Efficiently managing a document process has a positive impact on the entire organization of work within a company . Streamlining the document workflow and , consequently , avoiding document management bottlenecks, improving communication between different company levels and ensuring constant monitoring of the progress of operations, with timely feedback to the various parties involved, allows activities to be carried out more quickly, saving costs and improving performance. This can be achieved through automation , for example, by introducing business process management solutions that leverage technologies, such as automation and forms of artificial intelligence, to provide effective support to human operators. This context offers the opportunity to explore the advantages of business process management models, examining the concrete added value these solutions bring to document management .
Document workflow , why it is important to digitize
Document workflow management isn't just a necessary, bureaucratic and administrative task, to be performed on a mandatory, almost routine basis. Rather, it's crucial to consider its strategic importance for improving the efficiency of service delivery , aiming to increase performance in line with KPIs and achieve positive impacts on stakeholders.
An unread email, an attachment not shared securely, a document routed to the wrong office may seem like minor errors, but in reality, they can have highly damaging legal and financial consequences for the company and its stakeholders . Raising awareness of the importance of a document workflow is the first step to addressing operations more effectively. Digitizing procedures in this area offers significant opportunities:
- Simplification of procedures , thanks to automation that relieves human personnel of complex operational efforts, such as the manual sorting of a large number of documents;
- Reduced processing times , as optimizing document workflow through technology allows work to be completed more quickly. This also results in lower organizational costs;
- Greater security : the possibility of human error is reduced. Furthermore, automated management allows for secure sharing of documents and attachments between colleagues and provides guarantees regarding compliance with both document management and data protection regulations.
These results can be achieved by applying business process management , through IT solutions for business process operation and automation .
An optimized document workflow: the example of an insurance agency
Introducing a solution that allows for the application of the methodology envisioned by business process management paradigms makes it easier to complete each individual phase of the document workflow . To understand how this is possible in practice, let's take the example of an insurance agency. This is a company that receives a huge volume of documents every day from policyholders, potential product buyers, lawyers, and other stakeholders.
Managing the vast amount of documentation represents a significant operational effort, especially if handled manually by operators. The risk of errors is very high. By implementing a solution that digitizes the process, however, an initial analysis of the documentation is performed automatically . Through innovations such as deep learning and file metadata , for example, the system can understand the topic of the communication and direct it to the appropriate person or department. In an insurance company, the documentation can be sent to the claims department, or to sales, or to HR, after careful content analysis, despite the different formats in which the data is presented.
After sorting, the solution will allow for constant monitoring of the activity's progress , sending notifications and informative feedback so that everyone involved is always aligned. In our example, not only will the claims office know the status of the request, but any operator will be able to check the activity's progress at any time, thus providing timely information to customers and verifying compliance with the management deadlines set by the supervisory authorities.
The overall workflow becomes faster and simpler, and service delivery consequently improves. Furthermore, by collecting and analyzing document flow data, you'll gain a comprehensive picture of your business, allowing you to assess strengths and weaknesses and strategically direct investments and organizational operations.
A document workflow managed through a coherent business process management thus allows for significant improvements not only in the actual of activities, but also in their planning . This creates a system that is somewhat self-regulating, proactive and significantly more efficient management labor -intensive practices .
