‘Digital document transformation’ refers to the process of ‘transforming’ or updating existing legacy workflows (manual) to a digital and automated process. The reason? An across-the-board holistic improvement of business efficiencies.

No longer a ‘trend’ or ‘new concept’, ‘digital transformation’ is part of everyday vocabulary and essential to business functionality and effectiveness. Manual processes are outdated. It brings with it time inefficiencies, the propensity for human error and risk of fraud due to limited security measures and protocols.

To compete in our fast-paced world is business critical. Users, stakeholders, and consumers alike demand real-time access to information and ease of access. Digital document transformation is aiding organisations, globally, to ‘take its documents to the next level’ and, with that, providing efficiency and effectiveness paramount to business survival and seamless operations.

Digital document transformation allows organisations to retrieve data from the chosen ERP system, convert and deliver it as well as the functionality to archive back into the ERP system. This creates an efficient workflow that is secure, timely and traceable from document release through to delivery. Further, the ability to receive documents anywhere, at any time and on any device, increases employee communication, productivity, and effectiveness – providing modern, complete, and paperless document flows.

Automating the process of creating and printing reports from your chosen ERP system – without any manual intervention, further enables users to make faster business decisions. This increases responsiveness to both customer needs and market trends.

The benefits are countless!

If the last two years have taught us anything, it has highlighted the need for flexibility and to be able to cater to one’s ‘audience’ irrespective of where they may be. This is as true for employees and business users. Realtime and remote access to critical business documents and information needed to enable the execution of business operations and daily tasks has been, and will continue to be, what sets businesses apart from their competitors.

This is as true across Africa as anywhere else. Increased demand sees companies compelled to build greater efficiencies into their workflows, together with the increased compliance and security features this allows. Said workflows, for e.g., include purchase order validation, sales order validation, e-invoicing, production to delivery workflows, et. al.

Essential to any digital document process is the use of e-signatures. E-signatures not only allow for faster processes, serving as confirmation or authorisation, but most importantly legitimises the document. This prevents the risk of fraud as a result of document tampering amongst both internal users and external third parties who may, at times, be part of your workflow.

Harnessing the benefit of readily available technology, businesses can streamline and optimize business operations through automated processes that are quicker and more cost-effective whilst simultaneously increasing security and regulatory compliance.

Choosing the right partner

However, not all solutions are created equal! Does your chosen digital document solution allow you to:

• Integrate into almost any back office or ERP system to seamlessly create automated digital document workflows?

• Convert your data from the source file format into any desired format (excel, word, PDF)?

• Seamlessly distribute to all relevant recipients?

• Archive your documents in your chosen location, whilst also easily placing it back into your chosen back office or existing ERP solution?

• Host on premise or in the cloud, or a hybrid?

• Handle large document loads and transactions?

• Cater for any size business, taking care of your document requirements both today and into the future?

• Have API capabilities that are easier to implement and maintain, whilst allowing a smoother integration at a much lower cost?

• Offer email prompts and clear instructions to make it easy for employees to engage?

• Offer full audit trails that allows viewing of each document’s attributes?

Countless organisations are improving internal efficiencies, speeding up operations and creating seamless workflows through the automation and digitisation of processes. The possibilities are endless! Paper-based and manual processes are increasingly being viewed as outdated – placing restraints on productivity, creating bottlenecks, and hampering a flexible work environment.

The future is digital. There is no escaping it.