Compared
with traditional paper-based processing and delivery of
documents like invoices and purchase orders, automation
technology has given many big companies an edge over small and
medium businesses in recent years. Large enterprises have
capitalized on the ability to send documents straight from
their back-office systems and desktop applications — not only
by fax and email, but even postal mail — with levels of speed,
accuracy, visibility and control that the old ways can’t
match.
The same solution used to deliver the documents can also be
used to archive and index them automatically, making documents
instantly accessible for customer service and internal or
external audits. As a result, companies using document process
automation are empowered to optimize operational efficiency
and cash flow while supporting high levels of customer
satisfaction and regulatory compliance.
These advantages may seem out of reach for smaller companies
without giant IT departments and deep pockets. After all,
implementing software to automate document processing and
delivery can take a considerable amount of up-front money
along with an ongoing commitment of time to manage the
technology. For some SMBs, software to automate document
processing and delivery is too expensive, too slow to
implement and too much of a headache to maintain.
SMB Silver Lining
Despite the obvious differences in scale, small and medium
businesses ultimately face the same basic types of operational
challenges that big companies do. Any business relies on the
exchange of documents, and profitability can depend on the
efficiency of that exchange.
SMBs may have fewer resources to draw upon to achieve peak
efficiency. But generally they have more freedom from the
constraints of complexity — both in their information systems
and in their business processes — to take advantage of
innovations in technology.
Software as a Service (SaaS), or cloud computing, is one such
innovation. For automation of document processing and
delivery, SaaS has made the capabilities of today’s most
powerful solutions readily available to any company with an
Internet connection. SaaS shifts the expense of the solution
from capital to operational, clearing away the barrier of
acquisition and deployment cost.
The benefits go beyond helping SMBs quit paper and level the
playing field. SaaS can deliver real competitive advantages
simply because there is no software or hardware to maintain.
SMBs can get fast results like significantly shortened
transaction cycles, increased productivity, reduced Days Sales
Outstanding (DSO) rates, increased visibility and process
control while focusing resources on core competencies and
customer service rather than supporting technology.
With SaaS, businesses leverage document process automation
technology on a pay-per-use basis. They securely transmit
documents directly from front- and back-office applications to
vendor-hosted data centers where the software platform resides
along with infrastructure for fax, email, mail and SMS
delivery. Becoming part of customer invoicing, supplier
purchase order delivery and other day-to-day business
processes, the service automates time-consuming,
labor-intensive tasks like printing documents and stuffing
envelopes or feeding the fax machine — and reduces the need
for in-house printers, fax machines and supplies as well as
mailroom equipment, fax servers, fax lines, fax boards and
modems.
A typical SaaS implementation for document delivery can take
as little as a few days. With its short deployment time,
minimal up-front expense and predictable costs, SaaS affords
the opportunity to try cloud computing for document delivery
without taking big architectural or financial risks.
Constant Innovation
Technology underlying SaaS solutions is automatically updated
by the service provider, so SMBs continuously benefit from the
latest enhancements and innovations. There is no longer a need
to buy and install software, keep track of versions and worry
about upgrades causing conflicts between interdependent
systems. Today’s advanced SaaS solutions for document delivery
are highly adaptable and can be customized to fit specific
needs of small and medium businesses.
In the technology sector, SMBs can also leverage SaaS to
enhance their own product offerings. “Companies have spent
large project budgets building distribution channels and not
had near the success that we had within one week,” said Mark
McCuin, president of the laboratory information technology and
electronic medical records startup company, Pathagility. “We
were able to provide value that would have taken the biggest
companies much longer to provide in a production environment
to their customers.”
Learning
From Experience
Recognizing the need to streamline operations and reduce
staffing requirements for document processing, many SMBs have
deployed technologies like fax servers and experienced the
typical issues: Computers age, hard drives fail, software gets
outdated and pretty soon the server is down. Others consider
SaaS after finding that options like putting a fax server in
multiple locations or buying a folding machine for processing
mail cost more than they save.
When packaging company ARPAC GROUP decided to eliminate its
fax machines and manual paper handling of faxes throughout the
company, it looked carefully at the alternatives before
choosing a SaaS solution. “Bringing the electronic faxing
in-house would require the cost of both hardware and
software,” said Ryan King, the company’s IT manager. “We also
had to consider the costs of maintenance and redundancy. This
was our ordering system we were talking about, and we needed
it up and running 24/7 with no hiccups.” Backup capability
built into the service architecture is an additional benefit
to ARPAC. “The service also gives us peace of mind. If there’s
a power outage, we know that our data won’t be lost,” said
King.
Another company using a SaaS solution, the ambulance group
First Med, chose the cloud model for automation to reduce
turnaround time from output to mailing of statements from its
billing system. The service enables direct transfer from First
Med’s billing software to an on Demand SaaS platform. “We
don’t need another software,” said Matt Ellis, the company’s
accounts receivable manager. “We simply upload straight from
our system and everything’s right there.” Once the statements
are uploaded, First Med employees can review them in a web
interface, which also provides tracking capabilities for
visibility into the process.
Changing The Landscape
The implementation speed and low cost of SaaS for document
delivery has attracted the attention of large enterprises as
well as SMBs. Many CFOs want technology ROI in months instead
of years. When it is time to replace a fax server or move
non-EDI customers to electronic invoicing, more and more large
companies are looking to the cloud. As cloud computing becomes
the predominant way to deploy software, SMBs using SaaS to
automate document processing and delivery will be in a better
position to compete against their rivals, large and small.
Jean-Michel
Bérard co-founded Esker and is the Worldwide CEO and President
of the Board of Directors. He is responsible for defining and
executing Esker’s business plan and representing Esker to
potential partners, the European technological community, IT
analysts, and the trade press. Ernst & Young named Jean-Michel
European Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000. He was named as one
of the Top Technology Visionaries by Start magazine in 2002.
Jean-Michel was named Advisor to the French Foreign Trade
Ministry in 2009 For more info, email
Gina.Leranth@esker.com
or visit www.esker.com.
