Digital Transformation Done Right; How Well Implemented Solutions Can Help Your Company

Talk about digital transformation across industries in recent years has quickly shifted from these transformations being game-changing to an imperative for companies’ long-term viability. And while this talk may seem bold, much of the recent research on the digital transformation market shows it to be true. For example, according to Finances Online, predictions in the international monetary fund’s 2020 report indicate that 65% of the world’s GDP should now be digitized. Statistics in that same article also show that 70% of organizations polled have a digital transformation strategy or are currently working on one and that even 55% of startups have already adopted a digital transformation strategy. What’s more, a shocking statistic published in Forbes Magazine reports that 27% of companies say digitally transforming is a matter of survival.

Despite the recent surge in their priority in some organizations, digital transformations have been empowering the growth of countless companies for decades. Companies with large amounts of documents or document-related tasks have benefited from enterprise content management (ECM), document capture, workflow automation, and web forms. These solutions assist in archiving, managing, and retrieving documents, leveraging information in paper or PDF form, automating document-related tasks, and streamlining the capture of information in digital form. Below are some examples of how our customers in various industries leverage these tools to simplify their tasks.

Streamline Accounting; Stop Sifting Through Your Invoices and Purchase Orders

Digital Transformation can drastically improve every organization’s accounts payable and accounts receivable processes. Most organizations are also more than familiar with the dreaded stack of paper invoices and purchase orders in need of processing. These documents get lost or misplaced all too often, and sifting through the pile of paper for the correct file is a cumbersome task.  An ECM solution like Square 9’s GlobalSearch allows you to quickly and conveniently search for a specific invoice or purchase order using any number of index fields. These include invoice number, customer name, order number, document date, PO number, and the amount charged. These solutions can also manage delivery receipts and track payments and orders.

Workflow automation plays an important role in simplifying accounting processes. For example, automated workflows notify managers when an invoice or purchase order is processed and awaiting approval. Square 9’s GlobalAction can escalate the approval if there are questions or concerns. In addition, capture solutions such as Square 9’s GlobalCapture can index these documents and enter the data extracted into an enterprise resource planning system.

Square 9 customer, Tree Trust, uses GlobalSearch and GlobalAction to streamline their accounts payable and accounts receivable processes. Angela Horner, a finance associate at the company, estimates that they’ve seen a 30% increase in productivity with the solution. She also stated, “GlobalSearch and GlobalCapture have saved our organization about $10,000 a year in staff salary savings due to increased efficiencies.”

Digital Transformation Overhauls Human Resources Departments

From onboarding documents like I-9s, W-4s, and NDAs to performance and separation documents like annual reviews and reference releases, it’s safe to say Human Resources departments handle a lot of documents. Some of these documents are audited by federal agencies. I9s, for example, are audited by Immigration and Customs Control, and W-4s are audited by the Internal Revenue Service. An ECM solution like GlobalSearch ensures these documents are readily accessible whenever they need to be referenced, including for an audit.

A web forms solution like Square 9’s GlobalForms can also aid document-related HR processes by encouraging self-service through guided, workflow-driven forms. These forms are beneficial for onboarding new hires, making the initial paperwork fast and effortless. Workflow solutions like GlobalAction can even be used to set reminders and deadlines for tasks such as benefits enrollments and performance reviews.

Square 9 customer, WoodSpring Hotels Property Management, uses GlobalSearch and GlobalForms to manage their HR documents and onboard employees. Nanda DeRoulet, an HRIS manager at the company, asserts the solution has decreased the amount of time it takes to find documents from 5-10 minutes to 5-10 seconds and has saved the company 25% of the time that would have been spent onboarding employees.

Auto Dealers Boost Customer Service, Crush Audits, and Save Space

Repair orders and deal jackets are documents that automotive dealerships know quite well. These multi-page packets usually reside outside any dealer management system, take up immense space, and are often difficult to find, slowing down customer service. Repair orders are also frequently audited by state departments of motor vehicles, the U.S. department of transportation, and vehicle manufacturers. In addition, deal jackets are occasionally audited by the fair trade commission and lenders the dealership may work with.

ECM solutions like GlobalSearch allow for both these documents to be referenced effortlessly. With this easy access to information, customers can be served much quicker, and audits are entirely stress-free. For example, mechanics can use these solutions to reference repair orders for information on the vehicles in their shop quickly. Likewise, desk workers can answer vehicle purchases and repairs questions in seconds by referencing these deal jackets and repair orders.

Document Capture also plays an important role in indexing these documents for archival. The data lifted can even be fed into a dealer management system, eliminating the need to key it in manually.

Square 9 customer Donley Auto Group uses Square 9’s Automotive Essentials package to manage repair orders, deal jackets, and other business-critical documents. The auto group’s IT manager, Candy Bores, stated that in addition to being “a lot happier,” cashiers at all 4 of the dealership’s locations are saving about 8 hours a week, a 20% productivity spike.

School Districts Simplify Their Document-Related Processes

School districts often manage immense amounts of paper documents. From attendance sheets and incident reports to applications, student portfolios, and vaccination records, keeping track of all of these documents is near impossible, even before accounting for all of the administrative records, such as invoices, human resources files, and board minutes. Moreover, all of these documents reside outside of student information systems, leaving many districts to handle these documents on paper.

Square 9’s Education Essentials solution allows students, teachers, and administrators to store, archive, access, and manage these various records. It also provides workflows, web forms, and document capture capabilities for administrative tasks such as invoice processing and hiring.

Square 9 customer Saint John Paul, The Great Catholic High School, uses Square 9’s Education Essentials package to make payments and manage student and administrative records, increasing productivity across departments by 10%. According to the school’s Director of Technology, David Morales, “We’re easily saving a couple of hundred hours, primarily in Finance. Purchase orders. Vendor invoices. All of that was paper.”

Digital transformation is quickly becoming a requirement for companies to thrive in the modern global economy, with many already taking advantage of the benefits. Across all industries, organizations, from non-profits and property management firms to auto dealerships and school districts, are taking advantage of digital solutions to manage documents, automate processes, and leverage information.

Square 9 Softworks is a leading provider of end-to-end document-based digital transformation across countless industries. To find out how we can help your business manage its documents, streamline tasks, capture information, and save time, contact us.