Digitization of organizational processes: Why go it alone?

The evolution of managed document services

When you start looking at how organizations manage information, the most important thing to observe is how it flows: how it comes in, how it moves within a business and how it is output. The output phase is addressed by managed print services (MPS), which has historically meant fleet management, optimizing printer and MFP assets, and managing the costs of consumables. Managed document services (MDS), on the other hand, address the entire document life cycle: how information flows through an organization and is used within processes.

Furthermore, MDS providers have evolved to offer a range of extensions to their service offerings. Their experience with the migration of document-intensive processes — from input, throughput and output to more integrated digital workflows — gives them clear insight into how information can be better leveraged. This can include intelligent capture, indexing and extraction of data for incorporation into digital workflows.

A good example of this is the digitization of insurance claims — pulling out key data and plugging that data directly into claims processing applications. This not only better integrates digital information into the process, but allows the claims adjuster to focus on what they do best: analyzing claims. The entire claims process itself is changed and upgraded through digitization.

The experiential knowledge of a managed service provider brings other benefits. Some can provide process optimization analysis, which help you redesign workflows so you can achieve the business benefits of more integrated digitization. They can avoid known pitfalls and apply best practices to your digitization efforts. And, significantly, assistance coming from outside the organization can in many cases help you overcome organizational resistance to change.

Confidence is high, for some

A study of 210 organizations revealed that only 29 percent believe they are effective at integrating paper and digital workflows. But when you split these organizations into groups — those that have some experience with managed services (even only MPS) and those that don’t — you see a notable variation in their confidence levels.

Of those that had no experience with MPS, only 9 percent rated their ability to integrate digitized information as effective or very effective. This number shoots up to 51 percent, however, among organizations that did have some experience with MPS.It makes sense to me that those organizations that have worked with experienced service providers would approach process digitization with a greater level of confidence.

Why go it alone?

The organizational advantages of integrated, digitized information go beyond productivity gains and cost savings. Customer service staff benefit from access to more current information and faster turnarounds with customers. Frequently, digitization of processes enables mobile access to information, which is another key benefit for your customer-facing staff — and in some cases, for your customers directly (think self-service portals or kiosks).

Managed document service providers look at the entire document life cycle, from how information comes into the business to how it moves within and out of the business. They have designed and delivered proven digitization solutions, from mailrooms to patient records.

Source : https://www.ricoh-usa.com/en/insights/articles/digitization-of-organizational-processes-why-go-it-alone