ICM Inc.

Challenge

ICM was managing dozens of filing cabinets and multiple off-site storage facilities, wasting time searching to get to information they needed. An ERP upgrade prompted ICM to seek out a paperless, streamlined document strategy. According to Brandon Spencer, Ph.D., Business Systems Analyst, the solution had to be able to integrate, store documents electronically, and “fetch” scanned images using their associated property values. “We wanted to get rid of as much paper as possible and cease use of offsite storage which was both costly and inconvenient,” said Spencer. “For those goals to be met, we knew we needed a robust document management system that could be integrated with NAV.”

Solution

Focusing on its three “must haves,” ICM found what it was looking for in DocLink. The solution automatically captures and indexes documents from various systems. The documents are automatically routed into workflows or intercepted by Output Manager which faxes or emails the documents to the intended recipient. “When we receive faxes they are automatically routed to specific workflows,” Spencer explains, “We can automatically read barcodes on those documents and use the barcode to assign property values before moving the document into workflow.”

ICM uses Auto-and Retro-Index to automatically populate field values from NAV and other SQL-based systems. Users can automatically launch corresponding images into DocLink. The company also stores non-accounting documents including those by Legal and Vendor Management. They scrape data, launch document images, and automatically capture and index documents. “This is all in addition to other important features we use regularly,” says Spencer, “such as approving documents, automatic emailing/faxing, and automated barcode processing.”

Benefits

An integral part of ICM’s business ecosystem, DocLink has helped the company streamline its business processes, reduce the time it takes to find key documentation, and increase the speed at which vendor invoices are approved for payment.

Going paperless has also helped ICM reduce staff numbers. “Adding new DocLink automation modules has been the impetus for reducing the headcount in AP,” says Spencer. “Although we have never quantified the actual time savings, considering the fact that we went from filing cabinets to electronic storage speaks for itself. In a nutshell, we can process ‘more with less’ using DocLink.”