Imperative Number 2 of 6 Facing Information Professionals

Digitize processes: Drive paper bottlenecks out of processes and automate process flows.

No matter how elegant the front-end, Systems of Engagement cannot operate in an environment in which the processes that support and complement these Systems of Engagement are engulfed by paper. 

• The reality of most organizations is that they exist in hybrid environment in which process information may come from paper documents, paper forms, web forms, faxes, emails, SMS, mobile and social. 
• Automated capture as early as possible in the business process produces cleaner data, resulting in higher quality information, less exception handling, and better process management. The more important the process is to a business, the greater the impact such improvements will have.
• Forms processing is a particularly important element in process automation.  Forms — both electronic and paper — are used to collect data, to carry signatures, to drive the business process, and to provide an auditable record of the outcome. Each of these can be readily carried out in all-electronic formats, but until recently, the paper form has been somewhat stubborn in its hold on even the most modern offices. 
• Most organizations still operate in a hybrid world of electronic forms and signatures mixed with paper documents that need to be digitized and documents still requiring wet signatures, holding up the implementation of Systems of Engagement.

Data points:

• On average, organizations using scanning and capture consider that it improves the speed of response to customers, suppliers, citizens or staff by 6-times or more. 70% estimate an improvement of at least 3x, and 29% see an improvement of 10x or more.  [AIIM – The Paper Free Office: Dream or Reality?]
• 42% of users have achieved a payback period of 12 months or less from their scanning and capture investments. 57% are posting a payback of 18-months or less. [AIIM – The Paper Free Office: Dream or Reality?]
• On average, 45% of documents that are scanned are 100% “born digital” – just as they came from the printer. And many of the rest would be all-digital if not for the added signatures. [AIIM – The Paper Free Office: Dream or Reality?]
• 77% of invoices that arrive as PDF attachments get printed. 31% of faxed invoices get printed and scanned back in. On average, 30% of invoices arrive as PDF attachments, and 15% as faxes. [AIIM – The Paper Free Office: Dream or Reality?]

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The First 2 of 6 Imperatives…

1. Make everything mobile: Redefine content delivery and process automation to take advantage of mobile devices and mobile workforces. 
2. Digitize processes: Drive paper bottlenecks out of processes and automate process flows.

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