Hyland Software's Document Management Blog

ACORD LOMA is Over, So What’s Next? 4 Steps to Help You Keep the Momentum Going

// May 15th, 2013 // No Comments » // Document Management, Enterprise content management, Insurance // Ruth Fisk

Now that we’re about a week away from the end of the annual ACORD conference – and as we get back to the daily grind – how do you put into motion all the knowledge and innovative ideas you learned at the show?

This is one case where “what happens in Vegas” should not “stay in Vegas.” I’ve learned over the years that setting a strategic after-show plan is an important step to keep the momentum moving. Here are some tips I’ve found useful:

1. Review your notes

You had a reason for attending the show. Whether it was to gain better insight into where the industry is going or doing a bit of “window shopping to find the right technology solution to support your organizational needs, take time to reflect on the conversations you had and share that information with your team/ managers/ C-suite. Better yet, put together a few recommended next steps for them to consider. See step No. 2.

2. Show the ROI of that conference pass

Provide ideas on how to implement what you learned and apply it to your business processes. Share the research you gathered about ways to impact customer service and save operating costs by becoming more efficient.

3. Shout it from the rooftops

Now that you’ve shown why the idea/solution is valuable, start building consensus to help you bring it to fruition. Loop in other leaders and other departments to create a plan and decide next steps to get the idea/solution implemented.

4. Keep the momentum going

Don’t wait until the next ACORD conference to find your next big idea. Keep learning about emerging technologies and solutions to help your organization stay competitive. Continue to think of how you can evolve processes to make improvements throughout the organization.

What were your biggest takeaways from the show? How do you plan on implementing those ideas? We want to know about your ECM needs and how we can deliver a better product with the kind of functionality insurers need. Share your thoughts with us on our social channels (@Hyland Software or our Facebook page).

Until we meet again at next year’s ACORD LOMA,  keep your eyes peeled for our new software release in June!

ACORD LOMA 2013: Let’s Talk Mobile

// May 8th, 2013 // No Comments » // Document Management, Enterprise content management, Insurance, IT, Mobile // Julie Rees

As day three begins and ACORD LOMA draws to an end here in Las Vegas, it’s hard to believe the conference is almost over. It’s been a great show. We’ve had good traffic at the booth, reconnected with friends and had lively conversations with industry experts.

Perhaps most importantly, the sessions this year were great, too. Charlene Li’s social innovation presenation was particularly interesting, as well as a few others that talked about analytics, e-policy delivery models and emerging technology. But, if there’s one topic at this year’s show that kept coming up in conversations, it was mobile solutions.

We’ve had a focus on mobile ECM strategies for a few years now, and while it interests many in the industry, insurers have been slow to adopt mobile technologies. We asked around to see why something that is so widely discussed among insurers still causes hesitation. It seems that the only thing holding the industry back is a fear of change. On the bright side, during our conversations with analysts, it’s clear that the adoption of mobile solutions will increase because they’re quickly becoming the go-to tools to grow business.

After all, business decisions shouldn’t have to wait until your staff return to the office. Now, decisions can be made in the field so that processes keep moving, quickly. We’re hearing about the impact mobile is having on productivity and profit from our insurance customers who are among the early adopters of mobile technology. By implementing mobile ECM applications to empower their employees in the field, they’re moving at the speed of business – not the other way around.

If you’re attending ACORD and wish to learn more about our mobile apps for field adjusters, new business or life, we’d love to talk to you. Stop by booth #558 to see a live demo and experience the benefits of a mobile ECM strategy.  If you weren’t able to attend the show, feel free to contact me to hear more about our mobile solutions.

Three ways to make ACORD LOMA the best experience it can be

// May 7th, 2013 // No Comments » // Cloud Computing, Document Management, Enterprise content management, Insurance // Ruth Fisk

It’s hard to believe ACORD LOMA is already here. Where has the time gone?

For us, it’s been filled with researching the needs of the insurance industry and working with customers to develop solutions to solve those needs. What about you? What have you done over the last 12 months to prepare for this year’s conference?

The ACORD conference promises to deliver information that your business needs to stay competitive and go further, faster.  So if you are still reviewing your to-do list for this year’s show, we’ve put one together to help you make the most of your experience.

If it’s your first time at ACORD, here’s a brief overview. The annual conference brings together many of the industry’s best and brightest to discuss new and changing ways to transform business. Topics revolve around a number of trends: analytics, business strategy, cloud computing, enterprise architecture, mobile technology, operational efficiency, regulatory issues, social media tools and system development, to name a few.

Here are a few pre-show tips to set you up for a successful conference:

1. Attend sessions based on knowledge/business needs

The conference has nearly 50 different educational sessions! Everything from the digital business transformation to social innovation in P&C to compliance surrounding e-signature. Ask yourself which sessions will be of the most benefit to you or your organization and be prepared to listen, take notes and ask questions.

