Automated Data Capture: achieving more with less
The LGA (Local Government Association) has re-launched the national shared services compendium which now shows that at least 337 councils across the country are engaged in 383 shared service arrangements resulting in £357 million of efficiency savings. At least 95 per cent of all English councils are sharing services with other councils to cut costs to meet budgets.
As part of the shared services scheme local councils are looking at more cost effective and time efficient ways of sharing and unifying resources, including managing incoming data. Council operations are often spread across more than one site and it is vital that any solution will seamlessly integrate into all locations.
One Platform for Many Business Processes
Data capture systems help streamline key business processes and reduce the time required to get data into line of business systems so that appropriate actions can take place. One example of this might be application forms, whether received by post, email or through web portals, automated data capture systems will ingest the source files, extract key information, validate and enrich the data before then passing directly into the required back end systems for processing.
With every department in each council receiving high quantities of varying documents through a number of different sources each day, can make it difficult to keep on top of requests and still offer high customer service, especially while resources are being cut. Automated data capture and forms processing is a proven way of streamlining processes and achieving more with less.
AAC Systems provides flexible and scalable document capture that supports the processing of any document type captured at any point in a business process, and from any input device (mobile devices, desktop scanners, MFPs or high volume production scanners). Transforming business documents into structured electronic information extracted, irrespective of document type, including handprinted and handwritten forms, invoices, checks, new applications, service requests, correspondence, and more.
Multi-Channel Document Capture
Documents drive critical business interactions but also crucial to these interactions are the people involved, such as the supplier or accounts payable processor. The human aspect of the interaction is where efficiency and opportunity are often lost. Improving the quality and speed of these interactions is key to the achievement of service level targets and other shared service centre objectives
With many councils now merging their resources to assist in efficiency savings, many are reviewing the systems they have in place to ensure there is little or no overlap and that those systems which will remain in place can be rolled out across to other departments and partnering councils.
Automating the capturing and extraction of data will add exceptional value to any local and central government agencies through lowering operation cost and streamlining business data processes. Having a single system in place that offers capture at either the departmental level or scaled regionally across multiple distributed sites will ensure your councils are sharing the right resources.
So what are the benefits?
AAC Systems through automated document capture aim to reduce the cost of provision while improving customer satisfaction, allowing the processing of virtually any structured or unstructured document type using the most complete set of document classification and information extraction technologies available today. The critical interactions between document submitters, processing staff, case workers, and others are streamlined, cutting latency from the process and improving responsiveness to the employee, customer or partner.
There are many advantages for local councils to move from manual processes to shared services featuring automated forms processing. Some of these benefits include:
• Improved operational efficiencies
• Better-quality customer service
• Reduction in manual effort
• Increased data accuracy
• Integrity and security
• Reduced costs
For more information on how data capture systems can save your council time and costs speak to one of our specialists
