Everybody knows digital forms are the future. We don’t have to tell you that. But some businesses are still dealing with paper forms for a variety of reasons. Maybe you think it’s too expensive to transition. Or maybe you simply don’t have a tool to digitize all the paper documents you need.
Unfortunately, if you’re still using paper forms, your business is already falling behind. And every day you delay making the switch adds to your difficulties when you finally decide to pull the trigger.
The good news? Implementing automated online forms is one of the most cost-efficient and effective steps you can take to actually save money and grow your business.
Here are four ways that a document management platform takes over the work that doesn’t drive revenue.
Online Forms Increase Availability and Decrease Tedious Work
In the age of technology, access is one of the top requirements for a relevant and thriving business. For example, if given the choice between a company that operates only between particular hours and an organization with online chat or contact forms, customers regularly opt for the latter.
Online forms make you accessible to your clients 24 hours a day and from any location without the cost of manning phone lines. And you can use automated features to route the received messages to appropriate employees and send notifications, speeding up the response cycle as well.
Contact forms are particularly important as they allow customers to reach out to your business with questions at any time of day. They can leave their name and email so that you can get back to them with an answer. If you choose this route, be sure you have an employee who dedicates time each day to answering these contact form questions. Try to get every customer an answer within 24 hours.
If your business provides appointments (ex: medical provider, vet, tax accountant, etc.), simply insert an automated form for scheduling time. Add a calendar that shows availability, and then create a form with the necessary contact information to complete their appointment.
You can even automate billing. Nowadays, most customers prefer to pay online. It’s easier and far more secure than paying over the phone or by mail. With an automated online form, all your customers need to pay is an account number and a form of payment. It’s that quick and easy. Plus, your business gets paid a lot faster than if you were waiting on customers to mail back payments.
The key to these types of automation is to remove the repetitive processes that keep your employees from more important work. When online forms are doing tedious tasks for your business, everyone else can be focused on work that helps you gain and keep customers.
Online Forms Instantly Capture Data
Companies use forms to capture data, whether it is for customer contact, survey results, or payment information. When you collect data on paper, the next steps are frequently drawn-out and invite a security breach. Online forms quickly capture and protect customer data, allowing your team to move faster and more securely.
Plus, eforms immediately catalog and integrate data into your information system. There is no delay between your company receiving information and putting it to good use. With the right document management system, this information is also searchable, visible in reports, and access-controlled to ensure only authorized employees can see private data.
No more wasting time having someone track down that customer invoice or an important contract.
Online Forms Improve Data Accuracy
Any time a human transfers information from paper to an electronic format, you risk errors occurring. In fact, data entry mistakes are common and often costly. By using eforms, you eliminate the risk of a transcription error while saving time and money.
Think of everything you could be doing with more accurate data and less risk of mistakes. Plus, you’ll see a boost in both morale and productivity when your employees no longer need to spend hours on mindless data entry.
Online Forms Can Provide Instant Feedback for a Better Customer Experience
While every company wants satisfied customers, it can be difficult to get a big-picture evaluation of your organization from a client perspective. Automation allows you to collect customer feedback in an organized and meaningful way. Customer surveys are a highly effective tool that helps your client base feel heard while you gain insights to help you grow.
There are a few ways that companies can use customer surveys. One great option is to send out a survey via email to customers once they have interacted with your business. This could be the day after their appointment, two days after they shopped with you, etc. Another option is posting the survey to your website or to social media accounts.
And once these surveys are set up, they’ll keep bringing you results. That means you have a real-time ongoing conversation with your customers so you can respond more quickly when problems occur. Automations allow you to flag problem responses and assign them directly to your employees. And since your team will have more time on their hands because your online forms are taking over those old repetitive tasks, your customers will get a more immediate response. That means happier employees and customers.
What About My Old Paper Forms?
We are guessing you might already have some file cabinets full of paperwork dating back many years. A document management platform allows businesses to digitize these forms so they are all in one place.
You will need to scan in any paper forms that you wish to store. But the good news is that capturing this data is easy with AI. It can be as simple as snapping a picture with your cell phone. The platform can then read the content of the forms and store them in the correct place. Investing the time in digitizing your paperwork now can save you a lot of time and money down the road. And once it’s done, you’ll never need to worry about those paper forms again. No more paying fees to print, process, store, and destroy physical documents.
Interested in learning more about how a document management solution can help you transition to online forms? Contact Vasion today for more information.