incur a financial impact on your organisation. Time is an incredibly valuable resource and having to reprint documents, mail apology letters, and liaise with customers to fix mistakes can often exceed the budgeted time and cost of the initial communication.
- You lose customer loyalty – it takes much longer to build customer loyalty than it does to lose it. If you are unable to deliver the right information to your customers, they will no longer believe you can deliver the required service and, consequently, they will seek out another company that can.
- You become untrustworthy – your customers trust you to handle their sensitive data with care and securely deliver correspondence. Therefore, all outbound communication must be sent securely and accurately. Once you send customers incorrect information, they will inherently regard your organisation as unreliable.
How to improve your outbound document management process
There are several ways to improve your outbound process:
1. Have a single source of truth
Having a single source of truth (SSOT) helps increase document accessibility for customers and the employees supporting them. It ensures that everyone is working with up-to-date information. In turn, this will increase team productivity and efficiency. A SSOT can also avoid any late deadlines or missing documents.
2. Establish clear roles, collaboration, and communication
Implementing successful outbound document management services involves establishing clear roles and guidelines. Each employee should be aware of document approval procedures and what their respective responsibilities entail. For example, you should clearly outline the protocol for sign-off of high value invoices or letters containing sensitive information.
3. Document processes for internal use
Getting communications finished is so much easier when all documents are processed effectively. Make sure your team is updating, reviewing, and deleting the data, as and when needed, in order to streamline procedures.
4. Keep things digital
It’s important to embrace digitalisation and keep things consistent across your communication channels. Once all documents are digital, employees can quickly search and amend any important information, improving efficiency, and enhancing collaboration all around.
5. Automate where possible
When it comes to outbound document management, most mistakes are a result of human error. Having an automated system that controls the flow of information and documents can help reduce workplace inefficiencies and speed up the process entirely.
6. Deliver internal training
As with most new technologies, a modern outbound document management process model requires internal training, as employees need to get to grips with the new practices. New and existing staff should have a clear understanding of how it works and what their role within this structure entails.
7. Ensure document security is up to date
When you deal with data you must ensure you protect its integrity at all costs. Refusing to do so could negatively impact your reputation and revenue. An indicator of a great outbound document management system is when security practices are regularly updated to abide by document and data security and protection laws.
8. Use a new outbound document management system
One of the easiest ways to improve your outbound document management services is by using a modern Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. The right solution will automate your workflows and approvals,, promote better document control, reduce storage space, and protect sensitive data all at once.
Final thoughts
Embracing new technologies and procedures can seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. It may take a while to adjust but you will soon notice how employees benefit from more streamlined procedures. Refusing to update outdated workflows and processes can be harmful to your reputation and negatively impact relationships with customers.
The benefits of improving your outbound document management model far outweigh the drawbacks of sticking to your traditional ways of working. With the help of software, you can control the influx and output of data in a secure, structured, and cost-effective manner. You are able to produce, track, and prioritise your documents in a way that suits your requirements.
Datagraphic’s multichannel communication platform, Aceni, is a secure and centralised platform that covers all outbound document management needs. Customers, employees, and stakeholders alike can enjoy a consistent and seamless communication experience.
We hope you have found this blog useful, however, if you have any questions about Aceni, or you simply need some advice in regards to outbound document management solutions, please don’t hesitate to contact us and request a demo.
