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By Tom Beasley
Let’s face it ... 2009 was a tough year. Most people were required to find creative ways to cope with the weak economy in both their personal lives and in business. On the personal front, perhaps you didn’t take the luxurious vacation you had planned. Perhaps you started living more frugally, shopping sales or eliminating unnecessary expenses. On the business front, perhaps you learned how to deal with budget cuts, a smaller workforce and do more with less. Despite the early signs of economic improvement in 2010, it’s wise to continue to be an advocate of making smart, frugal decisions – both personally and professionally – this year.
A number of technologies continue to prove to be wise investments. The benefits of the ECM family of solutions are numerous. Content and document management, records management, automated workflow, e-forms and other similar technologies enable businesses to streamline operations, service customers faster and continue to do more with less. The bottom line is that, in 2010, all businesses will want to emerge from the economic downturn of 2009 stronger, more agile and more secure. And if this is your top goal in 2010, AccuImage can help.
This issue of The AccuView strays slightly from our normal format. It focuses on specific technological solutions that fall under the ECM umbrella and are wise investments for today’s businesses. These solutions include Compliance, Health Records, E-Forms, Outsourced Scanning and Workflow. We’ve also included two articles that outline the role ECM and BPM are expected to play in 2010.
Enjoy!
Tom Beasley
tom.beasley@accuimagellc.com
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This Month’s Topic: What’s in Store for 2010?
ECM in 2010
In this article, we’ve compiled Enterprise Content Management predictions for 2010 from leading industry sources: CMS Watch, ECM Connection and John Newton’s Content Log. These predictions include the economy’s effect on ECM, the strength and accessibility of today’s ECM solutions, what the “E” in ECM means, the future of ECM and DM, the role of search in enterprise applications, and the need for a records management evolution.
Mind, Body ... Business?
The recession has taken its toll. The pain it has caused is universal and has touched everyone in the modern world at some level – both personally and professionally. On a personal level, we each find ways to cope as we strive to keep our mind and bodies healthy and rise above the anxiety – friends, family, faith, hobbies and various outlets give us the emotional and physical support we need to ensure we emerge intact and perhaps even stronger than before. But what is the organizational equivalent? This article contemplates the mind-body connection and explains that, like the human body, organizations are intricate layers of interdependent parts that all need to be functioning well and doing their part to ensure optimal health.
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Too Busy to Scan? Outsource It!
Buried in paper documents? Don’t have the time or resources to run them through a scanner? Perhaps it’s time to consider outsourced scanning.
AccuImage’s document imaging service bureau performs a variety of conversion services for customers throughout the United States. Dedicated scanning, OCR/ICR/OMR, indexing, and quality control processing stations and delivery methods maximize efficiency in producing the quality work you demand in the timeframe you need.
AccuImage takes your paper or film-based information and quickly transforms it into easily managed electronic documents, accurately indexed and at the fingertips of anyone in your organization who is authorized to view them. The digital images can be stored on an external drive, hard drive, the Internet, CD/DVD or even imported into your document imaging or line-of-business systems.
Leveraging AccuImage’s document imaging service bureau means no huge investment by you! There is no need to purchase unnecessary software or hardware to get your information electronically. Call 615.242.7226 today for a competitive quote.
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The Benefits of Electronic Forms
With the growing rise in online business and e-commerce – which won’t show signs of slowing down in 2010 or anytime in the foreseeable future – organizations need a simple, cost-effective way to capture and track transactions through the various processes, to successful conclusion. Studies clearly show very significant and tangible savings where e-forms are deployed. In fact, e-forms technology may still hold the secret to eliminating, or at least minimizing, our dependency on paper.
What are e-forms? E-forms provide the ability to capture and workflow business forms and is completely compatible with any application and any industry. Best of all, the form is very easy to setup and use – the user simply fills out drop-down lists, checkboxes, radio buttons, and text fields that can be validated in real time. The form-filling process is intelligent; depending on one answer, different choices are given for the next question(s). As the users fill the forms, data is collected behind the scenes and, upon completion, is used to generate an actual form in a read-only format, together with the full data set, which can be used to automate back-end business processes.
A well-thought-out e-forms strategy will deliver measurable business benefits, including:
- Significant reduction in the time it takes to design online forms.
