Streamlining Automotive Retail Document Management with MFDConnect and DAC
A leading U.S. retailer with over 148 stores and annual sales of 200,000 cars faces the challenge of managing massive volumes of paperwork. Each car sale generates a sales deal jacket with six sections and over 50 document types, resulting in millions of documents annually. Manual processes, including scanning with cover sheets and management approvals, were inefficient, costly, and error-prone, adding 1.2 million extra documents yearly. FabSoft’s Modular Object Scanning Technology (MFDConnect) and Document Authority Control (DAC), integrated with SharePoint Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and ADP systems, transformed these workflows. This comprehensive guide explores how MFDConnect and DAC automated document processing, approval, and archiving, delivering efficiency, accuracy, and scalability for one of the largest automotive retailers.
Challenges of Manual Document Management
The retailer’s manual document workflow was a significant bottleneck. Each sales deal jacket, containing six sections with over 50 document types (e.g., contracts, financing forms, warranties), required manual scanning into SharePoint ECM with cover sheets to separate sections. This added 1.2 million cover sheets annually, increasing processing time and storage costs. Management approval for each jacket was manual, further delaying archiving. Processing 100 deal jackets daily at 5-10 minutes each consumed 500–1000 minutes (8–17 hours), costing $48,000–$96,000 annually per employee at a $20 hourly rate. Errors, such as misfiled documents or incorrect indexing, complicated retrieval for audits or legal purposes, impacting efficiency and compliance. The retailer urgently needed an automated, user-friendly solution to streamline these processes.
Solutions Implemented by the Automotive Retailer
FabSoft introduced MFDConnect and DAC to overhaul the retailer’s document workflows. MFDConnect integrated with Ricoh multifunction printers (MFPs) and the ADP system, enabling employees to scan and route documents directly from the MFP screen. When processing a sales deal jacket, employees query the ADP system by customer name, VIN, or phone number, selecting the correct jacket from a drop-down list of section types. The document is scanned and sent to DAC, a web interface for viewing, editing, and approving documents based on a hierarchical management system.
DAC notifies the appropriate sales manager to review the jacket section, who can make changes and approve it for the next reviewer in the hierarchy. Once approved, DAC automatically archives the document to SharePoint ECM with 30 indexes (e.g., customer ID, deal type) for quick retrieval. This eliminated the need for cover sheets, reducing document volume by 1.2 million annually, and streamlined approvals, ensuring efficient, error-free archiving.
Benefits of MFDConnect and DAC
The implementation delivered transformative benefits:
- Automated Processing: Employees scan and route documents from MFPs, reducing processing time from 5-10 minutes to seconds.
- Streamlined Approvals: DAC automates hierarchical reviews, ensuring timely approvals without manual intervention.
- Efficient Archiving: Eliminates 1.2 million cover sheets, archiving documents with 30 indexes for instant retrieval.
- Enhanced Accessibility: Index-based searches enable quick document access for audits or legal purposes.
- Cost Savings: Reduces labor and storage costs, saving thousands annually.
- Improved Compliance: Secure archiving supports regulatory requirements.
Quantifying the Impact
The financial and operational impact was substantial. Manual processing of 100 deal jackets daily at 5 minutes each consumed 500 minutes, costing $48,000 annually per employee at a $20 hourly rate. MFDConnect and DAC reduced this to 25 minutes daily, saving over $44,000 per employee. Eliminating 1.2 million cover sheets saved additional storage and material costs, estimated at tens of thousands annually. The streamlined approval and archiving process improved compliance and reduced errors, enhancing efficiency across 148 stores and supporting the retailer’s high sales volume.
Getting Started with Document Automation
The retailer implemented MFDConnect and DAC with a phased approach, starting with sales deal jackets. The solution integrated seamlessly with ADP and SharePoint ECM, requiring minimal setup. Staff were trained on the user-friendly MFP interface, and performance metrics (e.g., processing time, error rates) were monitored to optimize workflows. This approach delivered immediate results, with plans to scale to other document types, ensuring sustained efficiency gains across all stores.
Broader Implications for Automotive Retail
The retailer’s success highlights MFDConnect and DAC’s potential for broader adoption in automotive retail. By automating document workflows, retailers can enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer service. The solution’s scalability and integration capabilities make it ideal for multi-store operations, supporting growth in a competitive market.
Conclusion
FabSoft’s MFDConnect and DAC transformed the automotive retailer’s document management, automating sales deal jacket processing, approvals, and archiving. By reducing costs, enhancing accessibility, and improving compliance, this solution empowered the retailer to thrive in 2025’s competitive automotive landscape.