A lot of software companies promise to solve all your business challenges in one quick step while magically making you more money. I’m going to tell you that there is no magic solution or single step that will revolutionize your business. But if you are willing to do some legwork up front, I believe the right software solution will streamline any workflow and generate growth and profits.
The reason software is rarely a quick fix is that new software needs to work in the messy world of humans. That means quantifying not just hard dollar savings, but soft dollar ones as well. I used to tell our customers to look for the biggest potential impact when starting a software installation. But now I will tell them to pick the one that your people will notice and appreciate the most.
What do I mean by getting noticed and appreciated? Consider the case of a GFC customer, which is now extending their use of Laserfiche Enterprise Content Management software. Initially, their system was used to store and access client documents for customer service and eventually expanded to manage the entire scheduling and payment process.
The team initially argued that we start with National Accounts, because the benefits were so clear, and those were the clients they need to care for the most. After some talk, however, we are decided to start with a smaller specialty channel- because there is less complexity and a greater likelihood of success.
People are often resistant to change. But once the team saw how well the improvements worked for its specialty channels, they were much more likely to buy into the process for the National Accounts as well.
How does good internal PR turn into growth? In the case described above, the process to schedule and pay staff for assignments was creating errors and long lead payment times. By making faster communication, more accurate scheduling and faster approvals for payments happen, they achieved:
We see ECM systems deliver profits and growth for companies by offering new revenue streams and streamlined communication methods. But as I mentioned above, the soft dollar improvements are often the most powerful for your team.
Let’s say that your product team is sharing engineering specifications with a team of IT professionals, and multiple people share access to a single document. It’s very easy for one person to override another’s work, and as a result, version control is a serious challenge — not to mention the potential loss of work resulting from these overrides.
Enterprise Content Management systems make it easy to see who’s accessed what, in addition to the changes that have been implemented. These systems promote ownership and accountability, so that you can spend more time focusing on what needs to be done and less time going over who did what and when. The less time that employees spend searching for information, the more time they have to explore new business areas and strategies for your organization.
With features like automatic filing and contract management, important documents will always be accessible for your team — providing a strong productivity boost across your organization. ECM enables automated functions including:
If your company’s growth is stagnant because of slow or inefficient workflows, now is the time to look at managed content. Check out the free guide below to learn more about ECM technology. And if you’d like to find out if it’s possible to automate your workflows, contact the ECM experts at the Gordon Flesch Company for a complimentary assessment of your business environment.