- Improved service to users by automating feedback.
- Reduction in data errors by controlled data collection and validation at source.
- Reduction in the high printing and management costs incurred for form revisions.
- Standardization of procedures and templates, and a reduction in the use of paper.
- Forms may be completed by staff who do not need to specialize in the application.
- Improved use and access to promote integrity of business data.
- Integration with document management, line-of-business and workflow applications.
When you’re ready to replace your paper forms and manual processes with an e-forms solution that will increase employee productivity, reduce operational costs, eliminate data errors, etc. ... AccuImage can help you determine the application that’s best for your business. Please contact your AccuImage account manager or call 615.242.7226 to discuss our selection of leading e-forms solutions.
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Where Works Exists, So Too Does Workflow
Simply stated, workflow is the step-by-step procedure taken to complete a job. Every business has some sort of document workflow process in use – and most have many workflows, redundant workflows and workflow bottlenecks. Whether that document workflow consists of an invoice, order, e-mail, snail mail, or other document, workflow of documents occurs every single day in every single business. Once the realization occurs regarding how often document workflow occurs each day, one begins to consider ways to improve and streamline the document workflow process so as to maximize time and cost savings.
Beyond streamlining procedures and shortening turnaround, many significant benefits aren’t as evident, but likely will include the following.
- Redistribute work based on employee absenteeism – sharing work, allocating it to the person with the emptiest inbox or by position.
- Change organizational hierarchies and roles without affecting the flow of work, since BPM adjusts immediately to new information.
- Change spontaneously how work is processed without retraining staff.
- Predict and react to bottlenecks – automatically adjusting to prevent slowdowns.
- Extract data from multiple sources into one, at prescheduled intervals or in real time, for easier, smarter decision-making.
Intelligent automation means faster service and easier tracking. It eliminates redundancy by reusing data enterprise-wide, following your rules. It also ensures consistent customer care, preventing tasks from being overlooked or pushed to the bottom of the pile. Detailed tracking of every action facilitates audits and regulatory compliance. AccuImage is proud to help customers achieve these benefits! Call 615.242.7226 to learn more.
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Healthcare IT Trends
With a major push toward healthcare reform and the appropriation of nearly $20 billion in federal stimulus funds as part of The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), 2009 was an action-packed year for the healthcare industry, particularly healthcare IT. 2010 promises to be even more dynamic as healthcare organizations prepare for upcoming industry changes and position themselves to take advantage of government incentives. Trends driving the healthcare IT market this year include ...
- EMR adoption gains momentum. According to the latest statistics from HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), only 0.5% of U.S. hospitals currently have a complete EMR (electronic medical record) system that provides data continuity throughout the institution. Hospitals and healthcare systems will install, integrate and enhance EMR systems at an accelerated pace in an effort to demonstrate “meaningful use” and capitalize on ARRA incentives.
- PHRs earn legitimacy. PHRs (personal health records), once rejected by providers and academics, will become recognized as a viable method in which to transport patient data and will complement EMRs and EHRs (electronic health records). Advances in secure personal storage, smart card and software technology will help drive this trend.
- Cost containment is paramount. The United States currently spends more than $2.5 trillion annually on healthcare, and this figure is expected to jump to $4 trillion by 2015 if nothing is done to control escalating costs. The Obama administration will begin to scrutinize healthcare spending at every level and reward hospitals that are the most cost-effective. Healthcare institutions will respond not only by implementing new systems like EHR technology but will also look to implement systems that allow them to maximize their existing spend by eliminating waste.
- War waged on Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud is estimated at nearly $60 billion a year. Determined to eradicate this type of waste, the Obama administration has increased its fraud and abuse budget for 2010 by 50%. Document management, workflow, enterprise search and data security technologies will be instrumental in streamlining processes and helping Medicare administrators validate claim authenticity.
- Increased focus on outbreak preparedness. Bioterrorist threats and pandemic outbreaks such as H1N1 have put pressure on healthcare organizations and public health officials to have systems in place to respond to major public health emergencies. GIS (geographic information system) technologies can be instrumental in planning for potential emergencies as well as tracking outbreak patterns. Likewise, document management, data capture, e-forms and workflow technologies can help healthcare organizations quickly gather, organize and research data related to the health emergency.
