AutoFORM | Archive

 

Consider for a moment the benefits of an electronic archive solution so powerful that you will be able to store, retrieve and view virtually every document generated or received by your company all from within your main application workspace. Would your customer service team be able to resolve queries in one phone call by viewing all the “paperwork” from the desktop.

Would you achieve time, cost and control advantages by replacing photocopying and manual circulation with a means of viewing, authorising and processing documents via your main application. Have you ever thought how much your customers and trading partners would appreciate 24/7 access to copy documents, such as signed proof of deliveries and shipping documents, from a secure portal on your website, or could you recoup valuable office space by switching from paper to electronic storage. All this and more is made possible by AutoFORM Archive. AutoFORM Archive combines three archiving technologies in one: outgoing system generated document capture (COLD), PC file import and document scanning/imaging. Each element integrates with your main application and business processes, introducing order and accessibility to all the important records across your organisation.

What's Special about AutoFORM | Archive?

Archive incoming, outgoing forms, images, XML, CAD, E-forms, e-mails, faxes, providing an enterprise wide online repository for all your important records.

Advanced auto-indexing, and cross referencing facilities. Allows you to link groups of similar or disparate documents together via common references. Add to the document set as paperwork arrives. Multiple search methods makes for faster auditing, VAT and Tax inspections. Set up workflow actions or e-mails to request authorisation or action. Explorer “type” view of archive records allows “drill down” searches, providing an immediate list of relevant documents from millions of records. View documents via your core applications workspace – or AutoFORM web-browser. Without another application to learn, users see the archive as an added and extremely welcome extension to your existing computer system. Automated version control allows you to view the last issue of a document produced received, whilst retaining previously created copies. Copy documents can be e-mailed or faxed direct from the archive while the customer is still on the phone, demonstrating your commitment to responsive customer service. Watermarks, such as “copy” can be automatically added to reprints.

 

Notes facility: make notes against any record with an automatic author, date & time log. Flag for follow up/action at a later time, or by another person.

Archiving your documents

  • Outgoing System Generated Documents:

    As documents are generated, exact electronic replicas are sent to AutoFORM Archive making them available for immediate onscreen viewing. All the delays and expense of hard copy filing, microfiche or bureau scanning are overcome in an instant. Each document is automatically and extensively indexed with information that is 100% consistent with the classifications used by your main application. The process is extremely fast and can collect documents from multiple sources (AS400, Mainframe, UNIX in any format Word, Excel, XML. PDF, SapScript, 3rd party form output) to provide a unifying repository for
    all your documents.

  • Incoming Paper Documents:

    As easily as taking a photocopy, AutoFORM’s scanner workstations enable documents to be converted to indexed electronic images at the first location they are received. They are then available online for immediate viewing & action anywhere in the world. This eliminates the delays, costs and risk of loss, involved in copying, sorting and distributing documents for processing. AutoFORM supports colour, black & white, digital scanner photocopiers, desktop and high volume scanners. Where documents are scanned remotely we recommend using AutoFORM’s automatic index facilities that ensure non operator dependent 100% indexing accuracy. OCR, bar-code & manual indexing can also be used.

  • Incoming & Outgoing Electronic Documents:

    Electronic forms (XML/HTML) and conditionally selected faxes & e-mails can be automatically captured & routed for indexing and archiving whilst being simultaneously routed for action.

  • PC Documents:

    This is generally used for specific PC files /documents that you would like to associate to other previously archived documents. For example a digital photograph of damaged goods against the disputed supplier invoice. Each file is simply “dragged, dropped” and indexed via an easy to use web browser interface.

Retrieving & Viewing Your Documents

There are three ways to access your documents all with a common thread:

  • Your Application Workspace:

    AutoFORM enables users to click on a field on your application screen to view the associated incoming or outgoing documents that they need to complete their tasks.

  • AutoFORM Web browser:

    For your employees not connected to your main application, or to find groups of documents, archived records are viewed via the internet linked AutoFORM web-browser. AutoFORM allows you to build searches based on multiple index classifications such as Document Type, Keyword and Document Status, ie. authorised/not authorised. The elegant “windows folders/tree directory” style of filing , ensures that you can retrieve documents in seconds, even though you may be storing millions of records.

  • Via a Web-Site Portal:

    Customers, trading partners and remote workers often need copy documents. Controlled secure access to signed proof of deliveries and shipping documents can be made available via a customised portal on your corporate web-site.

Automating Your Business Processes

The advantage with AutoFORM is that it not only enables you to view documents, AutoFORM helps you to drive the business processes in which these documents are used – all in association with your main application. AutoFORM onscreen “action lists” keeps your employees notified of the checking, authorising or query resolution tasks that they need to complete while giving them onscreen access to the actual documents. Exception reporting facilities identifies actions that have not been concluded within business limits, allowing escalation reminder e-mails to be launched either automatically or manually before minor issues turn into business-damaging problems. AutoFORM also ensures that responses are uploaded back to the main application. And all the while managers can track and control the whole processes online.

AutoFORM demands the timely import of critically needed documents

There are many instances where missing documents can lead to serious consequences. For example the lack of a POD/GRN or a signed agreement can result in refused payment. AutoFORM ensures documents are imported into the archive so that they are available when needed. As an event occurs in your main application a requirement for documents is created within AutoFORM Archive. When the appropriate documents are received they are linked to the original event in your application. This provides immediate visibility of missing or claused documents allowing for timely corrective action.

Tailored Business Archive Solutions

As processes vary from organisation to organisation we can tailor archive and workflow solutions to meet your precise needs. So whether you have a specific document tracking problem or you want to improve how you deal with Supplier Invoices, Proof of Deliveries & Sales Orders or to improve the management of the vast quantity of system generated output, AutoFORM Archive has the answer.