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Cloud-based document management – the answer to key SME challenges


Johannesburg, 05 Jul 2021
Jonathan Osbourne, Altron Document Solutions, head of sales.
Jonathan Osbourne, Altron Document Solutions, head of sales.

Small and mid-sized enterprises confronted with the multifaceted challenges of running remote and flexible workforces are finding that cloud-based content management solutions tick all the boxes for efficiency, cost-effectiveness, security and future-proofing.

This is according to Jonathan Osbourne, Altron Document Solutions head of sales, who says document management and print is fast moving to the cloud, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to flexible workplaces, as well as a growing focus on compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

“Where people were once sceptical about the cloud, they are now seeing it offers vastly superior redundancy, mobility and security to on-premises infrastructure,” he says.

“We expect to see a lot more adoption over the next 12 to 18 months, much of it from small and mid-sized enterprises,” Osbourne says. “They are discovering that with a good cloud-based content management solution, they don’t need dedicated servers, filing cabinets or extra staff just to capture and process invoice and accounts data. With a cloud-based system, they can automatically capture documents – even handwritten invoices – on the system, retrieve content quickly and easily add and edit workflows, functionality and applications.”

Advanced cloud-based solutions also eliminate the once-onerous task of reviewing boxes of invoices for audit and tax filing, he adds. “Auditors can conduct the full audit remotely, with no geographical restraints, and thanks to intelligent, structured data, the audit trail is much easier for auditors to understand.

“The beauty of the cloud is that it increases security and enhances efficiency at a lower cost than on-premises infrastructure. And whether your organisation is growing or streamlining, a cloud-based solution scales with you,” he says.

Osbourne says this is why the cloud is one of the four key components of the Xerox Intelligent Workplace Services ecosystem, along with security, analytics and digitisation. “Altron Document Solutions and Xerox are helping to transform workplaces using cloud-based innovation,” says Osbourne.

Xerox, with a proud tradition of pioneering research, has been modernising workplaces for decades. Xerox was the inventor of Ethernet over 30 years ago and helped build the foundation for today’s internet. The Ethernet’s first commercialisation was as a communication bus in Xerox production publishing systems in the early 1990s.

Xerox Cloud Solutions enable collaboration between a mobile and distributed workforce and ease the burden on IT resources, with a flexible implementation model, improved digital user experience with intuitive, personalised, anytime, anywhere access to content and dashboards and flexible and scalable services that support a changing workforce and adapt to future requirements. Xerox Intelligent Workplace Services' cloud-based offerings do away with the need for expensive on-site servers and empower employees to print and work where and how they wish. With cloud-based apps for agility and flexibility, Xerox Cloud Solutions enable remote fleet management and monitoring and on-the-go business intelligence.

Xerox ConnectKey technology-enabled devices are cloud connected to enable scanning, printing and sharing directly to or from the cloud, and to link to apps to streamline business processes. Among the innovative apps in the Xerox App gallery are the Xerox Translate and Print app, which can translate from 44 different languages; the Xerox Auto Redaction app, which removes sensitive and personally identifiable information from documents in seconds; and the Xerox Note Converter app, which quickly turns handwritten notes into legible, editable and shareable digital files.

In South Africa, Altron Document Solutions is using the Xerox framework and methodology to migrate organisations to the cloud for enhanced security and compliance, and to intelligently drive workflows and data flows through organisations.

Xerox Intelligent Workplace Services uses comprehensive security, analytics, digitisation and cloud technologies and software to deliver a more seamless work experience across paper and digital platforms.

Altron Document Solutions is the world’s largest Xerox distributor and Africa’s leading technology and services company. It markets and services the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services to 26 sub-Saharan Africa countries. Altron Document Solutions forms part of the JSE-listed Altron group.  

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