Workflow Automation Software

Category: Solutions

Optimism sends a good message

We recently sponsored and exhibited at two technology focused trade shows.  As most companies participating in these shows know, it’s a good way to see existing clients and to meet new prospects.  But its also a good way to stay informed about industry advancements and news, however optimistic.  There can be lots of very optimistic talk and presentations in the tech community. Here’s the thing, however optimistic some people or companies might be, some of those plans and ideas probably make good sense and will someday become the standard.  Of the current crop of hot technology topics, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, bots and robots, we are optimistic about…
Yes, we are optimistic about some of these technologies, namely AI and bots.  A bot is essentially a digital assistant.  You’ve probably come across one that pops up on a web site with a face or name and it’s asking to help you.  Bots are forms that have been automated and use some form of AI most likely.  Whereas you used to just fill in and submit the form.  Now the form is alive and asking you questions. You can probably guess which two we think will become standards in the near term.  Yes, bots and AI.  Robots, a physical form of a bot, are already in use in factories.  We are still waiting to see a good office use for a robot.  We don’t see it in the near term for document management, but we know they exist and have seen some examples.  Maybe optimistic for an office robot to be the document scanning or copier assistant. Blockchain has some promise and will have uses.   Like crypto currency, a use of blockchain, document management using blockchain for real estate transfers, for instance, requires significant investment and change management at the government level.  That will not be easy to accomplish on a local or national level in the near term.  Blockchain for lease documents – too optimistic.  Blockchain for certificates of insurance – maybe. Optimistic people have a way of motivating others.  We’re optimistic about the use of artificial intelligence in workflow and document management.  AI is a tool that will help Millennia Group’s optimistic plan of simplifying document management.  Bots may also help simplify workflow and document management and if nothing else, make it a bit more interactive and less intimidating.  That’s not too optimistic or too much to ask.  We think it’s a good message. Millennia Group simplifies workflow and document management with our SaaS solution, FileStar.  Contact us at info@mgdocs.com, www.mgdocs.com or (630) 279-0577.

Don’t forget to lock the front door

Information security continues to be an important topic even if there haven’t been any newsworthy breaches recently.  That could be due to the nature of proper security, which involves continual effort and therefore top of mind.  Annual penetration tests, monthly vulnerability scans, scheduled password resets and authentication of new devices are a few recommended policies to stay secure. Security was much easier when the ability to share was more difficult and the potential for inadvertent release was much lower.  Back when paper documents ruled the world, locked file cabinets or a managed file room with in/out tracking satisfied the requirements.  With digital documents, your systems need to be hardened and so do your users.  Data can leak through the back door or the front door.
System hardening, as mentioned above, involves policies and procedures that help protect the information.  Additional best practices include encrypting the files at rest, which essentially means your document management system encrypts the files on the server on upload.  But meta data associated with the files also needs to be encrypted, such as names, addresses, account numbers and social security numbers.  These efforts help protect your data in case a bad actor gets in through the backdoor. Don’t forget that systems have a front door too.  Security needs to be part of the user awareness as well because with digital documents, the ability to move volumes of information is much easier than moving a wall of file cabinets.  Users with the ability to share large volumes of documents need to have training on how to configure security properly and only certain users should have that “share” capability.  Users should also have limits on how many documents can be emailed out of the system at one time. Admin users need to monitor data flows via the system logs.  They also need to manage new user setup logs to ensure only approved users gain access.  Security settings need to be easily reviewed across all users and groups to audit existing configurations on a periodic basis.  Appoint an Admin to have security responsibilities for the document management system with quarterly reporting of activity. It’s easier now to move large volumes of digital documents, containing valuable corporation information, so it is important to make sure security is tight at both the system and user level.  Free, folder based file sharing sites are useful, but the ease of use factor can be counter to your security objectives.  A network drive is even more difficult to manage.  Find a system that has both application level and user centric security covered and your documents will be safer. Millennia Group has been providing workflow and document management solutions since 1996.  For more information visit our website at www.mgdocs.com or send us a note at info@mgdocs.com.

