WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
Flow riders Workflow management solutions are becoming an established part of how many people work due to the efficiencies they can bring. SMBs are increasingly taking up these solutions, and resellers have a crucial role to play in helping them find the right solution for their needs.
In economic terms, 2024 has been an unremarkable year, with the UK economy bumping along, registering small amounts of growth or contraction each month. This means that for many small- and medium- sized businesses (SMBs), times are tight and managers are looking to find efficiencies wherever possible. Increasingly this is through workflow management solutions. Mark Eyden, director at Laserfiche, says that while economic uncertainty has been a continued concern for SMBs in 2024, they have increasingly adopted workflow management solutions. “They recognise the vital role that automation and digital transformation will play in cutting costs and achieving efficiencies,” he says. “Equally, we’re seeing many SMBs consider digital transformation to supercharge company growth or gain a competitive edge. Automation and digital transformation are fast becoming non-negotiables when it comes to an SMB’s ability innovate and grow.” Ian Fox, Xerox channel solutions and services specialist, agrees that many SMBs can benefit from workflow management solutions. “Many businesses are looking to do more with less, allowing them to create or maintain a competitive advantage, and they are very open to conversations with
partners that can design and facilitate more efficient workflows for their business-critical processes,” he says. David Malan, sales director – UK & Ireland at DocuWare, agrees that SMBs are increasingly adopting workflow management solutions to streamline operations, reduce manual tasks and keep pace in a digital-first landscape. “Such as document management solutions like DocuWare’s that come with proven workflow offer SMBs the ability to graduate from paper-based processes and scattered file systems to efficient, cloud-based document and workflow management,” he says. “For these businesses, the benefits are tangible: enhanced efficiency, better team collaboration and significant cost savings as they cut down on manual errors and processing times.” Advantages of workflow management For SMBs, there are many advantages to adopting workflow management solutions. David notes that a key advantage is that workflow solutions provide a clear path to improved efficiencies. “It enables quicker approvals, better financial insights and compliance ease,” he says. “For example, automating accounts payable can unlock discounts on early payments and foster stronger supplier relationships. Calculating return on investment (ROI) in these solutions becomes straightforward as SMBs can observe immediate gains in time savings, operational efficiency and employee and customer satisfaction.” Ian agrees that ROI justification is also relatively straightforward. “Xerox partners have access to Workflow Mapping tools that allow them to map the client’s existing process; they can then use the same tool to present an improved process, highlighting the areas where savings in time, effort or materials can be realised,” he says. “We can then relate the effort saved as a percentage of the costs of the FTEs (full-time
Mark Eyden director
laserfiche.com
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Automation and digital transformation are fast becoming non-negotiables when it comes to an SMB’s ability innovate and grow.
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printinthechannel.co.uk
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