Investments rise in workflow automation

More organizations, businesses and agencies worldwide have been deploying electronic document management solutions for substantial gains in efficiency and accelerated processing. By transitioning to a digital system, these firms have been able to allocate investments that were previously used for paper resources toward more useful endeavors.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) recently announced that it has published the third collection of its Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) reports, which were designed to assist manufacturers in the switch from paper-based processes to more intelligent digital systems. According to the ISA, these tools optimize global supply chain management.

"The simple truth is that manufacturers who don't adopt paperless processes for intelligent operations management will not be able to compete globally and will fail in business," Charlie Gifford, the book's editor and contributing author, argued. "The more quickly this transformation can be achieved, the faster these companies will be able to continually innovate and improve."

The problem, according to Gifford, is that the majority of manufacturing departments still depend on processes that require slow manual data entry and other tasks. He noted that for sustainable improvements, businesses need to leverage systems that structure data in a standardized way to ensure that integration, reporting and analysis are accurate.

"The faster this transformation can be accomplished the sooner manufacturers can improve their profitability, and optimize their product innovations into and through their supply chain," said Gifford.

A successful switch
Many enterprises have undertaken this initiative for a paperless transition, including the family-owned investment management firm Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, according to AMEinfo. The company has successfully automated all workflows for key functions as part of its objective to create a paperless office by 2015. The news source reported that this project was implemented to accelerate approvals and other activities while saving over 50,000 sheets of paper that would otherwise be used in manual transactions. Abdulla Al Gurg, group general manager for the company, is optimistic about the changes, which have reduced approval times from two days to several hours while reducing the margin for errors.

"Currently, the general use of paper and wood products in work environments is greater than our ability to sustainably harvest the materials," he explained to AMEinfo. "In addition, this reduction of completing manual requisitions in an employee's day can help to increase motivation and productivity."

With a paperless workflow, organizations of all kinds can minimize unnecessary spending and wasteful paper use while making faster, more informed decisions for a competitive edge.

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