Tag and push is not a playground game

Companies, large and small, have procedures or rules that employees are supposed to follow to complete certain tasks.  Each company determines the most efficient methods or methods that meet regulatory or compliance requirements.  These rules can be written in a manual, part of a checklist or built into software applications. Rules incorporated into the code of software applications are relatively easy to build and highly effective.  One of the most difficult procedures to successfully implement, however, is document archiving.  When is a document the final final version and where should it be archived?  Making this decision and process easy should be every companies goal, but where to begin?
The first step is to make sure you simplify and standardize the archive hierarchy.  Consolidate the silos of documents into one, organized repository.  This should be separate and distinct from your active working directories or silos.  For instance, users are going to keep active spreadsheets or Word files on their local drive, in the shared drive or out in a collaboration tool.  Let those silos be for now.  Get the archive repository set and organized. Next, make sure that where possible, collaboration tools can push content directly into the archive.  This might require apps or using APIs to facilitate the transfer and to guide users to select the right archive location.   Ideally the app and machine learning can help with this task by using the current file location to give clues to the proper archive location.  If possible, the transfer of the file can start a workflow that accomplishes tasks and has the benefit of archiving any attached documents upon completion. Active files stored on a shared network drive or in one of the cloud storage solutions is a bit more of a challenge.  The files most likely already exist in some file folder structure.  When the user is done, its just assumed the file is complete – job over.  But the reality is that users could use a gentle reminder every week or so that files have been untouched for say 60 days and therefore, might be final final.  That reminder should make it easy to migrate the document to the correct location. There is a lot of effort being spent on making the collaboration on work easy.  A similar level of effort should be spent on making the transition of the results of that collaboration into an archive system easy also.  Soon enough, tag and push will be as common place as drag and drop. Millennia Group has simplified document management through FileStar, a robust yet easy to use SaaS model workflow and document management system.  For more information, www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com or (630) 279-0577.

Should power users drive the bus?

Without a doubt you have come across business or personal applications that are not easy to use.  Business applications in particular can be less intuitive because of the complexity of the tasks required.  But that complexity may be due to over-engineering.  We have all heard of the less is more concept.  But in software, less isn’t really less, its just essential. There are always situations where one user wants another function or feature.  The trick is to identify the essential functions and help power users understand approaches to solving unique tasks.  When the tasks are performed frequently but by a few users or less frequently but by many users, the solution should support those tasks very well.  Here are some things to think about to select a solution that nails the essential functions and supports the power user.
The most important aspect of choosing a solution is defining exactly what problems or tasks the solution is needed for.  If the requirement is ensuring that users have a trusted source of customer contracts or employee documentation, then the solution needs to have features and functions that achieve that result.  A trusted source of critical documents doesn’t really need a feature to track the popularity trends of a document.  It really needs a feature to ensure the document is properly cataloged and stored. Determine the frequency of the tasks being performed.  The 10% rule should apply here.  If one person in the company has a specific task that they need the application to help them accomplish, don’t select the winner based on that.  Look at other ways to accomplish that task – there will be other ways.  Really hone in on the tasks that get done day in and day out and how well the application satisfies those tasks. Understand your own company culture and language.  There are likely some applications that have navigation based on words commonplace to your industry or company.  If applications can tailor the toolbar descriptions or navigation to use familiar terminology, that will make the application easy for your users.  If the application can’t do that, look for applications that already service other companies in your industry, they have probably already tackled that issue. There is a need to ensure flexibility in an application to support the power users.  But that does not mean there needs to be a built-in feature for every eventuality.  Make sure the application has easy to use data exporting.  At the very least, if your power users can export the data, they will find a way to customize that data and connect with other data to accomplish their task.  If the data is locked up in the application, that restricts use and flexibility. Power users are inherently creative and industrious and will be able to efficient pull a little from here and take a little from there and get the result they need.  If that need starts to be a daily need or weekly across many users and the demand for a more efficient way is justified, communicate that with the solution provider and see what can be accomplished.  Let the daily users drive the bus. Millennia Group has been providing an easy to use, focused workflow and document management solution since 1996.  www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com.

I admit, machines are smarter than me

Machines are smarter than me, at least after some smart people have told it what to think and since it is continually trained to get smarter.  Maybe that computer really isn’t smarter than me, but it certainly has a better memory.  In the context of our current lives, that translates into not forgetting passwords and never forgetting where I saved that file on the network. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are all the rage in most industries, including the document management industry.  There is a convergence of systems offering auto-classification and indexing of your files.  Tagging the file with information that someone can use to find it later and dropping the file in some deep folder structure and forgetting where that was might go away.  That seems like a smart approach and deserves some investigation.

