In many respects, the ongoing relationship between an organization and its employees can be tracked through its documents. If you haven’t already deployed a document management solution for your employee onboarding processes, our recent blog post on this topic may provide some insight. The same technologies used to automate the onboarding process can be extended for all ongoing HR activities as part of a document management solution integrated with your human resource management system.
Document management systems can capture all job candidate and employee information and feed human resource/capital management software (HRM/HCM) systems with the following services:
- E-forms
- Workflow automation
- Policy management
- Document scanning
E-Forms – Electronic Self-Service
Employees lives change… constantly. They get married, have children, move, and the list goes on. This information needs to be communicated to HR and tracked in your human resource/capital management software applications (HRM/HCM). By using electronic forms, you can create self-service capabilities for your employees so that they can communicate these life changes themselves to the HR department without touching a single piece of paper. The e-form can be accessed from anywhere a web browser can be used, even on mobile devices. The submission is also time and date stamped, providing an auditable information trail. HR can then review these changes and upload them directly into an HRM system eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Workflow Automation – Process Streamlining & Accountability
Electronic workflow enables organizations to automate and monitor any business process. Consider employee reviews. Using a combination of e-forms and workflow automation software makes this historically paper-driven process an entirely electronic process. Employees perform their self-assessment and submit it to their supervisor, who then reviews the information, provides feedback, and may ask for further clarification. After the review is complete, the supervisor submits their information to HR for final review as well as posting the salary adjustment to the payroll system. The entire process can be tracked and reported on by management. Emails can be automatically generated as the process reaches milestones, e.g. initial review submitted, final review approved, etc. The software holds all parties accountable throughout the entire process and all of this happens without a single piece of paper being printed.
Policy Changes – Simplified Management
Document management and workflow automation software can be used to manage policy changes. Let’s say that your maternity leave policy is going to change. You can communicate the change to all employees and have them acknowledge the change electronically. This saves money on printing, distribution costs, paper storage, while also ensure that everyone acknowledges the policy.
Document Scanning – Getting Rid of Filing Cabinets
The final question to answer is, “What do I do with my existing paper?” Over time, these documents can be scanned into electronic images. It does not need to take place all at once, though it may be tempting to do so. You have two choices to scan these records: you can purchase a scanner and document scanning software and scan them yourselves or you can have a service bureau scan, index and upload them into your document management system. Considering that document preparation is the most labor-intensive part of the scanning process, sending your scanning project out to the professionals is usually more cost-effective.
Overall Benefits – Save Money, Be More Efficient, Don’t Lose Anything
The key benefits surrounding the elimination of paper are well documented. By eliminating paper, your organization company saves money on printing costs, document storage (i.e. eliminating file cabinets and offsite storage) and FedEx-ing documents. Your HR department becomes more efficient, accomplishing more with the same or fewer resources. E-Forms and visible workflow activities enable employee self service, and the results of an action integrate directly with a company’s HRM system. Workflow automation tracks and provides timely reminders as tasks need to be completed. Finally, your HR staff becomes more focused on value-added activities, such as improving benefits, managing employee issues or, pretty much anything else outside of filing and searching for documents.
Contact us to learn more about automating your human resources department with the latest document scanning services and document management/workflow software.