Capture Automation: Convincing Clients to Ditch Manual Processes

by Lauren Ford | 6/6/16

Let’s face it. Change is hard. But as a company continues to grow, so does the complexity of business. To stay efficient, adjustments must be made. Continued reliance on paper based processes means ineffective collaboration, high operational costs and disorganization, with too much focus on the actual process and not enough on potential growth. If your clients are experiencing these challenges, then it’s time for them to upgrade their inefficient manual processes, starting with capture.

Why capture? Simply put, the capture of data and documents is not only the kickoff of most business processes, but also the most paper and labor intensive. More than ever, businesses are producing and converting information in unprecedented quantities. It is what we do with this information that can help our clients rise to the next level, or miss out on unrealized opportunity. It all comes down to how data is extracted, so it can be put to work in ways that make a difference.

It doesn’t matter what industry your client is in, as the trusted solutions provider, you are expected to create new ways to streamline revenue generation, while putting an end to inefficiency. That means avoiding unnecessary overhead in manual processing.

Capture automation solutions transform documents into usable data that shapes business insight, while feeding the applications that drive efficiency within an organization. This type of capture integration allows data to be extracted starting at the multifunction printer (MFP) and shared with the business programs employees use most, eliminating repetitive manual data entry and allowing businesses to speed up processes. Capture automation transforms your information into something useful, aggregating data into a system where it can be measured, analyzed, understood and acted on.

This, in return, enables informed decision-making with real-time data accessibility. As soon as a document is scanned, data is captured and ready for further action, improving productivity and operational efficiency with one single solution. Providing anywhere, anytime access, capture automation solutions support global expansion across multiple locations and subsidiaries. Offsite, at home, or out of the country, productivity remains in motion.

Now that the benefits of capture automation are laid out, how do you deliver this information? Well, no one knows your client better than you. You deal with them directly, you know their level of resistance and openness to change. Use that to your advantage when explaining the upgrade options. Deliver detailed but simple data. Ask them their processing pain points, identify those challenges and present them with a solution.

Understandably, users need to feel comfortable with a specific setup, but in the initial phase, they don’t need to know how everything works. They want to know if it will work, how well it will work and if it is easy to configure or implement. Explain to the client why capture automation is a better solution. Then, explain the how. How will it make their life easier? How will it save them time and money? How will their business benefit from this change? Answering those questions will make for an impactful conversation and result in a favorable response, leading towards a new found business relationship.

Marketing Communications Manager Lauren Ford is the dynamic voice behind Square 9 Softworks. Delivering highly effective messaging across reseller channels, end user communities and outside agencies, Ford develops, drives and executes communication plans that effectively support Square 9’s overall marketing goals and objectives. To learn more visit www.square-9.com.