There are a variety of ways to look at the auto-classification of files but the ultimate goals would be to make saving a file simple and finding a file reliable.  There is no doubt that eliminating the need to tag or add meta data to a file before saving it is a time saver.  Its also a time saver if the file, like an inbound invoice, could be identified as an invoice, auto start a workflow and automatically fill in the invoice number, date, vendor and amount.  That’s very smart. Clearly if users don’t need to remember where files are stored to reliably find them later, that is a time saver too.  Think of all the times that you have spent clicking through endless folders to find some file or doing a keyword search, again and again.  If the classification rules and machines are smart enough, you will never need to worry how cohorts are saving files.  You will always find the information you need. There are a few things to consider before adopting this type of solution.  First, it will not work as well with documents that are being added to the repository via scanning.  The OCR engines are still not 100% accurate and it can cause some hiccups.  Second, cost may become an issue for some companies.  Until this is a common feature across the industry, it will be costly to implement.  Third, the technology works best if used on consistent data sets.  For instance, the AI engine knows that all inbound documents are invoices and therefore can be highly tuned. This is a very exciting solution for the document management industry.  Over time it will become common place.  In the meantime, it could work very well in certain circumstances and should be explored.  Of course, thorough testing is needed on your specific data and use case.  In the meantime, continue to look for efficiencies in your current approach, including workflows, smart tagging and user training.  These are also very smart, and in most cases affordable solutions. Millennia Group has been providing workflow and document management solutions since 1996.  For more information visit www.mgdocs.com or send an email to info@mgdocs.com.

Support your local decision maker

Hard as we all try, we are human and we make mistakes.  When these mistakes take the form of data entry errors, it can range from being an annoyance all the way to a full-fledged disaster.  Products get shipped to the wrong address, billing errors occur, critical dates are missed and so on. Data entry into a “system”; an accounting system, CRM, ERP or any type of database or spreadsheet, feeds information to many users.  Therefore, it is important to do whatever it takes to ensure accurate information is captured and the wrong information is not magnified across many decision makers.  Here are some simple methods to support those decision makers and help them avoid costly mistakes.
Where possible, you can require double entry of key information and the entries must match to confirm.  This is typical for data such as social security numbers, phone numbers and order numbers.  You can use workflow to force a review step of the data.  A second set of eyes can help prevent errors.  Forcing users to select only from an approved list or having some data validated against outside information can also help. There are many methods to try to avoid mistakes as data enters the system, but none are perfect. It is common to find a document as the source of the data for many transactions.  You can support your local decision maker by enhancing their system with a link from the system directly to the source document.  Even with all the preventative options available, providing a link to the source document(s) so the user can quickly confirm the information, is a valuable tool to prevent mistakes. If the user is preparing to ship the order, they should be able to quickly confirm by viewing the Delivery Information Form provided by the customer.  If the user is billing a new tenant for the first time, they should open the actual lease document to double check.  If the user wants to avoid missing the renewal date, they should view the actual contract to confirm the true effective date. Image enabling a system, as that document link is called, can be achieved in almost any situation.  It does help if the system software is current.  It also helps if that system software is cloud based.  If you aren’t currently scanning your critical documents, this a great reason to start.  If you are and can get your document management system to be the source of the link, your decision makers will Thank You. Millennia Group built and hosts FileStar, a workflow and document management system.  For more information you can contact us at www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com or (630) 279-0577.

And the answer is…

Here’s a situation that is probably familiar to many.  The company you work for has a database or some type of online application that contains information on your customers; CRM, accounting system, ERP, etc.  The customer calls and has a question.  It appears that some information was entered into the “system” but from experience, you know to double check.

The double check usually involves pulling up the original documentation. This lack of trust is not entirely unfounded nor irrational.  There are many unintentional mistakes made when doing data input or possibly mis-interpretation of terms.  What is the best way to ensure your employees always find out what the real answer is?

The beauty of having information in a database rather than in a document format is research for sales, marketing, compliance or reporting purposes.  How many contracts do we have that expire in the next 90 days or how many contracts do we have where the customer is NAICS code 99999?  That is impossible to do if all you had was a filing cabinet or even with a powerful document management system.  A database is needed.

