Madrid, 26th January 2023 – Before getting into the subject and detailing what Document Output Management systems consist of, it is advisable to have an overview of what Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is.
Enterprise Content Management
Companies generate various corporate documents and content, i.e., they manage quotations, orders, contracts, or invoices from various company sources. And all of this is stored in emails, hard copies, or even portable devices.
This unstructured data implies that a lot of time is wasted in the search process; time that could be used much more productively. In addition, unauthorized access to data and documents can increase the risk of leaks of information stored in insecure areas.
Due to the rapid growth of unstructured corporate content, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to find information and manage documents. Enterprise Content Management makes it possible to formalize six processes related to documents and other corporate content: capture, publish, store, search, reuse and manage.
What is Document Output Management (DOM)
Document Output Management (DOM) is the first step in implementing an Enterprise Content Management system. DOM allows documents to be formatted with attractive layouts, distributed to the appropriate recipients in the chosen output channel (usually on a multichannel basis) and stored in a repository that can be accessed later.
Document Output Management Objectives
DOM solutions aim to automate omnichannel distribution of documentation, generate various output formats (PDF, PCL, PS, HTML) and perform tracking tasks to reduce the workload of business applications.
Document Output Management Functions
DOM platforms and systems enable five key functions:
- Document layout: Graphics and barcodes can be included, and the same layout can be created in multiple languages.
- Resource management: Document managers, directories and web pages need to use various resources such as files, fonts, templates, or images. And they need them to retrieve, convert and merge documents.
- Professional document generation: Best practices in customer communication involve the online and real-time creation of documents, one of the central functionalities that Document Output Management systems provide. There are still companies that do not use the Internet, i.e., they do not create or distribute documents online, which can damage their relationship with their customers and their corporate image.
- Generation of various output formats: Companies need to produce documents in different formats or convert them into a different format before printing them. They also need to use document software in different operating systems and integrate it into the system used by the company in question.
- Multichannel document distribution: Using any channel or media such as web, email, fax, etc. often causes complications for companies with printer networks in different geographies, but DOM systems can solve this situation by using elements such as Java, .Net and VB to integrate into each company’s applications.
Business value of Document Output Management solutions
Implementing a Document Output Management platform brings numerous business benefits:
- Centralized information management: DOM solutions incorporate processes for generating, modifying, and validating substantial amounts of documentation, such as contracts, insurance forms or personalized customer communications.
- End-to-end document lifecycle: DOM covers the entire lifecycle of output documentation, from generation from application data, through classification, quality control, printing and electronic or postal delivery to final recipients, to storage.
- Efficient document storage: DOM allows creating documents of the highest quality and storing them efficiently so that constant control over them is possible. Content from various sources is properly indexed and archived so that information can be quickly and easily found using keywords.
- Reduced time spent searching for information: Companies that do not have Document Output Management systems in place spend a lot of time just finding the data they need to carry out their processes.
- Elimination of third-party applications: With a DOM platform, there is no longer any need to rely on or invest in external applications.
Companies’ Document Output Management needs
Companies need a fully integrated document software solution to create and distribute their documents. They are eager to forget about third-party applications that cost them a lot of money and integration efforts.
Flexibility is vital from the outset to design documents, apply each company’s style elements and distribute them through all available media according to the company’s preferences and needs. Flexibility also implies the possibility of customizing messages.
In addition, to comply with state and corporate regulations, companies need to keep documents created within their perimeter for easy and quick retrieval. They need to transform entries into structured documents, while ensuring regulatory compliance, confidentiality, and information durability in PDF.
Ultimately, DOM solutions help minimize human error and improve key business processes, reducing costs and ensuring data integrity. This eventually results in a better experience for customers, who should be at the center of the business.
This all sounds great, but where to start?
The first thing to do is to ask the right questions, find out how many documents are processed in the company and which ones could be automated, and then make sure there is a global view of all the company’s processes, since optimizing document management is part of a holistic approach that affects various departments such as Human Resources, Finance and Sales.
Document management should not be treated as an isolated initiative but integrated into the digital transformation of the company. Digitalization has become inevitable and even mandatory by law.
Last but not least, it is of utmost importance to choose the partner who will accompany the business along the way; experts who will help the company assess its current situation in terms of document management processes, calculate the expected return on investment and set the best course to reach the desired destination by recommending the ideal solution based on the budget and needs of each company.
Now that we are at the beginning of the year and planning for the future with renewed enthusiasm, it may be a good time to analyze document processes and implement a next-generation Document Output Management solution.
About DocPath
DocPath is a leading enterprise document software company that offers its international customers the technology that allows them to complement their ERP and implement advanced Document Output Management, Customer Communications Management and document software pooling processes.
Founded in 1993, DocPath is based in Europe, USA and Latin America and is present with its Solutions in companies around the world. Among its customers there are prestigious banks and top-tier corporations, facilitating the difficult and complex task of designing, generating and distributing their business-critical documents. DocPath keeps a strong commitment to R+D+i, an area to which it allocates a large part of its revenues, and in which lies one of the keys to its success.
For more information, visit: www.docpath.com.
Legal Notice: DocPath is a registered trademark of DocPath Document Solutions. All rights reserved. Other trademarks mentioned herein might be the property of their respective owners.