Technology tools are vast today, and the information generation utilizing them to peak performance is changing the way we conduct business. Researching any subject or company known to man, or almost, gives each of us the ability to be informed before making key decisions, especially in business. Today, changes are many as the workplace attracts eco-conscience and tech-savvy Generation Y workers as managers, staff and customers.  The question is: Can you meet their business needs for greener products, supplies and services?

Employees increasingly demand instant, accurate information from technologies that let them access it wherever they are, whenever they need it.  Going to work is being replaced by the need to deliver information and ideas quickly regardless of location, by way of the Web and/or enhanced software programs. However, many will still have to navigate through disconnected paper and digital files, slowing their progress and creating roadblocks to efficiency.

Whether they are your staff or customers, Gen Y workers have the talent, smarts and drive to initiate real, workable change.  They expect to get what they need when they want it, and are unafraid to buck the system to exact the connectivity to information their lives demand.  If you embrace change, using Gen Y workers’ abilities rather than ignoring or fearing it, you can take fuller advantage of your product and services. If you don’t adapt, your competitors will, and are now, adding a fresher spin to their business. 


Understand their world


Gen Y grew up with the Web. Whether shopping for goods or looking for answers, they’re used to getting what they want immediately. Why shouldn’t they expect the same from businesses where they work or from which they buy? Today’s equipment captures information electronically, and enterprise content management (ECM) software makes sure everything is securely accessible in one place.  They’re the perfect combination for Gen Y—and you.


Change your mindset

What’s the best way to overcome feeling threatened?  Learn.  Engage.  Embrace change.  Visit associations like AIIM and ARMA to learn what’s available and how the pieces fit together.  Read industry publications and visit their Web portals.  Learn how others enable connectivity to information by integrating hardware, telecommunications, and software for powerful results. Adopt what is pertinent to your own business. Move beyond your comfort zone.  It’s not as tough as you think.


Do more with what you have


If you have scanners, copiers, MFPs, faxes, or printers, you’d be insane to not turn them on.  Yet if you aren’t capturing incoming mail electronically, you might as well turn them off, because you’re not controlling or directing the flow of information.  You wouldn’t consider buying a smartphone just to make calls.  Why have powerful equipment and not maximize its capabilities? 

By enhancing your equipment with electronic document management (EDM) software, everything you capture or import—documents, photos, images, or even data from print streams—is indexed into a single searchable repository.  Isolated information becomes immediately available, electronically, to everyone who needs it. Demand more from your equipment.  Improve how you use it:


1. Capture information at start of document lifecycle

A common mistake is neglecting to capture paper the moment it’s received.  Many scan documents after related business transactions end  & miss the real value of digital capture.  Documents that are stored and managed manually are valuable only to those who hold the document or a copy.  Although copiers play an important role in business, they’re ineffective if information is restricted to paper and workers can’t access it when they need it.  Whether your staff’s onsite or working remotely,  electronic capture lets them access, manage & act on stored files according to permission given them, ensuring everyone makes decisions based on all available information.


2. Aim for information connectivity, not isolation

Scanners & MFPs. Most desktop scanners, MFPs, and copiers enable simple indexing, but if you’re not scanning into a central system, your information’s electronically disjointed.  Checks, employee contracts, supplier guarantees, service agreements, and more can be instantly accessible to authorized employees by scanning them into a document management system.  Detailed, catalogued EDM makes contents easier to find while enabling desktop, laptops, PDA, and smartphone retrieval.  Employees no longer act on information presumed current, only to learn someone had a file or new information available.  Centralized access has a measurable impact on productivity.

Fax machines. Fax machines are an important tool, yet businesses often miss important messages due to poor transmissions, insufficient paper or ink, or missing pages.  By capturing fax data electronically and storing it in EDM, every page is immediately retrievable and a thorough audit trail is created for each transmission.  If digital workflow is part of the solution, faxes can be routed electronically to intended recipients or used to launch routine business processes, following your rules.  

Printers. When you or your staff click ‘print’ there’s a reason,  yet not all information is most valuable in print.  By tapping into EDM, data sent to your printer can be captured, manipulated & analyzed, reducing paper waste.  Sorting through payroll & other reports is faster and easier with digital search.  Printers are a business necessity, but printing hundreds of pages to search for information is senseless when you can retrieve what’s needed.


3. Pull it all together

No matter what you capture or which device is used, the key is pulling everything together into a single, digitally searchable repository where workers—or customers—can access what they need, wherever they are.  EDM brings everything together, enabling self service while making sure sensitive information is protected.  Integration with company websites and portals supplies the information the customers need.  Business continues 24/7, wherever people are. By eliminating time wasted on digging up routine information, you’ll find yourself spending more time on meaningful service calls that strengthen overall business relationships.

Laurel Sanders is the director of public relations and communications for Optical Image Technology.  For information about the company’s award-winning suite of DocFinity software, visit www.docfinity.com or contact info@docfinity.com.