Processes are being developed to incorporate the terms of a transaction that are captured in a CRM during contract negotiation, for instance, and then directly into a final version of a template document.  That might help cut down on some input mistakes, but what if changes were made on the execution copy of the document? That issue alone may forever instill mistrust in the “system” and prolong the need for the double check.

Smart contracts based on blockchain hold some promise in that there really isn’t a document.  The transaction is memorialized by data and information captured in a database – a blockchain structured database.  The whole idea behind blockchain is that the distributed and replicated nature of the data renders the data unchangeable and therefore a form of contract.  However, that also means everyone knows there was a transaction, which has its own downside.

One of the main drivers of value for any good document management system is in providing anytime/anywhere access to documents so employees can quickly pull up the original document and confirm the answer.  This is a vast improvement over paper files which are slower to retrieve and restrict multi-location growth.  The other value driver for a good document management system is in providing trusted access to the documents via input validation.  Make sure in-bound documents go through some review or require matching to your “system”.  That is where the real value is and where the best answers come from. 

Millennia Group has been providing workflow and document management solutions since 1996.  Contact us at info@mgdocs.com, www.mgdocs.com or (630) 279-057

Does Sears have a good idea?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2016 and 2026 about 90% of job growth will be in service producing industries.  Sears is embarking on what might be a crazy idea that they can revive their retail model by making the stores smaller and what looks like increasing the level of service or service offerings related to what they sell.  Is this where the new jobs will come from, purchasers getting more service? The U.S. BOL stats indicate that the number two jobs creator will be in Professional and Business Services and number 12 will be Information, including data processing and hosting.  Business software providers must fit into one of those two categories.  However, software providers, like Retailers, can suffer from a purchase decision based primarily on cost and functionality.  Should software firms follow Sears formula and not only provide technology but provide service?
There are software solutions in abundance for virtually all business needs.  After price and functionality comparisons there will still be many viable solutions available.  Will service become a more important contributor to the decision? It’s important to evaluate and value the service that’s needed to ensure your software meets company needs for a given time period.  But service is not an easy component of the purchase decision to put a value on. Service value may be a function of the several factors.  How critical is the up time for a particular software to the functioning of the company and its daily operations?  Does the software have many users or is it a middleware? Does the software rely on data input from users or data feeds from other applications?  What should be the expectation for ongoing service given your company’s situation, ie. growth mode, changing industry, in-house IT or outsourced? The type of software will certainly help frame the computation of service value.  Software providers and their business partners absolutely should focus on providing good, friendly tech support.  That is a no brainer.  Companies should look beyond just help desk and technical service though.  Is there a closely correlated service that is ancillary that can benefit the company.  For instance, a document management software provider also providing data migration or data capture services. Software providers need to work with their customers to find solutions to business problems.  Those solutions may be functional tweaks to the software, but they can also be value added services that directly compliment the product.  Sears may have a good idea.  It does seem to make sense that the refrigerator eventually is going to need a repair or new video doorbell might need installation. Millennia Group has been providing workflow and document management solutions and services since 1996.  For more information – www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com, (630) 279-0577.

The Ideal plan may not seem ideal

The prospect of getting a company to change a long established process is difficult, especially when that process touches multiple departments.  That should not discourage technology solution providers and businesses from having the confidence to make well thought-out ideas happen, even if seemingly idealistic. 

Despite excellent planning, some hurdles will take a long time to clear.  One or two parts of the plan may need to slip into a later phase.  Creating a plan that needs to deviate from the ideal solution in the short term may be disappointing, but could it be the ideal plan in the end?

Using a phased approach is common when implementing big corporate wide applications.  ERP implementations come to mind where the initial phase might include rolling out the accounting module then subsequent phases add the CRM module, then the inventory module and so on.  With workflow, there might be phased inclusion of departments in the digital process based on integration hurdles.

Think about a new customer onboarding workflow.  The workflow may start in the Sales department with the receipt of a signed contract.  Then that workflow may travel through the credit department, the accounting department, the compliance department and maybe even the IT department.  Throughout the process these departments are contributing to or consuming information from the workflow.  Those touch points or interactions become the hurdles.

Are all contributors of information inside the company where adoption of the solution is mandatory?  Are all users able to consume information in the same format that they are currently used to?  The goal will be to setup the workflow with the anticipation that integrations will be completed and the ideal solution accomplished.  However, some aspects may initially need to be more practical then sleek.

