Not so long ago, it was challenging for colleagues working in an outside sales role to take advantage of document management. Here’s what things mostly looked like: any information that might be needed for a visit to a potential customer was gathered up, printed out, copied and then the whole pile was dragged along. If anything was missing during an appointment, it had to be retrieved by someone back at the home office. After the meeting, it would take several days before reports and travel expense documents would arrive back the office. Thank goodness things have changed! Together with a mobile device, DocuWare makes it simple for salespeople to hit the road.
With the help of an app on their smartphone or browser on their tablet, outside salespeople can access all the documents they might need at any time and from anywhere.
It’s also ideal for a staff of outside technicians: Frank Kauferstein, owner of a heating and air conditioning company, provides his team with mobile devices so that they can access all technical data and measurement protocols stored in DocuWare, no matter if they are meeting with a potential customer or at a construction site. These technicians also fill out all their meeting reports right on their tablets. According to Frank Kauferstein: “This approach has quickly improved both the speed and quality of our customer service processes.“
For Michael Belz, owner of the construction company BelzBau, having mobile access to DocuWare has opened up room for quick negotiations and spontaneity. “Without having to pack up my car every morning with all the paper documents that I might possibly need at the various construction sites, I can still resolve any discrepencies that might arise with a customer right then and there. We can immediately discuss everything and make decisions. Our customers are constantly surprised how quickly we can grab the documents we need via iPad, even at last-minute appointments.“
But using DocuWare in a mobile way isn’t only about easing the load of carrying lots of documents with you. It’s also a tremendous tool for staying connected with colleagues back at headquarters: with a smartphone, outside salespeople aren’t only reachable by phone, they can also stay completely integrated in a company’s document-driven processes. What used to be unproductive waiting and travel time can now be used for analysing and approving new proposals, authorising invoices for payment and many other tasks that can be automatically incorporated in digital workflows. No need to send emails with attachments back and forth. This keeps the effort and waiting times of an inside sales team to a minimum.
Document management generates enormous efficiencies from the road when salespeople can themselves launch document processes. For example, they can fill out customer reports or an order form right on a tablet or phone, sign them with their finger and store them right in DocuWare.
The PaperScan app even turns a smartphone into a mobile scanner: that means hand-written sketches, notes and mind-maps land right in the digital file cabinet. The same is true for hotel, taxi or gas receipts. Scanned with the app and stored in DocuWare, these vital receipts are never lost and the travel expense reimbursement workflow can immediately begin!
2021 sees DocTech, a leading provider of document management solutions, reach a 25 Year DocuWare partnership milestone. They are the only UK and Ireland DocuWare partner to have achieved this accolade.
The users of a document management system can be anyone! That’s what can make our job so hard sometimes. Who do we target? Industry specific, job function, location, all of the above? Essentially any business with documents ...
