This article was originally published on Sandhill.com
Date: March 13, 2025
David Winkler is Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Docufree, a leading provider of cloud-based document management and process automation solutions. The company is a services-led leader in digital transformation solutions including: large-volume document capture; data extraction and integration; intelligent process automation; cloud-based document management; and digital mailroom services. Today, over 1,500 enterprises and government agencies rely on Docufree to empower their workforces with the information they need and ensure processes are executed with speed, accuracy, and compliance from wherever work needs to happen.
This week, I had the chance to catch up with David. Here is our conversation.
M.R. Rangaswami: What are the biggest challenges companies face in managing documents today?
David Winkler: One of the biggest challenges is the sheer volume of information spread across physical and digital environments. Many organizations still rely on paper-based workflows, which slow down operations and increase risk. Compliance is another major concern, as businesses must ensure documents are properly stored, accessed, and disposed of according to industry regulations. Finally, security remains a top priority, with organizations needing to safeguard sensitive data from cyber threats and unauthorized access.
Our management process and automation solutions are engineered to benefit organizations of all types looking to achieve greater efficiency, and scalability in an increasingly digital world, there is a strong need in highly regulated industries such as the financial services, healthcare, government, insurance, and legal sectors—all of which handle large volumes of sensitive documents and require strict compliance.
M.R. Rangaswami: What trends do you see shaping the future of document management and digital workflows?
David Winkler: AI and machine learning will continue to transform document-intensive processes, driving automation and efficiency. We’re seeing rapid adoption of intelligent document processing (IDP) to extract insights from unstructured data, as well as cloud-based document management and collaboration tools to support remote and hybrid work environments. As regulatory landscapes intensify, businesses will increasingly rely on automated compliance and governance solutions to stay ahead of new requirements. Additionally, we’re seeing large enterprises invest in transforming their corporate mail centers into digital mailrooms.
M.R. Rangaswami: Can you explain how a Digital Mailroom works and its benefits?
David Winkler: A Digital Mailroom is a game-changer for organizations managing large volumes of inbound physical and electronic mail communications. Instead of manually handling physical mail, it’s digitized at the point of entry—classification, indexing, data extraction, and securely delivering it electronically to the right recipients and/or business systems.
This eliminates paper backlogs, accelerates response times, and enables remote access to critical documents in real-time. It’s especially beneficial for enterprises with distributed workforces, ensuring employees can securely access their mail anytime, anywhere. Additionally, a Digital Mailroom enhances compliance by providing complete visibility and tracking of inbound and outbound communications.
M.R. Rangaswami is the Co-Founder of Sandhill.com
