Most auto dealerships spend
considerable time managing documents – time that
costs money, and that could be spent selling cars.
In fact, handling represents 88% of the cost of a
typical document. A recent cost analysis from
Pitney-Bowes and Xerox places the total cost of
handling and archiving a single paper document,
during its complete lifecycle at approximately $15
per item. The cost skyrockets to $75 when a physical
archive search is required. At that rate, an auto
dealership can spend as much as $250,000 a year
managing documents.
Take this case take your dealership. Here, employees
used to spend more than half their time filing,
sorting, storing and retrieving documents. This
system automates and manages the storage, retrieval,
and distribution of every type of document in the
dealership.
The document management system is integrated with
the Host information management system. All
information from the dealership's host business
applications can be archived automatically into the
document management system. This system can reduce
processing costs by up to 35% by improving the
efficiency throughout a company. Archived data can
be accessed quickly from any workstation, cutting
costs for time, space and paper. As documents age
they are automatically moved to other storage media
according to preset parameters – further maximizing
efficiency, retrieval and cost-effectiveness.
Finally, documents are purged automatically from the
system at the end of their life cycle.
Problem: Growth Up, Efficiency Down
The controller at local dealership, searched for
five years for an efficient automated document
management system. "Our employees were losing
valuable time searching through storage areas to
locate pieces of paper. Space and efficiency are
major issues. And the situation is getting worse –
our company is growing, so the number of documents
multiplied. We're inundated endless files of paper!"
According to the staff, labor savings are a big
benefit of document management. The system
determines the most cost-effective method of storage
for each document based on user preference,
frequency of access, retention period, distribution
needs and government conformance regulations.
The dealer looks forward to significant cost savings
from the Document Imaging System. For instance, in
the sales department, "If a salesperson wants to
access a three-year-old deal jacket to verify a
warranty, the paperwork can be accessed in seconds."
Already, document management has helped the file
clerk boost her productivity by 30-40%.
Improved Processes Throughout the
Company
The document management system can capture documents
as they are created and automatically archive them,
a tremendous timesaver. Every invoice – from parts,
service, body shop, etc. – is stored electronically.
"We don't have to do anything, " the users say.
"Then, authorized employees can immediately locate
the documents they need from the nearest terminal.
It's so easy."
"The system is wonderful for accessing archived
information," she continues. "Say for example, a
company calls us for a recommendation for an
employee who is no longer the dealer. In seconds, I
can have the whole file in front of me – raises,
promotions, and also reprimands and or reasons for
the departure.
When a customer needs an old repair order, the
advisor quickly prints it out from the system as the
customer waits. "This really speeds up our customer
service," says the customer service advisor.
The system can be programmed to limit access to
sensitive documents. Only a few top executives can
access any document. Also, the document management
system can send faxes – a big bonus, especially for
legal correspondence. "I can fax sensitive documents
to our attorney at my convenience. He can fax his
return right to the Document Management System,"
says the staff. "Only a few people have the
authority to enter the fax area of the system. So
nobody can walk by and see a document lying on the
fax machine."
The system also helps management make better
business decisions. Previously, if the finance
manager needed to compare credit applications, the
file clerk would have to stop what she was doing, go
to another location and pull the deal, – which took
about an hour. Now the finance manager can access
the deal himself.
Always Accurate and Complete
The imaging aspect of the system is particularly
appealing to managers – every handwritten note, such
as a mechanic's notes about a repair job – appears
on the document (in this case the repair order).
"Every piece of information, notes and all, is at
your fingertips. This means the mechanic has the
complete vehicle history. That can make the
difference between getting the repair right the
first time and having to come back several times."
Auto Dealers likes the fact that once a document is
scanned, the information cannot be altered. "No
one can go back and change what they wrote. That
creates a great audit trail."
Dealers believe that the Imaging Solutions document
management system gives any dealer a distinct
competitive advantage. "If you don't have the vision
to move into the future, you are going to be left
behind. Adapting to what's happening in the
marketplace is a big part of that vision. Are you
going to let document processing slow you down while
your competition serves customers faster than you
do? You have to supply your customers with the best
possible service. We do that by using the best
technology available."
Paperwise has image enabled ADP
and Reynolds & Reynolds host systems
