Founded in 1990, Challs International Ltd is a forward-thinking, family-run business based in Suffolk, UK, with a global footprint. The company specialises in the development and manufacture of innovative household and professional cleaning products.
Digital Transformation Post-Crisis: After a fire destroyed key archives, Challs International partnered with DocTech to implement a DocuWare document management system eliminating paper-based processes and enhancing data security.
Streamlined Finance and Other Operations with Automation: The new system digitised workflows across departments, using intelligent indexing and automated document routing to improve efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility.
Tangible Business Benefits: Challs achieved a 100% reduction in lost documents, boosted staff morale, improved collaboration across sites, and realised significant time and cost savings.
From well-known brands including Buster, Astonish Pro, and Bin Buddy, Challs has carved out a niche in solving everyday problems with powerful, environmentally conscious cleaning solutions.
With operations spanning the UK, Europe, USA, and Australia, Challs has built a reputation not just for quality products, but for continuous innovation and a strong company culture rooted in family values. However, behind the scenes, their reliance on paper-based processes was becoming problematic—slowing workflows, risking document loss, and creating unnecessary admin pressure.
After a devastating fire in 2014 destroyed archives, Challs saw a clear opportunity: rebuild with digital resilience at the core. That’s when they went to market and enlisted DocTech to implement a digital document management system for them. The solution they went with was DocuWare.
When Challs partnered with DocTech for a digital reset, they didn’t just salvage operations they set a new standard for efficiency, morale, and accessibility.
The result? A paperless, secure system where every document is just a click away. Here’s how it all unfolded.
Challs faced cumbersome manual workflows and physical archives. After the fire, they sought to strengthen data security and reinvent their operations at their new headquarters in Hadleigh, Suffolk. With family values at the core of their multinational business, they needed a system that was efficient, secure, and aligned with their forward-thinking ethos.
DocTech began with an in-depth roadmap session with Challs to understand their unique workflow challenges. From there, DocuWare was rolled out to digitise processes across departments processing everything from invoices and orders to payroll, expenses, and proof of deliveries.
Every document is intelligently indexed using DocuWare’s AI-powered tool transforming filing cabinets into searchable digital assets. This enables automatic classification and routing into department-specific workflows, such as purchasing or artwork approval.
Challs appointed a staff member to oversee the rollout, ensuring daily operations continued seamlessly. Training sessions were conducted for all, and DocTech continues to provide on-demand support and induction training for new employees.
• Morale Boost: Staff who were once bogged down by shuffling paper can now retrieve documents instantly, right from their desks.
• Better Collaboration: Real-time access across sites has improved communication, customer service, and team synergy.
• Complete Paper Elimination: Physical storage is a thing of the past, 100% reduction in lost documents, indexed, archived, and effortlessly retrievable.
• Time & Cost Savings: By removing paper-based workflows, Challs freed up staff time and eliminated storage overheads.
You can read the full case study here or get in touch 0161 667 3390 info@doctech.co.uk if you’d like a conversation on where you are at in your business.
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