Create a scenario where the end result will produce tangible, significant benefits but also have a high degree of probability that it will get implemented.  Find ways to make the process achievable today while flexible to convert to the preferred process in a later phase.  Make sure the ideal solution is not too idealistic and you will get measurable positive results sooner.

Millennia Group has been providing workflow and document management solutions since 1996.  For more information visit www.mgdocs.com or contact us at info@mgdocs.com.

Are any of us on the same page?

It’s not news that every industry has a set of unique acronyms for describing processes, requirements, features, etc.  As long as people participating in a conversation sprinkled with these acronyms are from that industry, it’s a good bet everyone understands.  Except for the newbie of course. However, there are plenty of acronyms, words or descriptions that can be a bit too general, which leads to mis-understanding and likely, wasted time.  For instance, when doing a Google search for “workflow systems”, the results come back with 452,000 hits to search through.  Just so we are on the same page, let’s try to narrow the definition of workflow a little to save us all a lot of time and money.
Let’s start by looking at what business problem is being solved with the workflow.  When the problem is a data entry problem, then forms are a great solution.  The ability to create an online form that has fields for user-based data entry is a very efficient method.  It’s also very effective because logic and data validation can be used to ensure that the data is clean, ie. the SSN is the correct number of characters.  So – Forms Workflow to collect data only and route that data to the right people for decisions and processing. Another business problem is that some processes involve multiple forms of input, such as some data and some documents.  Not all business processes can be initiated by keying in data only.  Some data will be a contract or a spreadsheet or a schematic.  The workflow could be started by a user uploading the supporting documentation for a journal entry for instance.  We term this type of process as Package Workflow (11,400 results).  It is a package of documents and data that need to be routed for approval. Then there is Document Workflow (455,000 results) specifically for creating the document in the first place.  Document Workflow is all about gathering the right terms and conditions, building a draft and routing that information to internal and external parties for comment and eventually approval and execution (possibly via digital signature – another workflow type – 15,800 results). Tightening up the definition of workflow will save time in many ways.  Better definitions will cut down research time.  Better alignment of solutions to need should improve implementation time.  Of course, the ultimate goal should be improved efficiency for users, which will be the product of everyone being on the same page. Millennia Group has been providing Package Workflow and Document Management Solutions since 1996.  For more information – www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com or (630) 279-0577.

Steps in the right direction

Here are some tips for getting your company or personal electronic files and documents better organized in 2019.  These tips will really make life easier if you are currently storing your company files and documents on a network drive or you use a document management system but never really configured it for your business.
  1. If you have a document management system, don’t let files and documents get uploaded without a minimum amount of meta data (descriptions) being associated with each file.  This goes for folder based systems as well where users just drop files into the folders.  For instance, have all client folders auto-generated based on a list from your accounting system or all prospect folders auto-generated from your CRM.  Don’t let users create their own hierarchy or folder structure – take control of it and tie it to your core business lists.  Use drop down lists instead of allowing free form entry and always make some fields “required” on upload.
  2. Implement workflows for all processes that currently use paper or email for routing and approving documents, especially where decisions are supported by one or more documents.  Use your document management system, CRM or any other solution, just stop using email and file folders.
  3. Less options for searching and adding documents is usually better than more.  Try to limit search options to five or six data points.  This generally provides users with a small enough set of results that they can quickly and efficiently determine which document they need.  Don’t try to give them every possible search field with a goal to get a single document in the search results.  That will slow down the process as the users get zero hits time after time.  Try providing just enough search fields that they get 10-15 items in the results, an easy number of items to quickly scan for the right one.
  4. It’s helpful to include both common names and account numbers or ID’s in all naming conventions for files and folders.  Some users gravitate to numbers or ID’s and some will function best based on common names like a building name, client name or product name. Either way, grouping and sorting will be aided by having both available and this ties in with number 1 above.  Data needs to be consistently applied.
  5. Implement a true document management system and wherever possible integrate other applications with it so that it becomes the document warehouse.  Other applications can feed documents into it and pull documents from it via an integrated application interface.  Implement a web based document management system.  In today’s world, companies are utilizing more third party services that are an extension of the business and therefore, need to share information and be part of workflows.  This is best accomplished by a web based solution that lets users in from outside the firewall.
These are Millennia Group’s top five tips.  We could go on for many more items with other suggestions, but these are high level and will generate positive results.  Of course, with any changes, there will be resistance and learning curves to address.  Get prepared before making recommendations.  Have specific examples of current frustrations and new solutions and benefits.  Repeat the benefits 10 times – that always helps.  Then, get it done and enjoy the improved access to information, increased efficiency and happy users. Millennia Group is a workflow and document management solutions provider with over 20 years of experience.  For more information visit www.mgdocs.com or contact us at info@mgdocs.com

