Hybrid everything: How digitizing documents equips teams with secure access anywhere
The pandemic has accelerated digital change across all facets of our lives, especially how we work. Even as more team members go back to the office, 54% of U.S. workers say they prefer a hybrid model with a mix of on-site and remote work, while 37% plan to remain remote permanently according to a 2022 Gallup poll. Across all industries, COVID-19 has shown organizations that they have to be responsive to employee needs in order to stay resilient against rapidly changing market dynamics and customer expectations. As such, many companies are embracing a new “hybrid everything” approach to support both on-site and remote teams with technologies such as document digitization, AI, and automation that are proving to be essential for enabling the flexibility required for employees to work from anywhere.
Elevating your workforce with hybrid thinking
Recent research from Gartner about the future of work indicates that applying this “hybrid everything” methodology will be a major post-pandemic trend, but that it goes beyond just having a mix of on-site and remote teams. For a hybrid workforce to function well, all employees need easy, secure access to mission-critical documents and information, 24/7, on-demand. This is where solutions like document scanning and storage, AI, and automation can greatly help by reducing time-consuming, manual tasks typically required for daily operations, like data retrieval, and ensure all systems are kept up to date with the latest information in real-time.
In essence, a “hybrid everything” approach, when backed with the right tools can elevate your team members with efficient, human-centric processes no matter where they are, or what time zone they’re in, to promote the long-term stability of your enterprise.
Digitization fosters efficiency and reduces real estate
With 45% of full-time employees in the U.S. still working from home in 2022, many companies are also trying to proactively reduce their physical real estate. With that objective in mind, paper document storage and delivery have become a major focus for many businesses and is where digitizing documents can have a significant impact on processes and space, such as:
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Document scanning and storage: Sometimes boxes of documents need to be saved for several years due to regulations while other types of documents are saved for HR or departmental purposes. A document scanning and storage solution can digitize important information for quick, searchable, and secure access for your entire organization.
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Digital mailroom: Corporate mail is still being delivered. If employees are home, how do they get their mail in a timely way? A digital mailroom can help organizations easily route important documents and increase business communication efficiency.
A human-centric, system driven approach for scalability
Simply put, efficient processes make for happier employees who are better equipped with the tools they need to create outstanding experiences for your clients and customers. By reinventing processes with a “hybrid everything” mindset, you can better accommodate what everyone needs all at once in an integrated, systematic way that promotes scalability. Here are some specific ways document digitization supports a “hybrid everything” approach:
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Accessibility: Converting documents to digital formats enables business stakeholders to easily access and share digital versions throughout an organization, which greatly improves business processes and the security of your mission-critical documents.
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Security: Enhanced security by digitizing documents and only providing access to who needs it and a trail of who views information.
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Business continuity: Eliminating the physical storage of paper documents by converting to digital greatly reduces the risks that natural disasters can have by providing the highest level of redundancy and availability that is only possible through a digital storage solution.
With digitized document scanning and storage, work is well-managed, new skills can be acquired, and daily operations can accelerate as employees take on new activities previously inaccessible due to work location or time zone. Thoughtfully incorporating these technologies are key to supporting individual employee preferences, expanding accessibility, and enhancing workflows company-wide. Visit us online to learn more about how Conduent can digitize your important business documents to make them more accessible, searchable, and secure.