Documents are intrinsic to the smooth running of the majority of organisations. They provide relevant information internally or externally, as well as act as a record of intention or agreement.
In some industries documents are legal requirements, especially where a contract has been established such as a licence agreement, employee agreement or a financial agreement such as an insurance certificate or a loan policy. Contractual documentation can also include job contracts and as well as clarifying orders.
Much documentation is solely for informational purposes. Externally, to customers, this can range from brochures and welcome packs to monthly statements and new product information. Internal documentation could consist of invoices and picking lists or company policies and internal newsletters.
Regardless of the nature of the documentation created, the one constant is the amount of time it takes employees to manually create and send these communications.
The introduction of electronic documentation in the digital age has made it possible to make this entire process a lot easier and quicker. Long gone are the days of having to type up, print out and post the documents. Information can now be easily entered into business systems and documents issued electronically. However, as technology forages further forward, customers, partners and stakeholders all expect the information to be delivered instantly.
The issue that most organisations face is the sharing of information between systems and the manual processing required to update the systems. The information is usually there; it’s just extracting it, structuring the data in a presentable format and then distributing it to the relevant recipients.
Automated Reporting and Documentation for all Departments
Codeless Platforms’ BPA Platform enables organisations to automate the creation and delivery of practically any form of documentation. The BPA Platform provides the tools to enable organisations to connect existing applications and systems, which can automatically generate and distribute document flows, to all the company’s stakeholders and trading partners.
Whether they’re letters, order acknowledgements, invoices or statements, structured and repetitive documents can be automatically generated, presented and delivered via a variety of formats and channels.
Examples of the BPA Platform’s document automation capabilities include:
Finance
- Travel expense report
- Credit control letters
Manufacturing
- Job ready for collection
- Job status report
Logistics & Operations
- Loading instructions
- Transport request
Sales & Marketing
- New product introductions
- End-of-line product specials
Customer Services
- Welcome pack and SLAs
- Monthly support calls report
Human Resources
- Job specification circulation
- T&Cs of employment
Achieving Significant ROI
Norad Travel is a prime example of an organisation that has benefitted from document automation. It wanted to automate the creation and delivery of personalised client statements as well as invoices. The organisation uses Codeless Platforms to query its database application on a scheduled basis, format the data as HTML and PDF through Codeless Platforms’ Crystal Reports tool, save the PDF to a specific location and send the file via SMTP to the client.
This automation has completely removed employees from this laborious and non-value adding task by automating the process. In fact, this single automated process saved Norad Travel in excess of 896 hours a year in repetitive employee administration and ensures every client receives a personalised statement that is error free.
Additionally, Forshaws Davies Ridgway LLP, a law practice, is using Codeless Platforms to trigger marketing communications based on specific data. By automating the creation and distribution of relevant marketing material to generate new leads, the organisation has removed the need for employing two full time analysts. This has saved the company an estimated £50k per annum.
Benefits of Report and Document Automation
Automated document assembly and distribution enables organisations to minimise data entry, reduce the time checking and reduce the risks associated with human error. Additional benefits can include time and financial savings due to decreased paper handling, document loading, storage, distribution, postage/shipping, faxes, telephone, labour and waste.