Try doing less, it really works

  It is usually with good intentions that a project is tackled with extreme attention to detail.  Every possible variation of input and output are considered and analyzed.  Focus groups are put together to gather information from all interested parties.  The process is time consuming but can result in some good data being gathered and a successful project outcome.  It is the right way to do things. Now the hard part is trying determine how users will find that data if they need it again.  The data that was gathered may have dug up some minutia but also large sets of data that will be used every day.  The trick is to provide the everyday user with the ability to find information in a few clicks (simple interface) but also provide a way to find that one obscure piece of data.  Can a one size fits all search work?
An example may be the best way to explain this.  Think about your grocery store.  The food is organized in groupings by type of food or ethnicity.  All the cereal is in one place as are the eggs.  It’s not efficient to configure the store such that all food produced in Sioux Falls Idaho is one place and all food from Traverse City Michigan is in another.  That may be very useful to the one shopper that happens to need something they saw on the Food Network, but not useful for the other 99 out of 100 shoppers. Searching for data or documents needs to follow the same basic rules.  Building a search interface that will work for all users in all situations is noble, but not practical or efficient.  Build a primary search interface that is useful to the majority of users.  Then provide options for advanced searches either through a secondary interface or filters on the primary search results.  In a nutshell, keep your primary search interface targeted to no more than 5 or 6 optional pieces of data. The end result of giving users less to search on will be more efficiency, greater happiness with the system and less complaints.  So as fun as it is to try to build the do-all application, all of your users, even the super searchers will be happier if you provide multiple options.  If you are the grocery store owner, just put in an end cap with all the awesome food from Sioux Falls. Millennia Group provides workflow and document management solutions.  www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com

Absolutely positively this is the one

Let’s face it, if we encounter 10 of our co-workers during the day, it would be impossible to categorize all 10 as highly structured, organized rule followers.  It might be more realistic to say maybe three of the 10 fit that description.  If you extrapolate those numbers out in a company of 1,000 employees, that is 700 employees that can take a unique approach to structure and organization.  No big deal unless any one of those 1,000 employees needs to go back to find a document because the CEO has a question. An easy way to turn all 1,000 employees into super organized, happy rule followers is to use electronic workflows where-ever possible.  The end result of workflow is the final, approved set of information upon which all employees can rely.  There will be no more guessing on which supporting documents were the basis for the final credit approval or what version of a spreadsheet was the final one used in the report.  All users will be able to confidently say to the CEO, Yes, this is absolutely, positively the one.
If the 700 semi-rule following employees are entrusted to manage their daily tasks in a loosely structured environment, most will likely complete those tasks in an acceptable amount of time.  What type of carnage they left on the file server to achieve completion is another matter.  All 1,000 employees are at risk of wasting time trying to find the final version of a document or documents that were the basis for the transactions or decisions derived from those tasks.  That is costly and unacceptable. The technology to turn every-day business tasks into efficient electronic workflows is not necessarily new nor revolutionary.  There are plenty of examples of very capable and affordable workflow solutions that can help a company process new vendors, expense reports, even tech support calls.  Budgets can be created in an online system and routed for review and approval.  Document management systems can help you take a collection of documents supporting a loan request through review and approval. Don’t let the type of tasks discourage your vision of what can be.  Affordable, secure and reliable technologies are available to make processes more efficient and effective.  Digital workflow processes can be simple two step processes all the way to highly complex ones with 20 steps or more.  Regardless of how complex the process, the end result always produces documents and data that will need to be referenced again at some point.  Use workflow to gather the relevant information, whether that is documents or data, route it through the logical process and when complete, retain that cohesive package of information as the final truth. Breaking through the barrier to get that first workflow established will be the tip of the iceberg.  Users will see the value and the benefits to their daily lives and the company will reap tremendous benefits.  Just think of how much money the company will save when all 1,000 employees are no longer wasting time, especially the CEO’s time, searching to find the elusive final version. Millennia Group provides document management and workflow solutions that help make companies more efficient and effective. www.mgdocs.com, info@mgdocs.com

