Our client’s planned move to a smaller office location meant that they would be unable to bring their numerous filing cabinets full of paper client files. In addition, clients were expressing frustration with slow response times to their requests since staff was required to spend valuable time physically locating required information and documentation. Clients were sometimes forced to wait days for a simple answer if the necessary files were in offsite storage or were simply misfiled. To meet their clients’ needs for quick resolution and to increase staff productivity by freeing up time for more value-added tasks and activities, the leadership team set a goal for first-call resolution to client requests.
To overcome these challenges, our client’s leadership team knew it was time to figure out a way to properly digitize, store, and manage their customer files electronically, and sought help from West X Business Solutions.
To fully understand how this client’s files were stored, organized, and managed in their paper-based system, West X Business Solutions performed a full current-state assessment. We then analyzed findings from the study to determine how employees searched and accessed information to best serve their clients (e.g., by client name, client number/ID, keywords, etc.).
Once we had a full understanding of the data and its optimal workflow, we customized a paperless document management solution to meet our client’s needs and goals.
Since partnering with West X Business Solutions, our client has achieved their goal of digitizing all client files and eliminating the need for costly and space-consuming filing cabinets. In addition, they realized substantial cost savings in printing costs including paper, printing/copying costs, square-footage rental costs, and off-site storage costs.
With less time spent manually tracking down customer documents, our client’s own customers now receive answers to their requests within one phone call, and client experience and satisfaction has improved greatly. Furthermore, staff’s time is freed up to spend on more important tasks that contribute to the company’s bottom line. Staff productivity has increased as well as job satisfaction.
Finally, digitally storing client documents provides our client’s leadership team with greater peace of mind, should disaster strike such as fire, flood, or other catastrophes. Confidential client information is also more secure with permission-based access, and the audit trail provided by the document management software provides view/edit/delete transparency into the life of each document.