1. Review your homework

If your organization is seeking a specific solution, such as enterprise content management (ECM) for example, do some research  before you leave so that your  meetings with  vendors are productive you leave with the answers to all of your questions. A few questions to keep in mind include

• Is the solution flexible, supporting your needs now and into the future?
• Does the product road map continue to add new capabilities and functionality?
• If a problem arises, how responsive will the vendor be?
• Arriving to the show armed with the right questions will help you drive vendor meetings and best assess each vendor’s responses.

1. Think outside the box  

The ACORD conference is the perfect place to spark creativity and innovation. At the show, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. The best ideas often come from those who weren’t afraid to dream big.

As for me, my team and I will be implementing these tips at the show as well. If you’d like to stop by the Hyland Software booth #558, we’d love to meet you!

The case for actively managing policies and procedures

// April 15th, 2013 // No Comments » // Back Office, Document Management, Enterprise content management, Healthcare UK // Steve Rudland

A friend of mine works as an administrator for a school.  One of the tasks her team faces every year is  updating the school’s policy manual.  Each teacher has one; it’s a lever-arch file that documents the policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that they need to observe and adhere to in their daily work.

Annually, the administration team collects all of the manuals, removes the contents, and replaces them with the revised documents to be used for the next academic year.  The manuals will then be placed in the teachers’ pigeon-holes, where the teachers will collect them.But how does the head of the school know that the teachers have read the new policies?  How does she know that they are implementing of the new policies?  How does she know that they understand the new policies?   She doesn’t, but the manual has been issued, a box has been ticked, so all is right with the world.

I visited my GP recently.  He and his colleagues are required to keep their Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG, formerly Primary Care Trust) updated to show which processes and procedures they are current on.  This is usually accomplished with a paper note handed to the Practice Manager, who sends an email to the CCG.

But how does the CCG manage the email?  Do they simply search the inbox whenever a question arises?  Or does someone have the job of transcribing from the regular emails from 20+ practices, and maintaining a list – probably a spreadsheet?  And, once again, how does the CCG know that the staff understand the policy or procedure?

If an organisation cannot be certain that its staff know its policies and procedures – basically that its staff knows what to do – then that organisation will be, at best, inefficient.  Staff will waste time checking with colleagues to determine correct procedures, or will act incorrectly.  At worst, the organisation will be a danger to its patients, customers, pupils, or passengers.  Inefficiency and risk are unnecessary expenses that can be minimised by an active approach to policy management.

Active Policy Management enables organisations to:

• Collaboratively develop and revise policies;
• Maintain reading lists of relevant policies for groups of workers;
• Inform workers of new and revised policies in their reading list
• Require staff to read and acknowledge new and revised policies
• Require staff to demonstrate understanding of new and revised policies
• Audit acknowledgement and understanding to identify laggards and those in need of training or coaching

Enterprise content management (ECM) software such as OnBase provides Active Policy Management capabilities like electronic document management (EDM), workflow, reporting, electronic forms, and audit.  Customers as diverse as ambulance services, local authorities, and engineering manufacturers  use the OnBase policy management capabilities to improve staff efficiency, customer experience and reduce risk.

The current climate in the NHS, combined with rapid evolution of procedures makes it essential that staff is fully cognisant of the policies and procedures they must follow to enable a safe, high quality patient experience.  The implementation of Active Policy Management takes them a  a step close to the paper-free NHS.

I’m listening … Learning more about the information management needs in higher education

// April 12th, 2013 // No Comments » // Document Management, Enterprise content management, Higher Education, Workflow // Laurel Stiller

I have an enviable job. For the next 100 days, my first priority is to listen to the voices of our current and prospective customers. I’m listening in on phone calls, watching video testimonials, reading case studies  and attending sessions that Hyland customers are presenting at conferences. And I’m hearing a lot.

Let’s start with the bad. In prospect calls, I’m learning that, on average, students are showing up with three transcripts that need to be evaluated and reconciled.  I’m hearing that institutions continue to struggle just to keep up with the volume. Many are experiencing their longest turnaround times ever for transcript evaluation. In fact, just this week I heard one institution say they’ve hit a four-week turnaround. Another institution shared they’re at an eight-week turnaround.

But, here’s the one thing I heard that really scares me: On separate occasions multiple institutions admitted that their school’s course articulation database is “stored” in the head of one person.

One person!?

Someone please hand me the bubble wrap, because whoever that one person is needs to start walking around wearing that – or a suit of armor.

I’m risk averse – I admit it.  But these conversations lately leave me downright squeamish about the amount of risk institutions are assuming, what, with one person keeping course equivalencies in his or her head and transcript evaluations taking longer and longer. Meanwhile, students wait. They wait to learn if they’ve been accepted to an institution. They wait to find out what credits transferred. They wait to register for classes.  That’s a lot of waiting.

