Understand how document automation works to find the best fit for your organization

Businesses generate mountains of paperwork. There are invoices to send, intake forms to collect, HR documents to store, and so much more. As these documents pile up, manually extracting data from these forms can easily become a bottleneck in your business workflows, especially as operations scale.

Don’t waste time and resources processing each of these documents by hand. Instead, rely on document automation software to take this work off your plate so you can spend more time providing a better quality service.

If you’re wondering how you can integrate document automation tools into your overall workflow, we can help. We’ll cover what this software does, its benefits, and what to look to meet your unique needs.

What is document automation software?

Document automation software is a solution that automatically tags, sorts, and processes documents. These tools use a series of conditional statements and calculations alongside powerful technology like optical character recognition (OCR) to learn about what data exists on each page and determine where it should go.

With document automation software, you don’t need to sift through stacks of documents by hand or manually enter information into your database. All you need to do is train software to recognize certain file types and form elements so it knows what to do with the information included. Once you start scanning documents, the software will handle the rest.

Here’s a practical example of what that looks like. Imagine a retail business that receives hundreds of invoices each month. The company decides to use document automation software to process these forms. When employees scan their physical paperwork, the software recognizes an invoice, processes it, and sends extracted data to the right destination in a matter of seconds.

Document automation software is best for businesses that need to manage a large volume of physical documents and want to import them into their digital systems. Logistics, manufacturing, financial, healthcare, and law businesses often rely on a vast amount of paperwork that they also need to be able to view and send digitally. These automated solutions are a perfect fit for boosting productivity.

What to look for in document automation tools

Document automation software comes in a variety of configurations. Even so, there’s a baseline of quality you should expect from any solution you use. Look for the following features when shopping around:

• User-friendly interface: Working with document automation software doesn’t have to be complicated. Look for options that offer visual, “what you see is what you get” workflow generators. These will help you build and test your automated processes in real time.
• A focus on security and compliance: Every industry has unique needs for keeping its data private and secure. Consider tools that provide robust encryption protocols. Also, look for tools that will help align document processes to compliance requirements to minimize the risk of data exposure. For example, Tungsten Automation relies on centralized reporting and audit trails. These features enhance compliance efforts.
• Customizability: Your business has a workflow unlike any other. A customizable software suite will allow you to create a document automation process that fits your needs.
• Optical character recognition: OCR technology makes manual data entry a thing of the past. All you need to do is scan your physical documents. The software will extract the data from the document and place it where it needs to go.
• Enhanced search capabilities: Don’t worry about hunting for the right document. Simply type in what you’re looking for, and the software will surface it for you.
• Data validation: Improve quality control and data accuracy efforts with enhanced technological solutions. For example, Automation Anywhere offers rules and AI-driven data validation techniques. These measures help ensure accuracy across all generated documents.

Did You Know?:PaperStream Capture Pro can help you transform endless stacks of physical paperwork into actionable data. Learn how to leverage this powerful tech by signing up for our free webinar.

Benefits of document automation platforms

The following are just a few ways that integrating document automation software can boost productivity and enhance your bottom line:

• Save time and money: Law firms often have to deal with a wide variety of document types of all shapes and sizes, like contracts, receipts, and even hand-written notes. The best legal document automation software helps these firms, as well as other businesses, process these documents faster so they can allocate resources more efficiently. Now, they can spend more time delivering a quality experience for their clients.
• Reduce human error: Automated data entry and calculation take routine tasks out of your hands. This reduces the likelihood of introducing errors into your workflows, improving data accuracy and client satisfaction.
• Align document creation to compliance requirements: Keeping tabs on every compliance requirement can be a Herculean effort. Rather than trying to check an endless series of boxes in your head, you can shift that effort onto your automated processes. This automation helps create a series of guard rails to ensure all of your documents are compliant while flagging errors for human remediation if they appear.

Trends in document automation solutions

Document automation software solutions need to keep pace with the industries they serve. The following trends are just a few ways these tools are evolving to meet the needs of the modern workplace:

• Generative AI: Generative AI is the next big frontier in healthcare, logistics, and tech. Many document automation tools are integrating it into their workflows. Depending on the solution, businesses can use this technology to extract data faster, process it more accurately, and fix errors in hand-written content.
• Cloud-based solutions: Centralized data access allows global businesses and distributed workforces to contribute to the same projects. More companies are leveraging the cloud to capitalize on this infrastructure without building it themselves. Document automation software solutions are also pushing into the cloud to make challenges related to storage, user access, and collaboration a thing of the past.
• Increased reliance on paperless workflows: Many organizations are undergoing digital transformations. They need ways to convert the information on paper documents into digital files. More platforms are leaning on data extraction tools like OCR to make this transition possible.
• Platform versatility: A shift to cloud-based solutions means increasing accessibility across devices. Clients are looking for ways to create documents wherever they are, whether working at a desktop or using a mobile device while on the road. Adaptable platforms can provide a similar experience regardless of which device they use.

Ricoh understands automation

Automation is all about efficiency. Unfortunately, getting there can take more time and energy than your current processes if you don't know where to start. Don’t worry — Ricoh is here to help.

We have years of experience helping organizations all over the world find the technological solutions they need to unleash their potential through document automation. We can also connect your organization to one of our third-party tech partners to make your automation journey as smooth as possible.

Want to learn how Ricoh can help automate your organization's document creation workflows? Contact one of our experts today, and we’ll find a solution that meets your unique needs.

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