A comprehensive survey report, “Meeting the Challenge: How Organizations are Implementing Document Management Strategies to Help Drive Business in a Tough Economy,” has been issued by Oce Business Services, a document process management company. The survey investigates how respondents and their organizations are leveraging five advanced document management activities—internal and outsourced—to achieve cost reduction and cash flow goals as well as gain other important business benefits. The five document management activities include: document imaging (paper-to-digital conversion); enterprise-wide print/copy; mail and shipping; records management; and fleet management (print/copy/fax fleet).
One highlight… In order to stay competitive during the economic downturn, 51% of executives involved in document management say their company plans to reduce operating expenses while 20% say their organization will try to improve cash flow. Executives agree that effectively managing document processes can help meet these objectives, particularly with respect to reducing expenses.
When it comes to outsourcing, 74% of respondents indicated that their company is taking this approach with at least one of the five document activities. The top three document activities that companies are outsourcing include mail and shipping, print/copy center, and document imaging. The top overall business benefits that the respondents report gaining from these outsourced document activities include lowering costs, improving operational performance, and enabling a greater focus on core business.
Outsourcing activity may increase somewhat in the next 12 to 24 months as a number of companies (33%) are planning to outsource additional document processing functions, particularly document imaging. The top business goals driving their outsourcing plans are cost reduction, the desire to concentrate more on their core business, and the desire to improve operational performance.
Measuring Document Processes
A majority of survey participants (55%) indicated that their companies are measuring document process performance. These companies are measuring such performance elements as user activity and document processing timeliness and accuracy. Meanwhile, 67% of respondents specified that their organization’s metrics for document performance are aligned with business objectives (such as increasing customer satisfaction).
“Whether managing document activities on an internal or outsourced basis, one thing is clear,” said Joseph R. Marciano, president and CEO, Oce Business Services. “Enterprises are realizing the potential for document management best practices to yield benefits such as lower operating expenses, which can help them survive and thrive in the days ahead.”
The downloadable survey report is comprised of more than 227 online surveys completed by executives involved in document management. These included chief administrative officers, mid- and upper-level operations managers, and chief information officers. Among respondents, 42% work at organizations with annual revenue under $100 million; 26% have revenue between $100 million and $1 billion; and 32% have revenue of over $1 billion. The final survey report focuses solely on responses from participants at organizations with annual revenue over $100 million.
