Earlier, I shared Digitize These Four Paper-Based Processes with SOTI Snap.
Why stop there? Here are four more opportunities to digitize paper-based processes with SOTI Snap:
Injury Reporting: Capture Everything ASAP
When an injury occurs, accurate documentation is critical. Information must be captured quickly and correctly:
- Circumstances leading to the injury.
- Injuries suffered by the worker.
- Location of the injury.
Employers must complete and share injury forms as soon as possible. Writing down what happened a few days later relying on memory isn’t ideal. Nor is deciphering handwriting. If too much time has passed, the organization is non-compliant. Failing to report an injury is a $500,000 (CAD) fine.
WHY DIGITIZE INJURY REPORTING
Digital forms can be installed on any device to expedite information gathering. Pictures can be taken of any area or equipment which was involved. Easily and accurately identify where the injury occurred on a graphical representation of the human body. A top mistake is forgetting to interview witnesses. Capture audio testimonials from witnesses for accurate account of the incident. Digital reports can be archived and recalled instantly as needed. No risk of paper files being misplaced or misinterpreted.
Inspections: Ensure Compliance and Security
Workplaces. Equipment. Vehicles. Many things are subject to inspections.
With paper, details get missed, resulting in costly consequences and compliance violations. An overlooked inspection requirement is a $2 million (CAD) fine.
Another issue with paper? Volume. In transportation and logistics (T&L), drivers perform daily truck inspections. With 500 trucks in a fleet, that’s 500 daily inspections and 500 sheets of paper. Over a year, that’s 182,500 paper forms you need to file, store and manually search through. What happens if a form is lost or stolen?
WHY DIGITIZE INSPECTIONS
You could write about a damaged forklift or simply take a picture and make the issue clear. Reports can be shared instantly, thus speeding up your entire inspection process. Digital inspection forms are easier to manage, track and store compared to paper documents. They’re also easier to recall and retrieve versus combing through stacks of paper stored in filing cabinets.
Purchase Order Requests: Streamline Approval Workflows
There are risks with manual Purchase Order (PO) requests:
- Incorrect or incomplete info delays the request or results in approving the wrong amount.
- Additional approvers may be needed. Not knowing an additional approver for PO’s over $5,000 can cause confusion and delay.
- Should the request be lost or misplaced, it must be resubmitted.
- Lack of clarity or visibility into the status of the request.
That last bullet is critical. Once a paper request is submitted, how can you track where it is and where it’s going next without sending numerous (and probably annoying) email follow-ups? You can’t.
WHY DIGITIZE PURCHASE ORDER REQUESTS
PO requests are part of a workflow. The request is submitted, reviewed and approved. Digitizing quickens the process because PO requests are routed to the right person, based on requirements such as dollar amount. It’s easier to keep track of where requests are in the process. For accounting activities, digital documents are easier to locate and review versus paper documents.
Feedback Surveys: Act on Reliable Data
Missing or unorganized survey data can lead to biases. If a particular question was skipped, was that because the respondent chose to skip it? Or because they didn’t know they had to answer it?
Either way, that’s critical data not available to you as feedback.
Other things to consider:
- Information consistency and accessibility – especially when conducting surveys across geographic regions.
- Pen-and-paper surveys may not comply with data protection regulations; if they’re lost or stolen, it could lead to a data breach.
WHY DIGITIZE FEEDBACK SURVEYS
Eliminate problems associated with partial responses. With paper-based documents, questions can be skipped. Digitizing ensures that all questions are answered. Digital feedback surveys offer a more user-friendly and engaging experience – resulting in higher response rates. Ensure data is protected, accessible and actionable. With digitization, it’s easy to segment data and identify trends, patterns and areas for improvement, whether the data originates from across the street or around the world.
Metadata: These Details Matter
As end-users enter data, SOTI Snap automatically collects metadata in the background.
Details such as geolocation, dates, modification history, users and device names are all captured. This allows organizations to know where and when data was collected, if it’s been changed and who collected it on which device.
Here’s an example: An organization has a distraction-free driving policy in place. A geolocation check can determine if data was collected on-site or on the road.
With this information, the organization can act to ensure data is collected safely and in adherence to compliance requirements.
Digitize Paper-Based Processes with SOTI Snap
If pen-and-paper processes are slowing you down – do they ever speed anything up? – it’s time to digitize them with SOTI Snap.
In minutes, paper forms are digitized. That means:
- All relevant information is captured ASAP.
- Documents follow compliance and security guidelines.
- Approval requests become part of a trackable workflow process.
- Actions and decisions are based on fully completed forms.
- Additional metadata can be collected to improve business operations.
Save time. Save money. Get things done faster. With SOTI Snap.
