Mobile Capture and Case Management

by Kevin Craine | 7/28/16

There is a lot of excitement about mobile capture these days … and for good reason: 58 percent of American adults use a smartphone, over 40 percent own a tablet, and mobile computing grew by over 80 percent just last year alone. Indeed, there are more mobile devices out in the world than there are personal computers. Smartphones and tablets have become a nearly ubiquitous part of our personal and business lives.  

Extending Capture Beyond Boundaries

There is incredible opportunity to be found in the convergence of mobile computing and document capture technologies. We’ve long been able to capture important bits of information by scanning paper documents and extracting specific data elements in the process. But these activities have been largely confined to centralized scanning and processing facilities. Instead, Mobile Capture extends capture beyond the edges of the organization with the ability to use smartphones and tablets to capture images and documentation directly at the point of service with customers; in regional offices, in the field and in customer’s homes. The result is a faster, more accurate and more cost-effective processes. 

Positive Business Results

One area that is poised to see tremendous benefit is the area of Case Management. A great deal of flexibility, adaptability and collaboration is needed for effective case management, and organizations find that traditional ECM approaches often miss the mark. The ability to capture critical documents using a smartphone, and have that information immediately uploaded, tagged and included in the case file, brings a new level of efficiency and speed. New solutions streamline the process, eliminating the burden of paper and scanners, and help case workers collect data and coordinate services in ways that achieve more positive case results.

Capturing Case Management Improvements

The confluence of Capture and Case Management provides a higher degree of flexibility, agility and collaboration for any organization that needs to build a superior level of service and customer satisfaction. Banks and other financial institutions are using the approach for loan origination and new customer onboarding, particularly for missing or “trailing” documents. Field workers, like claim adjusters or building inspectors, are using mobile capture to not only photograph an incident but also take a picture of the accompanying documentation and upload on the spot to complete a case for adjudication. Other examples are claims processing and reimbursement, benefit enrollment, and logistics and transportation, to name just a few.

Real-World Value

Clearly, a unique opportunity for important process improvement is at hand, so the question becomes: How can your organization benefit by the convergence of Mobile Capture and Case Management? Here are a few examples to consider:

Mobile Capture and Loan Origination – The loan origination process for many banks continues to be mired in manual workflow and paper. Mobile capture provides a way for loan officers to digitally capture the necessary documents directly – in customer’s homes or workplaces – by simply taking a picture with a smartphone or tablet. Advanced document classification and case management capabilities automate and streamline the back-office management of each loan. While loan origination is one good example, a similar mobile capture approach provides new value and efficiencies in any process where ‘paperwork’ must be collected for applications, onboarding, contracts, etc.

Mobile Capture and Field Service – There are a number of ways mobile capture is being used to improve service in the field. In addition to the insurance claim example above, mobile capture enabled field workers include facilities and equipment inspectors, drivers and delivery personnel, meter readers — all benefit from having the ability to capture the necessary information and documentation at the point of service.

Mobile Capture and Trailing Documents –Did you miss something in that application for your new mortgage? No problem. Instead of asking you to return to the bank, your loan office simply asks you to take a picture of the documents with your smartphone, click on a link in the email, and upload the images. Behind the scenes the system automatically updates the case file and triggers actions moving the process forward.

Moving Forward

Mobile Capture paired with Case Management is a practical and profitable bridge between paper and content-intensive applications that can speed the pace of business, improve customer service and experience, and make the most of your people, processes and technology.

But before you hit the road toward mobile capture there are some important factors to consider as you map your strategy. Correctly adopting mobile capture requires more planning than simply telling everyone to start snapping pictures of forms and documentation and send them in using email. Do you have an existing capture process in place today? How will you manage them once they are there? What kind of security measures will be in place and will you have a proper audit trail and chain of custody? Consider these questions as you move forwards, and look for partners and providers with the right mix of expertise, capability and vision that will allow you to make the most of the confluence of Mobile Capture and Case Management.

Guest contributor Kevin Craine is the author of the book Designing a Document Strategy and a respected authority on document management and process improvement. He is the managing director of Craine Communications Group. For more information visit CraineGroup.com.