The IT Director for Fletcher Jones Motorcars spent three years researching electronic document management solutions and compiling a detailed list of requirements. He wanted a system that could index automatically without the need for manual intervention, and one that had the ability to scan documents and separate pages into individual records. The system needed to be an out-of-the-box solution that didn't require extensive programming and could provide employees with web-based access to information.
Fast and easy installation
DocuWare was successfully installed. Now documents on completed work are scanned and automatically separated as needed, into multi-page repair records. Using OCR technology, the RO number is "read" from the page and used as a match-code to pull indexing information from an existing database; indexing the document without manual intervention. For compliance reasons, original paper documents are kept for four years and then destroyed. If an original document is required, the electronic record specifies which box contains the record. Sales documentation is scanned and automatically indexed in a similar way. Employees can access the information through the company intranet using a web browser.
FJM employees now have instant online access to information. This improved employee productivity and raised job satisfaction ratings. Customer service also improved dramatically as documentation could be retrieved faster, not only by VIN number, but by car model, customer name or date purchased; thus providing the Service Advisor instant availability to the entire repair history for any vehicle. Electronic annotations are now made directly on the ROs stored in DocuWare, giving any Service Advisor the ability to answer customer questions.
Access to electronic documents
On a corporate level, FJM now has complete control over original documents by securely storing them in an onsite warehouse immediately after scanning. Accessing information electronically, FJM eliminated the need to store and access documents from a third-party storage facility. Employees can now work on higher value tasks instead of filing or purging paper documents.
Digitization of processes leads to greater revenue potential
Today, with the reduced need to store paper files, FJM has regained premium office space which also allows them to keep departments in one space allowing for better collaboration. For example, now that the call center employees are in one place, this has allowed for dramatic improvements in customer service. This helps FJM maintain its strong commitment to the customer which in turns contributes to new and repeat business resulting in greater revenues.
