The 3 Big Steps Toward Consolidating Your Back-Office Document Processing

You’ve probably considered consolidating or centralizing your data capture before, but maybe you balked at the effort, time, or perceived cost of reimagining such a major part of your business.

It’s important to be cautious. After all, consolidation can be an intimidating process for many organizations! But what if it didn’t need to be?

Most industry leaders know that with a proper plan, a business can realize all the countless benefits of consolidation and centralization without suffering through delays and inefficiencies.

Here are three of the biggest steps to help you get started:

Comparison Shop

Take your time to evaluate the various models of do-it-all capture tech. You might be surprised at some of the new specs currently on the market. For example, a single ibml Fusion handles 714 pages-per-minute and can automatically capture data from any type or size document.

Next, be aware of which software add-ons are available. There’s nothing worse than purchasing hardware that doesn’t have the software necessary to function at the high capacity you need it to.

Also, take a careful look at affordable pricing options. Leasing models such as managed service subscriptions let you access ultra-high-end infrastructure at a low monthly or quarterly price point that falls under your (100% tax deductible) operations expenses. It also allows you to access modern technology without having to commit to housing hardware for the long term.

Choose Your Central Operations Hub

Centralizing to a single hub can be tricky. You’ll need to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your mailrooms and operations offices in order to find the best possible location. Once you make a choice, you’ll need to redraw floorplans to better suit your new high-efficiency hub.

It sounds like a lot of work, but there are benefits. For one, you’ll be able to save significantly on costs by downsizing, especially if you choose a new machine or software that is high-capacity and can handle ultra-high-volumes as well as checks or coupons.

With a versatile, powerful infrastructure, you can also reduce the number of machines and software required, as well as the costs to maintain them. Additionally, newer software even offers the ability to scan and upload remotely to a central location, without interfering scanner throughput in case you need to maintain extraneous locations.

Another benefit is that you can now convert your former satellite offices into new, usable space for your business. There will be a lot of potential uses for this newly discovered square footage. New breakroom, anyone?

Streamline Your New Workflows

Once you’ve made a choice on infrastructure and location, it’s time to evaluate your workflows and uncover what needs changing.

Take a long, critical look at how you can deploy your resources now that you have a single in-house department and consolidated tech to increase volume and efficiency. How many employees are needed to operate a single intelligent ibml Fusion scanner?

Do you really need to distribute hardcopies of scans, or could you use ibml Cloud Capture to extract information and store everything in a shared repository, such as Microsoft SharePoint™ or Microsoft Azure Content Services? Can you automate some formerly manual processes with smart software tools, such as ibml Cloud Capture’s Robotic Process Automation?

A good consolidation strategy will mean you need fewer hands-on deck for tedious scanning and sorting. Some of your operations employees can even be reassigned to more value driven work.

The Juice is Worth the Squeeze

The centralization process takes some effort and a change of mindset. However, there’s a good reason so many forward-thinking businesses are all-in. There’s also a reason 80% of the world’s largest organizations trust ibml for their ultra-high-volume capture.

They know that with ibml’s well-executed capture strategy comes improved efficiency, lower overhead, better data visibility, and reduced information chaos. The question is no longer “WILL this work?”, but “HOW will this work for me?”

To learn more, consult with a consolidation expert today.