Okay, time for some good news.  I’m hearing about the ways OnBase is helping our customers. OnBase customers are telling me how they’ve eliminated risk and reduced their turnaround times for transcript equivalencies by implementing our Transfer Course Evaluation.

Some processing times have shrunk to just three business days! I’m hearing that institutions are using fast transcript evaluation as a recruiting tool for the applicant pool.  I love that idea. (Full disclosure here: I’m the parent of a high school senior who has leveraged Ohio’s PSEOP program. He’ll go off to college this fall having taken courses at Kent State University for dual credit this past year. He’ll arrive with a transcript that needs to be evaluated and I’d like to know before he chooses a school what credits will transfer.)

One institution is crediting OnBase for helping them meet the aggressive  goal of expanding their out-of-state student population by 40 percent. Another institution is able to easily change their OnBase workflows to roll out a smart process around Curriculum Management.

And, by the way, these stories are coming from customers who use Colleague and Banner and PeopleSoft as their ERPs. It’s great to know they’re extending the value of their ERP.

Oh, I like what I am hearing. You can hear it, too. If we didn’t cross paths at Ellucian Live, I’ll be at AACRAO where our clients are presenting. Email me at Laurel.Stiller@hyland.com for details. It’s worth a listen.

More and more, business leaders turning to mobile to stay connected; make decisions

// April 8th, 2013 // No Comments » // Cloud Computing, Document Management, Enterprise content management, Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, Higher Education, Insurance, IT, Mobile // Gabriel Baird

Put mobile in the pocket of your decision makers

What do business leaders and their teenage children have in common? In most cases, it’s not the belief that the greatest singer of all time is Justin Bieber.Both young people and decision makers, however, are together in leading the Internet migration from the desktop to mobile devices.The Washington Post reported recently that a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found about 25  percent of the nation’s youth connect to the Internet primarily using mobile devices.The study doesn’t provide data on adults. However, social contact manager Gist, which Research in Motion acquired in 2011, has an excellent infographic about “The Mobile Workstyle.” The graphic shows that 87 percent of IT managers have handed out mobile devices and that mobile access climbed 36 percent between 2009 and 2010.The number of workers going mobile continues to climb. That’s obvious in any airport where business travelers are glued to their handheld devices, answering emails and making business decisions from the concourse.

Critical business information needs to get into the hands of the right people at the right time. In today’s global marketplace, the right people are often on the road. This often creates bottlenecks in workflows until those road warriors can take action. Your ECM vendor provides access to documents from anywhere allowing decision makers to – for instance – review, approve or deny requests.

At Hyland, we’ve seen the trend accelerate since leading the ECM industry into the mobile frontier. Hundreds of our customers are using mobile modules for OnBase to access and act on key documents using their Android phones, Blackberries, Windows phones, iPads and iPhones.

“We’re constantly extending OnBase features so our customers can evolve their solutions in lockstep with the latest devices and get even more and better results,” said Bill Filion, vice president of development for Hyland Software.

The Pew report has prompted talking heads on TV to raise concerns about teens connecting to the Internet without adult supervision. Certainly, music snobs are just as concerned about adults using the Internet to watch performances by Bieber.

Stop the March of Document Madness

// April 3rd, 2013 // No Comments » // Credit Unions, Document Management, Enterprise content management, Financial Services // Michelle Harbinak Shapiro

Click to enlarge

While March Madness might be heaven for college basketball fans, credit unions are the ones really racking up the points. In 2012, they reported record earnings, according to SNL Financial. In fact, the industry recorded a 34 percent jump in net income over 2011. That’s a statistic that would even make Duke proud.

However, along with growth in earnings, new memberships and loan applications comes increased paper use. That also means increases in the costs to store, ship and print all that paper. Meanwhile, simple tasks – like retrieving a document or a file – become exponentially harder and more time consuming. Eventually, paper either becomes an issue for a thriving credit union or management uses technology to ease the burden.

Your key sixth player: ECM
That’s where a document management system saves the day. Document management – also called enterprise content management (ECM) – enables credit unions to decrease their dependency on paper to:

• Cut costs
• Increase productivity
• Reduce risks

When considering any IT project, the biggest concerns are how much it will cost to implement and how big of a disruption it will cause. You need to balance the cost of the project with the operational savings and efficiencies you’ll gain. Like any clutch sixth player, the right document management solution works in the background – supporting your systems and users in more ways than they’ll ever know.

