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Stop paper jamming your business

Manual, paper-intensive processes are cumbersome and can be bad for business.


Johannesburg, 16 May 2017
Stephan Gous, SWECA Territory Manager, Nintex.
Stephan Gous, SWECA Territory Manager, Nintex.

Paper-driven corporate processes and forms - such as those for human resources - can literally create a bottleneck in a business, affecting productivity, impacting the bottom line and frustrating management and employees equally.

Stephan Gous, SWECA Territory Manager for Nintex, says, "Any process that relies on a piece of paper moving through the prerequisite approval stages before the next step can occur, is inefficient and can lead to backlogs and delays. Automated workflow processes, on the other hand, eliminate manual request processes, removing paperwork bottlenecks and enabling managers to approve requests quickly, from any location."

Automation streamlines collaboration between employees and management, and forms are centralised and standardised, so the correct version is accessed each and every time. It also means that documentation can be tracked, making it easy to identify where the bottleneck is. Auto alerts and notifications ensure that the process keeps moving forward.

Gous says: "Eliminating paper from the process means that approvals are faster, delays in responses are significantly reduced and there are fewer errors in the data being sent for approval. In fact it's been proven that eliminating paper-based and partially digitised processes results in a significant increase in accuracy and efficiency across the business. It also simplifies often complex processes."

Then there's the challenge of storing and filing all that paperwork so that it can be accessed if and when required. "Significant time goes into copying, filing and securely storing hard copies of approved documents," says Gous. "There's also the issue of accessing the latest version of a document, as it can cause delays if an older version of a form is submitted in error. An automated digital workflow ensures the latest version of the document is saved and easily accessible."

Areas of HR where automated workflows can have particular impact include:

* Expedite expense and travel requests through standardisation, automation and integration of the necessary steps between application form and reimbursement. Benefits include improved accuracy, compliance, reduced administrative costs, a decrease in unauthorised expenses, faster reimbursement and the ability to track budgets.
* Faster recruitment - hiring a new staff member is a very form-intensive process during which both data and time can fall by the wayside. Benefits include a more professional interaction with candidates and a less labour-intensive process.
* Simplified leave requests and tracking results in more accurate employee leave tracking, accelerates the approval process and minimises human error.
* Automatic reminders of when performance reviews are due, as well as the ability to collate feedback from several sources, can improve compliance, boost employee productivity and enhance job satisfaction.
* Onboarding new employees - new hires are brought up to speed more quickly and efficiently with less resources required to do so. Processes such as setting up e-mail, allocating IT equipment and phone lines, and employee orientation are initiated automatically, while digital signatures on electronic documents keep everything legal and compliant.

All organisations across all industries and regardless of size will benefit from an HR solution that'll digitise and automate workflows. Business benefits include:

* Saves employee and managerial time;
* Eliminates manual processes;
* Fewer delays;
* Improved efficiency;
* Improved data accuracy;
* Enhanced employee productivity;
* Improved transparency; and
* Ease of use.

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