- Storage and continuity concerns. Nearly 30% of the data stored on the world’s computers are medical images, and this figure continues to increase. Healthcare institutions consistently need to upgrade their systems to accommodate for their ever-increasing stream of patient data. Furthermore, healthcare facilities need to ensure this data is always available to provide continual uptime and a consistent quality of care. Finally, this data needs to be easily replicated and restored in the event of disaster because patient records can’t be replaced.
Serving the records management needs of healthcare institutions is one of AccuImage’s specialties. We can help you streamline your healthcare operations and improve patient care with advanced records management systems. Call AccuImage at 615.242.7226 for a consultation.
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What We’ve Seen and Heard
What are your business goals for 2010? Cost savings? Streamlined operations? Better content management? Doing more with less? AccuImage can help you achieve these goals with Document Management, ECM, BPM, eForms and Workflow solutions. Call 615.242.7226 to get started today.
Random actions that are not in line with business objectives and intentions can be at best wasteful and at worst devastating. BPM provides the means to define desired actions in the form of processes and automate the enforcement of those actions.
Compliance is not a series of unnecessary and burdensome processes under threat of penalty. Instead, it is a key enabler for a more efficient organization – that’s the underlying opportunity in document‐centric compliance initiatives.
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ECM is the Compliance Solution
The combination of a weak economy – causing many to streamline operations to keep afloat – and increasing regulatory demands made business challenging for many in 2009. Those that emerged from the rubble of crumbling profits, hoping to resurrect their bottom line and succeed in this decade are working harder than ever, often with fewer resources. Although the economy will eventually improve, the regulatory scene is becoming more demanding, placing greater burdens on business. Only those that make wise use of limited resources will survive.
Despite recent unpredictability in government, business and the economy, one thing is unchanged: compliance, security and cost efficiency remain the focus of many businesses. Named in multiple industries as the top three drivers for ECM, they are more closely intertwined than ever.
- Cost efficiency is only possible in today’s litigious economy with an integrated, efficient compliance management program that mitigates risk and avoids costly penalties. In a paper or mixed media environment, it’s nearly impossible to achieve.
- Compliance is only achievable with stringent internal controls and an overseeing force to manage document security, governing access to information and how it is used. Entrusting oversight to fallible humans alone means there will always be mistakes. Zero tolerance is on the rise; penalties for noncompliance can be financially devastating.
- Security is only manageable in information-intensive businesses when you have the tools to pull all of your information together so it can be controlled, centrally and consistently.
The solution? ECM.
- Manage changing regulations. Whether you’re ruled by the mandates of HIPAA, SOX, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, FERPA, the Freedom of Information Act or other regulations, managing compliance is expensive. ECM lets you track information, implement rules for information management, amend those rules to reflect regulatory changes, and ensure they are followed. It removes the burden and streamlines costs by following your rules – correctly, completely and consistently.
- Assure file security. As organizational hierarchies, regulations, positions and job functions change, security rules must be adjusted. Centrally administered ECM makes it easy for IT administrators to amend the rules: a few clicks in one place, and all of the features and functions within the suite follow the new rules. No need to rely on perfect memory, reminders, logons and passwords and hoping new employees get it right. ECM ensures the right people have access, know what to do and can process their work – every time.
- Make compliance (and operations) cost efficient. In a paper-based or mixed media environment, compliance demands drain limited human and financial resources. Being ill prepared to respond to demands is costly enough; making mistakes, missing deadlines and failing to find information when it’s needed can be financially devastating. ECM lets you respond to mandates cost efficiently by eliminating tedious search, expediting processes, eliminating the incidence of duplicate files and tasks, and ensuring your rules for access and processing are followed.
If you’re looking for a way to streamline resources, eliminate waste and make efficient use of your information for cost-effective operations, better security and consistent compliance, now is the time to get ahead with ECM. AccuImage can help you determine the ECM technologies that are ideal for supporting your business’ compliance goals. Call AccuImage at 615.242.7226 for a consultation.
[“Focus On” Section Sources: AccuImage, ECM Connection, Healthcare Technology Online]
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