The average worker uses around 10,000 pieces of paper each year. That's an entire tree’s worth! When you multiply that by the number of people in your entire organization? Well, that’s a lot of trees you could be saving.
But the environment is not the only thing negatively affected by paper. Two of your business’s most valuable assets—time and people—also feel the drain.
Paperwork management results in lost time, decreased productivity, frustrated customers and potential compliance issues. So it’s no surprise that 31% of those in tech roles say ‘equipping and supporting employees both in the office and working remotely’ is a significant challenge.
This is where document automation and its many benefits comes in.
What is Document Automation?
Document automation is exactly as it sounds: creating documents automatically using an intelligent, technology-driven solution—like Nitro—that empowers organizations to streamline the creation, generation, distribution and management of documents.
Through the use of specialized software, businesses can automate manual, repetitive tasks involved in document creation, formatting and distribution.
Functionally, document automation can include many things such as:
- Easy file creation, conversion and combining
- Scanning any document to an editable PDF with OCR
- Sending PDFs for electronic signatures with real-time tracking
- Creating fillable forms for fast information capture
- Affordable business pricing to equip more users at less cost
Benefits of Document Automation
The scalability and flexibility offered by document automation are advantages not possible with manual paperwork. As part of your organization’s digital transformation, document automation provides a host of benefits that will streamline your workflows.
1. Increased Profitability
By significantly reducing the time spent on manual document tasks, intelligent automation can help businesses reallocate resources to revenue-generating activities. Moreover, faster document processing leads to quicker turnarounds, which can positively impact cash flow. See how global construction firm Mace Group reduced its costs by 63% per user by incorporating PDF capabilities into its workflows.
2. Improved Customer and User Experiences
Personalized marketing is proven to drive revenue. Automation benefits your business by offering flexible templates to customize each interaction based on the receiver. It also ensures consistency in document formatting and content, which translates to a more professional appearance and improved customer experience. Clients receive accurate and standardized documents, enhancing their trust in your brand.
3. Increased Document Efficiency
Smart templates pull data and information from pre-determined sources rather than having to search and find that data in a database manually, which eliminates the need for repetitive data entry and formatting.
The use of dynamic content within automation is another advantage: it means documents are updated as and when changes are implemented. In addition, digital storage means everything can be kept centrally to minimize duplication. Want to see what document automation might look like for your business? Read T-Mobile's story and learn how they improved company productivity by partnering with Nitro.
4. Greater Consistency and Compliance
Automated templates and standardized content guarantee consistency across documents, reducing the risk of errors. Additionally, automation can embed compliance rules, ensuring that legal and regulatory requirements are met.
5. Brand Awareness
Branded documents establish a strong brand identity. A major benefit of document automation software is that it often allows for easy integration of logos, colors, and other branding elements, reinforcing brand awareness with every communication.
Key Aspects of Effective Document Automation
Remember that the aim of document automation is to streamline the entire process from start to finish.
When searching for a partner in this endeavour, there are a few things you need to guarantee a successful transformation.
Ease of Document Creation
The software should offer intuitive tools for designing and customizing document templates. Drag-and-drop interfaces and user-friendly editors simplify the process, reducing the need for specialized technical skills.
Data Input
Integration with data sources such as CRMs or databases enables the automatic extraction of information to populate documents, minimizing error and saving time.
Branding
Documents need to reflect your organization’s identity. The ability to incorporate branding elements into templates ensures that every document reflects your company's visual identity, fostering a consistent and professional image.
Collaboration and Completion
Document automation tools should help your organization facilitate collaboration among team members, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously, ensuring seamless teamwork.
Then, if you need a final signature (for example, on an employee contract or NDA) look for eSignature tools that can be integrated into the document automation process.
Version Control and Mass Output
Effective version control prevents confusion by maintaining a record of document changes. Additionally, automation enables the generation of multiple documents in bulk, saving time when dealing with large volumes.
How to Get Started With the Benefits of Document Automation
Document automation offers a transformative way to enhance efficiency, reduce errors and deliver a superior customer experience. Nitro PDF Pro and Nitro Sign are trusted by 67% of the Fortune 500 and we can make your transformation faster and easier.
Ready to start the process? Get in touch with Nitro today to see a demo of our solutions and discuss how we can help you reach your goals.