Woolworths Financial Services has improved efficiencies, cut costs and enhanced customer service by outsourcing document management and storage to Metrofile and introducing a paperless workflow environment with the implementation of electronic document and records management system TRIM.
The Woolworths division has more than 1.5 million customers for its various retail financial services, which include its in-store charge card, personal loans, Visa credit card and local and international trusts. Inbound calls, support, administration and credit management is managed by a team of some 400 call centre agents.
"The management of the physical documentation was cumbersome and time-consuming, and was steadily increasing," says Irshaad Mahomed, call centre manager at Woolworths Financial Services. "We needed a document management system to make the shift to a paperless work environment."
Following extensive service provider evaluations and technical analysis, two competing products were piloted in the division during 2001 and the users were required to select their preference.
"The agents made their choice based on functionality, commercial off-the-shelf ease of use, simplicity and speed. TRIM offered an end-to-end solution," says Mahomed.
The introduction of the records management system followed the bulk scanning and electronic storage of all existing paper documentation at the Metrofile Storage Centre. The scanned documents were imported directly into TRIM, providing call centre operators with a view of all incoming and outgoing electronic, physical and telephonic correspondence.
The TRIM routing system was used to move documents into electronic in-boxes to further speed up the process, while Ghostfill was used to automate the processing of outgoing correspondence.
"The biggest challenge we faced moving from a paper to electronic environment overnight was the human element. We involved change management extensively to understand how best to manage the change. Computer literacy was key as many of the agents had not undergone formal Windows training," says Mahomed.
Training on the TRIM and Ghostfill systems was co-ordinated by Metrofile, complemented by hands-on time spent with each user to ensure they were comfortable with the system before going live.
The division enjoyed immediate business benefits from the TRIM implementation. Reduction in paper flow meant accessibility to records was improved, resulting in increased efficiencies and superior customer service. Work turnaround was doubled, productivity enhanced and fewer people were required to get the job done.
A central data repository allowed the agents a single point of access to all information, slashing the time required for storage and retrieval of images and history, for expediting fraud claims, disputes and recoveries, tracing records and processing claims.
"As with many financial service organisations we are faced with the need to manage costs while delivering increasingly high levels of customer service," says Mahomed. "Our customer base is steadily growing, and TRIM has enabled the management of a diverse mix of media correspondence."
Mahomed believes the most significant enhancement to the current structure will involve the loading of TRIM onto every desktop, providing visibility of all correspondence with each customer. This will be followed by the integration of the software into a single workflow queue for all incoming information, so maximising efficiencies and the stream of management information.
"The success of the Woolworths Financial Services project is a good example of true full lifecycle document and records management," says Paul Mullon, marketing director at Metrofile. "Improved workflow has converted paper records into digital assets."
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