Document management systems (DMS) offer a highly effective means of tracking, digitising and tagging legacy documents in order to reduce paper, streamline business processes and cut business costs whilst improving customer experience (CX). Unfortunately, working with some of the largest document producers, we see many organisations in a position where the task of getting to grips with their legacy document base feels out of reach. However, there is growing demand from organisations to do just this in order to both implement greater simplicity into the way documents are managed, as well as to iron out issues with brand and message consistency. Document management systems offer an easily controlled way of making global changes while establishing a common set of approved content, without the need for technical skill.

A well-oiled document management ecosystem greatly elevates customer experience and helps ease regulatory changes when it comes to ensuring consistency in content such as legal disclaimers and boilerplates. 

1.   Common hurdles to change

Despite the need to get document management right, many of the customers we work with have struggled to implement change and reap the benefits. Often, they have been using legacy composition tools like Exstream for 5-10 years and have implemented it without the right planning and strategy in place to know exactly what’s in it.

For organisations where multiple systems are in use by different business units and access to systems like Exstream has been complex, it is common for employees to use whatever system is at their disposal to meet their customer communications requirements to get the job done. The problem is the tools that end up being used are often outside of the corporate guidelines. The first step for many organisations is to complete a thorough inventory that searches every nook and cranny of current business processes to find out what documents are in existence, how frequently they are used and the volumes involved, as well as the means of production. Without this it’s simply not possible to work out the roadmap needed to get all documents into controlled and efficient production.

Of course, for any organisation facing a crisis, the need to be on top of document management and customer communications is even more pressing. We’ve seen some horror stories play out for organisations facing the perfect storm of not knowing how customers are already being communicated with and not being able to locate and distribute approved documents when it’s needed the most because they are owned by different people and held on different systems.

2.   Consultancy is key

It’s clear that while the task of getting a grip on document management may seem large and daunting, the problems that come from not doing so are no less gargantuan, particularly in the case of a crisis, or a corporate rebrand. Although there is technology out there that will do the job, all too often organisations are missing the consultancy required in order to choose the right solution for them and to put it in place in a strategic fashion.

We recently worked closely with a leading global insurance company who was facing many of these challenges. They wanted a cohesive review to gain a thorough grasp of what communication was being sent out, who it was going to, when, where and how.

As an organisation that had grown by acquisition, the issue of disparate business processes, systems and technology under one umbrella was proving a particular challenge and a barrier to embracing change within the organisation. They needed to increase the volume, efficiency and automation of their print communications, while embracing new technology and customer insight to deliver more effective communications that were based on the customer need.

We worked closely with the customer to provide trusted consultancy that enabled them to:
– Launch a new, organised document estate that gives seamless oversight over any and all communication that goes out from the business,
– Meet complex customer demand for multi-channel communications delivery,
– Cut costs by improving the way they worked with their print provider, in order to reduce communications duplication and boost efficiency.

With our help, the customer is now able to identify standard text across a number of document types, including legal footers. Not only has this streamlined processes, but it has brought significant cost savings for the business too, enabling savings in excess of £150K each time a change is required to this content.

3.   The key to customer experience success

For any organisation that is serious about putting customer experience at the heart of their business, streamlining their brand and reaping the reputational and financial benefits, getting on top of their document management is essential. While the task may seem daunting, with expert, independent consultation that incorporates a mix of the right experience, methodology and people, the process can be streamlined in order to reveal a far simpler life moving forward.

To find out more about Nirva’s consultancy services and how we can help you, click here