Virtually any process at any company can be outsourced. There are certain functions that a company would probably never feel comfortable outsourcing, but this is a case by case decision. Apple outsources manufacturing. Caterpiller outsources most of its sales. Many companies outsource accounting and legal. Many companies also outsource document processing.
As we all have heard, these outsourced tasks are generally referred to as non-core functions. With documents, the receipt and routing of the document is generally not a core function of any business. Its what you do with the document or with the content of the document that is probably a core function of the business. If you are in the business of processing medical claims, the core function is to understand the billing codes and content of the claim request to make a judgement on paying that claim. Opening the envelope and delivering the document to the claim manager is not core.
Here is a short list of document related processes that can be outsourced and how:
- Mail receipt and routing: have mail directed to a PO Box that an imaging service sweeps each day, opens the mail and forwards to an electronic inbox. Intelligent routing rules can be established based on the PO Box number or a code on the document.
- Fax receipt: Faxes can actually be received electronically and routed electronically without every becoming paper. The faxes can be routed based on the fax number that they are sent to.
- Email receipt: Documents delivered to a specific email address can be routed to specific workflow queues
- Data Entry: Accounts payable documents can be scanned and even the information from the payable can be captured and entered into a system that feeds the accounting system. This takes all but the approval process and cost code assignment and outsources it.
- Contract Data Extraction: Documents can be scanned and routed electronically to a company that will extract the terms into a contract management system.
- Conversion to PDF and OCR: Documents that are scanned locally can be routed to outsourced back end processes that just convert the files to PDF and OCR the documents.
- Document Translation: Documents that need to be translated can be scanned and routed to an outsourced service for translation
- Mail merging and printing: Many companies will mail merge from a data list and print and send paper documents (yes, paper is still created and sent). Of course, mail merging and send electronically is what iContact and other newsletter services do every day. This process can be used for investor letters, client notices, vendor communication, reporting and many other uses.
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