To Repair or Replace

Most likely every business school in the country teaches a section on lease versus buy analysis.  That may be trickier now with the constant tax law changes, but nonetheless, it is a systematic approach to comparing the cost variables and economic benefits of each option.  The end result of the analysis will hopefully provide a clear choice that shows one option with a superior return on investment. Believe it or not, this type of analysis is helpful in the document management world as well.  It’s called the repair or replace quandary.  We find that a high percentage of companies that completed a scanning project, or inherited the end product of one, found that the work was poor quality.  This makes it difficult and frustrating for users to find important information.  Does it make more sense to repair the damage or just start over?
For the repair option, it is important to understand the scope of the problem and the type of problem.  How many documents are affected?  Is it hundreds or tens of thousands?  Was it that all documents were scanned as one giant PDF?  Maybe it was missing pages or documents.  Maybe it was poor naming convention.  It’s also important to know if the paper still exists or not.  It’s difficult to repair poor scan quality when you can’t go back and rescan the original. Think about the skill set of the people that would be required to repair a particular type of problem.  If missing documents or pages is the issue, that requires costly, detail-oriented labor.  If the problem is separating out a single PDF into multiple documents, that may be an easier task if the documents are standardized and can be readily identified.  If the documents are not standardized, the level of skill increases and the cost follows. Don’t forget to consider the process, tools and equipment that would be necessary to efficiently repair files.  If it’s an audit with rescanning, the original copies and a scanner are needed.  But technical talent may be required to replace the files hosted in a document management system.  When the scope involves large batches of PDFs that need splitting or re-naming of documents, a tool that can efficiently feed up new files and make it easy to complete the necessary tasks will be required. Starting over or replacing the files is a possible option and should be considered when the documents in question are accessed frequently and mission critical.  Starting over is also a valid option when the problem is missing pages or potentially missing documents from a collection.  The cost to audit the files and find the problems may be higher than staring over.  Renaming documents or splitting up PDFs into separate documents are more likely “repair” options. Look at the scope of the problem.  Understand the various costs involved based on each option, including human costs, as well as the potential need for new applications or hardware and project management time.  Then consider what the need is for a clean repository and compare the costs to the benefit.  That sounds a lot like a lease versus buy analysis. Millennia Group provides document imaging services along with workflow and document management solutions.  Contact us – info@mgdocs.com, www.mgdocs.com, (630) 279-0577

Whatchamacallit

As businesses become more micro focused on efficiency, the number of highly targeted software solutions treating one specific pain, soar.  Examples include expense report management or employee onboarding solutions.  These are cloud based, third party solutions that typically generate a “document” as an end product or include supporting document attachments. That point solution may in fact become relied upon by the business users as their document system because that’s where they go to find the documents they need.  It’s not uncommon for these applications to list document management as a feature.  The functionality doesn’t qualify it as a document management solution and the organization should be careful to accept it as that, no matter whatcha call it.
The information and documents in these solutions are likely well organized given that it is a highly focused solution.  The information and documents may be protected and tracked as most hosted solutions manage that by default.  It is even possible that access can be managed to permit other users to access the information and to share it.  Sounds like it could be document management. However, those solutions are really more a process tool that happens to include documents.  That is more workflow than document management.  The fact that it provides easy access and a well organized repository does not mean it should be treated as document management.  The solution may not meet the organizations compliance requirements, which may include records retention and legal holds.  Just the fact that it is a separate solution makes the “management” component more difficult. However, the good work being done by that solution should be and most likely can be extended.  The information should be exportable to the sanctioned document management system (DMS).  The export would ideally be programmatic and via a secure API process.  That could be part of the workflow.  For example, when the task is complete, that triggers the push of the information to the DMS.  But even a simple download and upload to the DMS would be better than nothing. The point solution may be producing information that is valuable to other users in the organization.  Make sure that information is available to those other users in a format and via search context that makes sense to them, not just the primary user.  So, no its not document management, but it is good information that is well positioned as an input for a document management system.  Call it what you want, but don’t treat it as document management. Millennia Group provides workflow and document management solutions that make it easy for users to find the information that they are looking for. For more information, contact us at info@mgdocs.com, www.mgdocs.com or (630) 279-0577 x122.