A winning game plan: Get faster and more accurate to improve service 
Centralizing documents and information is key to providing winning member service. With an all-star document management solution, you streamline operations by scanning all documents contained in and associated with a member file – or even a loan application – into one central system where they’re immediately accessible to the entire organization. It also easily integrates with other core systems, keeping users working in programs they’re familiar with and sharing information across platforms. With fast access to more information in their familiar applications, employees quickly answer member questions.

Document management also gives employees the ability to attach notes to documents within the member file to track information and provide additional member knowledge to better serve them.

Moving to a paperless environment eliminates the need to print and store multiple copies of loan files and drastically reduces shipping needs among geographically dispersed branches. This provides significant cost savings as well as protection from disaster, theft or loss. It also gives your credit union the ability to answer prospective and current member questions faster than your competition.

Adding further speed, agility and accuracy to the team, automatic indexing decreases the risk of human error when naming files, increasing the ability to find them across the enterprise. And with electronic document workflow automatically forwarding documents through processes, you optimize communication among employees and between branches.

A strong defense
The best defense is a strong offense. Storing member data on paper leaves your credit union vulnerable to data theft or natural disasters. If you don’t image paper documents like loan files, you run the risk of information being difficult to find or even lost.

With document management, you ensure a high level of security with passwords and document access based on user rights. The system tracks all activities providing file security and employee accountability. It also creates audit trails that help comply with regulations and make it easy to prepare for audits. And since data is stored electronically with secure backups, credit unions always have access to important information.

The final shot
The biggest challenge for any servicing operation that wants to be a champion is how to manage the massive volume of documents and files the lending process creates. Through the use of document management, credit unions of all sizes are able to image, store, manage and access electronic documents in a way that suits the individual business need, ensuring greater security and increased efficiencies.

Watching college hoops in March is a lot more fun than jumping through hoops to find what you need to do your job. Look into document management to ensure everyone on your team is playing to their fullest potential.

Better government IT starts with smart procurement

// March 29th, 2013 // No Comments » // Document Management, Enterprise content management, Government, IT // Terri Jones

There are many challenges to using the competitive procurement process to purchase IT solutions for government.

The dilemma is more than just large and cumbersome RFP package production, long software demos and lengthy review and contracting. Government has reduced funding for investments and can no longer afford to get it wrong – especially for core systems like document management, GIS, accounting and finance solutions and other large, critical systems. That means the best approach is to improve the way you procure IT.

Traditional procurement rules and processes aren’t designed for the complexity of IT. Procurement focuses on getting the best price and terms for commodity items that are easily definable and available from multiple vendors. IT purchases don’t often fit this approach because technology is usually deployed as a “solution” — a set of products, consulting and support services and processes that are often developed after vendors are selected. And, often proposals come in with different pricing schemes and different descriptions that make it difficult to do an “apples to apples” comparison.

Similarly, standard purchasing terms and conditions were usually not created for IT. The nature of IT investments might require adjustments to payment terms, delivery parameters, considerations of warranty coverage and other standards that are defined for general purchasing. You may need to develop new terms and practices for the “best-value” contracting that is often a better choice for IT projects.

For all of these reasons, I think procurement staff, like most of us, struggle to keep up with technology. An IT investment typically includes many variable elements such as multiple licenses, product bundles or versions, and multiyear support contracts or service subscriptions. These elements can be confusing and is only compounded by rapid technology change and the increasing number of highly diverse IT projects.

Additionally, the increasing adoption of IT services and cloud solutions instead of hardware or software product purchases requires a new understanding of service pricing and delivery models.

So, how can your procurement get smarter about IT?

• Use vendor white papers or invite vendors to educate staff about a technology before the RFP is developed. This gives you a way to be more precise in describing what you need for your organization from the solution under consideration.
• Visit neighboring jurisdictions that have implemented a solution or use an online meeting to see actual solutions that address your needs so you can understand realistic outcomes before you write requirements. Use your peers’ experience to write your RFP and to understand how to evaluate a type of solution.
• Shared services and interlocal agreements can also be used to to leverage another jurisdiction’s procurement. TUsing contracts such as GSA or state term schedules in order to avoid creating your own contract is another option. This can save money and allow you to benefit from IT pioneers at the county or city level.
• Check resources like the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, the National Association of State CIOs and the Center for Digital Government to learn more about specific solutions and who is using them.
• Finding new ways to research and procure technology solutions begins with knowing what you don’t want every bit as much as what you do want. To identify this knowledge within your organization, ask the question that is at the core of what you are trying to achieve: What will success look like for your organization and why is it important? This question about project success prompts discussion with the business side and with users about what they need and what they can realistically expect from a technology purchase. In turn, this discussion helps to create more realistic RFPs, more targeted vendor responses, and a more efficient purchasing effort.

Changing procurement does not mean throwing out competitive bidding, but it does mean evaluating our practices to ensure that your process picks the solution with the best chance of meeting the project needs at a fair price.