It’s tough to ignore the trend of businesses migrating to the cloud. According to a survey from Flexera, 94 percent of businesses use the cloud in some capacity. Accounting is a rapidly changing field, with new technology inevitably changing the roles of CPAs and other professionals.
And there’s plenty of things to like about the cloud. Implementing cloud technology can streamline and even eliminate traditional processes that were once fundamental to the profession. It’s allowing accountants to refocus their skills toward better helping their businesses and their clients.
Document management software is cloud technology that has the capability to be a central part of a business’s everyday processes. Rather than just a repository for files, it’s also a hub for automation. Tasks, like filing documents, retrieving them, seeking out signatures, and maintaining compliance, is important work but can easily be accomplished through automated processes.
Being on the cloud is more of a perk than you think. Having a platform that’s accessible through nearly any internet-enabled device allows professionals to effectively do their job anywhere. It also comes with peace of mind, shifting the burden of maintaining an advanced IT structure to a reliable third-party.
It’s only getting easier to move to the cloud
Businesses that are investigating whether or not to shift to a cloud-driven work environment, will be happy to hear that implementation is getting easier. It’s a big decision that takes some preparation, but whether you’re switching over from an on-premise system or implementing new technology altogether, it’s made to be as painless a process as possible.
With document management, making the jump from an on-premise system to a cloud-environment is as simple as planning a transfer of your files from your own server to the new provider. If you’re making the leap from storing your physical files to becoming paperless, there’s more planning and effort required, but automation tools streamline the process.
Zonal OCR
For every common document type you deal with, it’s easy to create a template that the software recognizes and prompts it to extract all of the relevant data. Optical character recognition (OCR) allows the system to read the text, even on a physical document, and translate it into usable data. Zonal OCR uses document templates to focus in on that relevant text and record it into a profile of metadata that gets attached to the files.
From there, the program can be told exactly how and where to route the document in your system. This happens automatically, so with enough set up you just have to scan a document in order to file it. Once you’ve created your templates, transferring your files to the cloud can simply be a few afternoons of scanning documents, depending on how many you have.
Help with Implementation
Shifting to a new platform, especially one that becomes central to how you do business, can be challenging. It requires some big changes and lots of training. Luckily, many cloud-driven services and products can help ease companies into these transitions. The implementation process is an important factor that companies need to consider when shopping around for cloud products.
eFileCabinet helps companies with the implementation of their document management system. All customers are given a 30-day roadmap for their implementation, including group training and premade templates.
For companies that have lots of documents and going paperless would be a big endeavor, eFileCabinet offers new customers a premium implementation plan called the HERO Program. The program includes a one-year roadmap that’s planned out with their needs in mind. For companies that want to move to a paperless system, but can’t afford any major interruptions to business, the program helps them set up their system and provides ongoing support so their implementation is successful and smooth as possible.
To learn more about eFileCabinet and the HERO Program, fill out the form below to schedule a personalized demo.