Until the past few decades, most government agencies ran entirely on paper. And, the older the city or county, the more paperwork they store – especially when it comes to permits, licensing and elections.
As budgets are slashed and programs are cancelled, local governments are being called upon to do more with less – less staff, less money and less space. How is it possible? One way city and county governments throughout the United States are saving money while better managing their paper files is with document management.
Document management is the process of managing documents and other forms of information such as images from creation to storage to sharing. It also involves the indexing, storage and retrieval of documents in an organized method.
Document management can actually pay for itself by offering government agencies better organization, storage reduction and increased compliance and document security.
Increased file organization and staff productivity.
One of the biggest hidden costs that government agencies face is the time it takes to work with paper files. With a document management system, organizations can save money in your office with:
Improved retrieval time - obtaining paper from storage or an archive is typically slower than electronic retrieval of documentation. As part of their daily activities, employees at the St. Lucie County Health Department frequently had to pull documents such as permits for the public or building contractors. Requesting documents from archives was a time-consuming and expensive process at best. Request forms had to be completed and filed manually. Bulky, heavy storage boxes containing the files were then delivered to the requestor, who in turn retrieved, copied, faxed or mailed the document as necessary. Then, the document was re-fi led and the box was picked up and put back into storage. The turnaround time for this traditional retrieval process was 48 hours and each request cost $51.73 of taxpayer money. If documents were needed in a rush, it took two hours and cost $72.73.
After the Health Department implemented a web-based document management system, they scanned in all of their paper permits and put an actual link to their document management system on the city’s web site. That allowed contractors to search for and pull their own public records with no incremental cost to the taxpayer.
Of course, the most significant change has been the huge reductions in archiving, retrieval, and storage expenses. In the first 18 months with a document management system, the Environmental Health Division saved nearly $13,000 in archiving expenses – far more than the $1,800 they pay for the system annually.
Improved staff productivity - less time spent searching for documents or trying to find the current version of a document. And multiple employees can look at the same document simultaneously. Faster document review and approval cycles, particularly where multiple reviewers and approvers are involved in the business process, are also benefits. Customer service calls are handled with greater speed and accuracy with immediate access to information. Look at how much time the employees at St. Lucie County Health Department were able to save by putting their permits online.
Improved organization - Document management systems also eliminate the “lost document” cost – the time it takes to recreate a document that’s been destroyed or misplaced. Some suppliers estimate the cost of replacing each lost document at $250.
Reduction of storage needs.
In addition to organization and productivity, the physical cost of filing and storing paper documents grows over time as filing cabinets consume more and more valuable office space and off-site storage fees add up.
Additional cost savings come from the space in government offices that can be freed by eliminating most paper records. With real estate costs at $15 to $50 or more per square foot in many major cities, converting records rooms into usable office space can save considerable amounts of money.
Many government agencies have been able to add staff or services in the space previously occupied by filing cabinets.
Decrease in amount of equipment and office supplies needed.
Document management systems can save governments money on paper, printer and toner costs. Users don’t need to print paper documents when electronic versions are available for use or reuse. It is also possible to eliminate fax machines, since documents can be e-mailed right out of most document management systems.
Touching on compliance…
Adding a document management system can also create potential savings. As a result of managing their information more efficiently, government agencies can be more forthcoming with their records to assist with regulatory compliance. This reduces their risk of potential fines and penalties in the event of an audit or lawsuit.
And the redundant off-site storage ensures business continuity in case a government office experiences any type of data storage disaster. All of the documents that have been added to your document management system (as long as it is web-based) will be there if your office experiences a natural or man-made disaster.
Eliminating paper, increasing efficiency and reducing supply costs are benefits that any government can use today. Becoming more compliant and building a back-up set of documents are hidden benefits that could pay off in the future should audit or disaster strike. As agencies everywhere look for ways to do more with less, many city and county governments are finding that document management can actually save them money.
Stephanie L. Jones, MBA
Marketing Director, eBridge Solutions
eBridge Solutions
sjones@eBridgeSolutions.com
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