The realm of forms management is currently witnessing a significant turning point. With the increasing demands of customers and employees, companies are constantly striving to maintain technology costs whilst introducing in-house solutions. Smart Communications, a pioneer in customer engagement, has released a new white paper exploring the role of firms in interaction experience management.
The advent of digital innovations in the domain of enterprise data collection provides businesses an avenue to update such processes incrementally.
Smart Communications’ white paper delves into the potential of forms automation technologies and how they can operate individually or in conjunction with other technologies and how they can build an end-to-end, fully digital collection and approval process that improve customer and employee experiences.
The report begins by giving an overview of the data collection process. Companies have started to grasp the critical nature of the customer experience in communications. This has led to a transition from the fundamental Customer Communications Management (CCM) towards a more holistic Customer Experience Management (CXM). Presently, there’s an emerging cognizance concerning forms processes and management. This is driven by companies acknowledging the influence their data or form collection methods have on the overall customer experience.
Initially, the most basic forms, dubbed as “Forms 1.0”, were purely paper documents tailored for specific and often regulated business operations. These forms were dispatched to clients, with the onus on them to complete and return them. Once received, mailroom staff would then forward these documents to the relevant department. Thereafter, staff had to input this data into a system or utilise OCR/ICR software to scan and extract the details. This stage would typically involve manual verification, often requiring corrections before the data could be operationalised.
Electronic forms, termed “Forms 2.0”, somewhat alleviated these challenges. They permitted clients to access and return forms electronically via websites. However, the subsequent processes remained unchanged. Data had to be manually inputted and authenticated before the actual business operation could commence, rendering the cycles prolonged, cumbersome, and costly.
In the current digital landscape, companies have the privilege of utilising low-code form automation tools. These not only simplify data ingestion but also automate approval operations. The outcomes are swifter processes, diminished operational costs, and bolstered data security. Additionally, these “forms” possess the intelligence to adapt, processing details obtained from primary systems or user entries. This eliminates redundant data accumulation, minimising the efforts of both customers and employees. The low-code nature of these solutions also allows business units to swiftly design and regulate forms with negligible IT intervention, ensuring rapid rollouts and optimal utilisation.
Presently, the newest data collection instruments, termed Interaction Experience Management (IXM), are utilising features such as core system data integrations, workflow enhancements, form signature functionalities, advanced support for uploaded documentation, and more. These are pioneering the path towards a fully modernised form processing approach.
To find out how new form data collection methodologies are transforming workflow, download the full white paper here.
Keep up with all the latest FinTech news here
Copyright © 2023 FinTech Global
