Digital Transformation Series Part Two: Automating the Capture Process to Improve Efficiency

This post concludes Part Two of our series on critical elements to consider when digitally transforming your workplace and business. At the end of my previous article I stated that a good approach to multichannel inbound content would be to include automation as part of the capture process to ensure consistency, accuracy and more efficient processes across the enterprise.

Using recognition and analytics technologies to extract, validate and interpret inbound data should be part of your approach to multichannel inbound content across paper, electronic and social media. The benefit gained can be realized in cost reductions, improvements in productivity, improved customer satisfaction, greater accuracy of information, and better governance and compliance. When this approach is coupled with the flexibility offered through outsourced capture services, mobile device use and cloud services, businesses are able to:

• Utilize their information assets for multiple purposes
• Provide a single point of access to vital business information
• Automate and eliminate current manual data capture processes
• Increase internal and external collaboration capabilities
• Enable access to information across the enterprise regardless of location

The combination of automated workflow, business process management and robotic process automation enhances automation capabilities to a level of systematic decision-making based on business rules. When inbound information is recognized, for instance, it is matched to preset criteria in the system. Based on the application of the rules and alignment of the information to those rules, the process is triggered.

As one example, loan origination criteria may be based on income, debt and requested loan amount. If all of the data collected through an eForm aligns with the rules, the loan is processed for review and approval. If the information provided does not align with the criteria, it is sent to the appropriate personnel for exception processing or automatically rejected. You should think of these types of business rules and systems as offering the potential to significantly improve your organization’s processes and departments.

The key in all of this is to develop a strategy that embraces a number of important elements:

• Mapping the business process and related information
• Clarifying where the data originates and intersects with the process
• Identifying how the data is captured now, and how it could be captured going forward
• Assessing where the process could be automated and more tightly integrated in order to support business operations, enhance the customer experience and ensure compliance

This article wraps up the second of a six-part series on how digital transformation will impact the future workplace, and businesses. Each part of the series consists of articles focused on the following:

1. Digital Transformation and the Future of Work

2. Digitalizing Core Business Processes

3. Automating Governance and Compliance

4. Leveraging Machine Learning

5. Leading Continuous Change

6. Recognizing the Evolving Landscape for Talent

My next article will lead off Part Three of the series, which examines key elements of automating information governance and compliance. Until then, feel free to visit the Business Process Outsourcing page of our website. There you will find additional insights on industry trends and best practices including case histories, whitepapers and more.