Working remotely is a “new normal” that the majority of our global workforce has never before experienced.
Teams need at-the-ready, secure access to business-critical information to perform their jobs in the same capacity as if they were in their traditional office environment. Let’s explore how organizations can use technology to keep remote workers connected to their customers and to each other.
1. Identify new ways to receive and route business-critical information
If the employees who typically receive, open, organize and route inbound physical mail are no longer on-site to perform those functions, of course, the incoming communications cannot simply be ignored.
Establishing a digital mailroom is a solid solution to enable collaborative working and generate operational efficiencies. Emergency digital mailrooms can be set up quickly in the case of the unexpected and are oftentimes an organization’s first step on a digital transformation journey. We find that most of our clients decide to keep a digital mailroom in place even after a crisis has passed.
When researching a vendor to provide a digital mailroom solution, be sure they demonstrate a substantive depth of experience and can serve as a reliable partner. Several large clients in the United States trust Docufree to handle their digital mailroom needs, inclusive of paper mail and electronic communications.
2. Enable secure, remote document access to key data and files
Think about a typical file storage room where hard copies of Human Resources’ documents, legal contracts or patients’ medical records might be stored. When a
remote workforce is unable to reach this information in its paper form, lack of physical access can cause workflow bottlenecks and unanswered customer inquiries.
Now, imagine that same remote workforce has immediate access to the information they need through a secure, hosted document management system. Sharing data and files across locations through an appropriate system allows for more efficient workflows, but also deters default behaviors such as sending sensitive data through unsecured mediums like email and text messages or saving documents to individual hard drives and machines.
Security is vital.
Docufree’s cloud-based document management system enables remote workers to share and access documents easily with appropriate safeguards in place. Docufree provides the highest levels of security and reliability with role-based access controls, high-grade TLS encryption in transit, and 256-bit AES encryption at rest.
Docufree uses state-of-the-art technology and industry best practices for data encryption while information is moving to and from Docufree. Files stored within Docufree have the same standards of security excellence.
Disaster recovery is an emergent bonus benefit of any hosted document management system. Think about those same Human Resources documents, contracts, and medical documents we referenced above. Just because physical records are kept under lock and key doesn’t eliminate the risk of inappropriate access or even losing the records completely due to facility damage or disaster.
Housing original documents and files in-house oftentimes exposes an organization to more risk than outsourcing document management through a trusted partner. Moving key data into a private cloud-based platform ensures it can always be accessed by the appropriate people when needed, even if original files and/or hard copies are inaccessible or destroyed.
3. Take a critical look at existing workflows and re-think manual processes
Every organization has certain manual processes in place that have been performed
the same way since its inception. Take for example, the complex and, oftentimes, clunky process of onboarding and exiting employees. Since COVID-19, we have
seen a transition in the workforce, especially within specific industries. The ability to automate these manual processes is invaluable.
How could your organization automate its employee life-cycle processes and workflows? Interviewing, completing background checks, enrollment into benefits programs and off-boarding may come to mind.
Docufree has helped many clients in the financial sector integrate decision automation and build positive customer connections in lieu of personal meetings. A relatively fast decision and response time leave a positive impression—an important piece of the puzzle for larger brands focused on long-term customer engagement.
Whether your organization is in the early stages of exploring digitization solutions or has a strategic plan to go paper-free, Docufree can help unlock the
power of your business through digital transformation.
