European Reseller

Helping bring new products to market

Thursday, Mar 28th

Last updateFri, 16 Jun 2023 8am

You are here: Home Retail Newsflash Product Reviews ROI ! ROI! ROI! The EDM reseller mantra
Hand Held

ROI ! ROI! ROI! The EDM reseller mantra

  All  organisations either government or commercial are under mounting pressure to streamline their business processes, increase their bottom lines and reducing their carbon footprints. In order to meet these demands, many are turning to electronic document management (EDM) systems to gain a competitive advantage.

 

Document management enables companies  to electronically store, retrieve, manage, deliver and authorise business documents. It also enables the automated capture and verification of purchase orders, invoice, and data input.

  The falling costs of storage, the improvement of high speed internet connections and the range of scanning hardware has transformed the storage of documents. Hardware developers like Bowe Bell & Howell, Silver Creations, Kodak, Fujitsu and, BancTec has changed the way we input data.
 

Dependant on the task in hand scanning hardware can vary between Xamance, as a starter system costing as little as €1,700 for  manual scanning of single documents suitable for SME’s solutions.  Or Silver creations Sceye a compact flatbed scanner, moving up to  systems for automated scanning costing around  € 10,000 Euros. The higher range such as a BancTec unit or more likely a pair of units priced between € 100,000  and € 200,000 Euros  for  corporate clients like Bayer, Deutsche Post, TNT  BP & ExxonMobil.

 
 With the edition of improved high speed internet connections clients need not be local or even on the same continent. These systems are easy to use and as well as reducing operating costs and improving efficiency, they double as a business continuity solutions whilst maintaining a green carbon image and solution.

 

There are also many document management providers in the marketplace, Ardaco , LIB-IT, Docuware, Captiva,and infoRouter  to name a few,  giving the reseller and end user  a huge  choice.

What return on investment (ROI) can you expect?

Document management and imaging software has one of the fastest ROI’s. You and your document management provider should be able to boast and achieve a ROI of six months or less.

 

Catherine Murphy, Marketing Manager of document management and imaging company, Version One, says that you must ask a document management supplier the following key questions when selecting an EDM system.

Do you author the document management products you supply?

A supplier who is also the author of the software is more able to tailor modifications to fulfil your particular needs. The supplier can also ensure that the solutions are tightly integrated into your core business systems. You will also be better positioned to benefit from regular advances in technology to ensure your organisation doesn’t get left behind the competition.

Do you provide an end-to-end document management solution?

Lots of companies claim to provide a full end-to-end portfolio of electronic document management products but many employ third party organisations to enable them to provide a complete solution. EDM solutions that combine software from different providers can be difficult to install, integrate and support.

Do your document management products tightly integrate with all major accounting and ERP systems?

Does your supplier integrate its solutions with all major accounting and ERP systems? Check your document management technology can tightly integrate into your current system. This will enable you to view and process documents by quickly and easily drilling down from your ERP system, saving time whilst providing a comprehensive audit trail of financial transactions.

If we move accounting system can we take our document management with us?

Make sure your investment is a sound one by checking that your document management software is portable. This will give you flexibility and confidence that should you change your accounting system, you can take your document management with you.

Do you have a well-established customer base?

Your document management supplier needs to be able to demonstrate a long track record in delivering successful solutions to different industry sectors.

Do you have any customer reference sites we can visit?

 Does your document management supplier have a proven track record of providing solutions to leading companies across a wide range of industries?  If so, its satisfied customers should only be too happy to act as reference sites and share their success stories so you can purchase in confidence.

Can we buy your document management through our existing software provider as well as direct?

Check whether your document management supplier has a close partnership with your existing software provider.  You may feel more confident about buying document management through your established provider.

 

  What’s your after-sales support like?  

Your supplier should possess a dedicated support team that can quickly respond to your needs. It should also carry out customer care campaigns to make sure you are happy with your document management and imaging software. Check that the supplier also provides end-user training courses so you can acquire the skills and proficiencies needed to maximise the capabilities of your EDM solutions.

 

 What return on investment (ROI) can I expect?

You may think it is a mistake that the ROI question is here twice. But document management and imaging software has one of the fastest ROI’s.  So if you are a reseller this is the most important question  you want your clients to ask. You should be able to demonstrate an ROI of six months or less.

 

  The advantages of electronic storage and processing cannot be ignored and make a compelling case for implementing document management solutions. However, organisations shouldn’t expect to reap benefits from just any EDM software solution. A lot of thought and research needs to go into selecting the right document management supplier for your company’s needs and also for those of your customer base. Not all suppliers have the breadth of applications, the development capability in-house or the track record to successfully deliver. By choosing carefully the benefits are substantial – an increased competitive edge, significantly streamlined business efficiencies and a much improved bottom line.