Gaining a clear and objective view of document management expenses is a challenge. No two companies are exactly alike. Processes differ. There’s no simple formula to calculate the expense. Document management responsibilities are fragmented and so are the costs. Only with a comprehensive analysis of your entire enterprise can you identify opportunities for savings and improvement. Only with a full understanding of your current corporate goals and user requirements, and your longer term vision, can we develop a meaningful, practical enterprise document strategy that will achieve your targeted results.

PathForward takes a customer-centric approach. We look through the same lens as our customer. Our professionals follow rigorous, systematic Lean Six Sigma methodologies to measure and improve operational performance, unencumbered by any pre-defined assumption or solution.

Phase I: Assess & Validate Current State A PathForward professional conducts a thorough analysis of the document management process, including print vendors, fulfillment suppliers, warehouse service providers and process workflow and costs. Cost analysis includes all aspects of the document lifecycle from creation to obsolescence. Current processes, procedures, technologies and costs are reviewed and validated with the client to establish a clear understanding of the current state, including user requirements. With this fact-based foundation, we identify opportunities for improvement and savings, and look at industry benchmarks and best practices and define your long term goals to build a profile of your desired state. As a final, important step in this phase, we perform a gap analysis between the current and desired state.

Phase II: Design & Develop Enterprise Document Management Strategy The enterprise strategy provides the roadmap that leads you to your desired state. The optimal solution yields substantially more savings than a traditional print management program by addressing the total cost of ownership. It also focuses on increasing revenue by producing more relevant documents for their intended purpose.

In designing your strategy, we focus on business process improvement, including an establishing “less paper” goals and business rules that optimize the print requirements before a job is actually produced. Rules are established with business owners that define the optimal output channels for specific documents, so your organization knows how and where it should be printed, or whether it should be available electronically instead. The rules are based on end use, printing complexity, quantity required and frequency of change and even the anticipated life of the document. Rules also include design standards to take advantage of economical production specifications. At this stage, we also create a comprehensive scorecard which enables you to measure all aspects of the print procurement program against the goals you’ve set.

Phase III: Implement & Manage Strategy Specialists in print procurement and document management, your dedicated PathForward account team makes implementation seamless, ensuring your organization reaps the full benefit of the program. The technology solutions developed in Phase II are tested and rolled out. Processes and procedures, and roles and responsibilities are communicated to your management team, document owners and end users, so everyone understands the rules of engagement.

With the strategy in place, the scorecard becomes an integrated control mechanism for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program. Service level agreements (SLAs) are a key component of the scorecard, providing you with an objective analysis of the savings and activity generated through the program.

The Path to Operational Excellence Begins Here. Learn more about the people and technology that can put you on the path to excellence. Or, contact us now to discuss your document management challenges.