Document Routing: Definition, Process, & Benefits
Manually moving documents throughout an organization is time-consuming, risky, and laborious. Sending an email is an option, but important messages can easily get lost or overlooked. Any delay for documents awaiting approval or feedback can deteriorate client relationships, delay payments, and frustrate employees. Consider document routing if your business is facing any of these challenges and looking to make a change. In this guide, we take a close look at document routing - what it is, how it works, and how it benefits businesses. We also introduce the document routing software we developed to help companies to make the most of the documents they encounter.
What is document routing?
Document routing is the process, workflow, or system that moves files to appropriate locations throughout the document journey. Document routing transports a document successfully through document lifecycle stages, with a special focus on the delivery. Common delivery destinations include email addresses, network folders, web folders, databases, accounting systems, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The orderly attention to direction and delivery facilitates and accelerates approvals between team members and departments. Document routing is an automated process often leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for accurate, nuanced, and sophisticated results. Each stage of the document journey is monitored, employees are notified when a document needs attention, and the document can be programmed to proceed or redirect to someone else for approval if days go by without action.
How does document routing work?
Document routing follows specific rules established by the user or enterprise. To create the rules, an administrator must first designate criteria such as the content group and type and then create or designate the file destinations. AI and ML automate the process and work to resolve any discrepancies that arise intelligently.
What are the benefits of document routing?
Document routing improves efficiencies, streamlines workflows, makes document editing easier, increases oversight and accountability, and reduces the risk of errors. Let's take a closer look at each of these benefits.
Improved Efficiency - Document routing supports an organization's time management strategies. Document routing makes documents less likely to stall because they can move on to others when someone is unavailable or inattentive. Notifications and reminders can be auto-generated to improve approval timelines.
Smoother Workflows - With document routing, each document can have its own intelligent and specific workflow that is designed by the user or enterprise administrator. This allows for consistency and customizations because you can establish the process and build intelligent adaptations to adjust as needed.
Easier Edits - Document routing allows for easier edits because all editing can be done within the program. Amendments are presented clearly, revisions are easier to read, and there is plenty of room in the document to make comments or changes.
Oversight and Accountability - With document routing, businesses can attain a high-level overview of all active workflows. Administrators gain visibility into tracking statuses and potential delays to adjust before issues arise. Administrators can also define users and tasks and automate notifications to keep operations on track and on time.
Fewer Errors - Document routing software reduces the occurrence of human errors and also cuts down on time spent tracking down and fixing mistakes. Because the process is more linear and transparent, there are fewer opportunities for errors.
Fabsoft's Document Routing Software
Here at FabSoft, we created the Fab-Connect Suite to deliver practical, cost-effective software solutions that intelligently capture and distribute transactional documents across businesses of every size. The Fab-Connect Suite includes MFDConnect, SysConnect, DeskConnect, along with additional solutions available through unique partnerships.
Our document routing software, MFDConnect is a scanning and printing solution that runs on a copy machine user interface. The interface is extremely intelligent to give the user the best experience. This solution has many predefined screens to help get up and running quickly. A powerful WYSIWYG designer allows IT to adjust or change the screens to meet even the most demanding workflows.
With MFDConnect, users can easily get documents into on-premise and cloud solutions. Local file shares can be automatically created and organized, and it is easy to send documents via email. The management console allows workflow control and security to ensure appropriate document access.
Since 1992, we have been an industry leader in document capture solutions, helping companies of all sizes significantly reduce their operating costs while maximizing business productivity. For this reason, no printing, scanning, or document routing challenge is too significant or too complicated for our software. With over 250,000 successful installations, FabSoft solutions have been implemented into the daily operations of many prominent businesses worldwide.
To see how MFDConnect can work for your business, Book a Demo with us today!