Managing Business Processes and Documents in the Cloud

The current approach to business processes

The best companies run like well-oiled machines. Whether it be invoicing, order management, customer service, or employee onboarding, each business process must be as fast and as efficient as possible if you want your company to be truly ahead of the curve. But this is easier said than done. Today, thousands of companies are plagued with paper-centric processes and manual workflows, and they usually don’t have access to the technologies and massive workforce most Fortune 500 companies enjoy. To overcome these challenges, small and midsize businesses need cutting-edge cloud solutions to manage their documents and business processes.

The cloud offers plenty of productivity-boosting features over the internet at small-business prices. However, this merely scratches the surface of what it’s capable of.

How cloud-based document management improves business processes

Centralized system

Cloud document management systems (DMS) like PairSoft consolidate data in a single platform where users can collaborate and share files. By centralizing your document database, employees have access to the same information, eliminating multiple data entries.

A centralized system also makes finding documents a breeze. PairSoft tags documents so users can easily retrieve them in seconds by typing a few relevant keywords in a search bar. This means employees never have to waste time sifting through multiple disconnected databases to answer customer queries or collaborate with colleagues.

Additionally, business processes are much easier to manage when everything you need is in one place. You have complete visibility over document life cycles and can perform audits for compliance and security. Traditional document storage systems, however, are extremely difficult to keep track of, which take its toll on your company’s productivity and profitability.

Robust Security

Nothing disrupts business processes more than cyberattacks and data loss. According to an IBM study, the cost of a data breach is $148 per record and that the average company can lose up to 10,000 records per incident. On top of these direct losses, companies experience crippling downtime, legal fees, and reputation damage.

Migrating your data and business processes to PairSoft dramatically minimizes these risks. That’s because the system is constantly patched against the latest threats and equipped with advanced intrusion prevention systems, firewalls, and encryption software. It even lets you set access restrictions depending on job roles to minimize internal breaches.

PairSoft also routinely backs up your data in multiple servers. This way, your business data and processes are completely insured from any catastrophe.

Mobilized Workforce

The demand for remote working arrangements poses unique challenges for businesses. A mobile workforce must be able to work wherever they want, while management needs to make sure employees are handling documents properly.

When business documents are migrated to the cloud, authorized users can access them using any internet-enabled device. It doesn’t matter if employees prefer to work at home or in the office, use Windows or Apple; they can work on their own terms as long as they have a secure internet connection.

What’s more, since cloud systems are centralized, it’s easy to track edits, monitor employee performance, and enforce safe data handling policies. These tools even save employees from issues like office politics and long commutes, resulting in a happier and more productive workforce.

Automated Workflows

If your business processes involve manually pushing paper from person to person, your company’s productivity suffers. Routine tasks like invoice and sales order processing become extremely tedious as employees have to forward the order files to the appropriate person, gather necessary approvals or confirm whether the item is in stock, and create
the order confirmation before it gets shipped.

PairSoft streamlines such processes with workflow automation features. So, instead of doing things manually, you can create workflows tailored to your business processes to instantly route documents to the right person and even send email notifications of what they’re supposed to review and approve from a browser or mobile device.

Workflow automation can be applied to any repetitive, multistep processes such as invoicing, credit checks, and customer service, freeing up your staff to focus on more interesting, higher-priority tasks.

On-premise vs. Cloud pricing

The most cited reason people rely on cloud DMS to enhance business processes as opposed to on-premise systems is the cost savings. With an on-premise system, not only do you have to purchase perpetual software licenses per user, you also have to pay for dedicated servers. This can be prohibitively expensive for tightly budgeted businesses.

Below is a more detailed breakdown of what you can expect to spend on a premise-based system compared to cloud DMS. (Keep in mind that simplified assumptions were made to better calculate the hard-dollar cost of both systems).

By contrast, migrating to cloud DMS services like PairSoft gives you access to business process automation and document management features for a monthly subscription fee. Since the app runs within Microsoft Azure and is delivered over the internet, there’s no need to pay for costly server equipment, terminal servers and maintenance fees.

On-Premise DMS

The costs involved with an on-premises DMS include:

• Upfront licensing fees
  Licensing varies based on the amount of storage you need per user and the software features you opt for. This costs between starts at $400 per user.
• Server hardware costs
  Although there are plenty of high-tech options, most businesses purchase servers start from $2,000.
• Power consumption
  Considering that the average server consumes 7,446 kilowatts per year, a business in Florida (where 1 kilowatt = 11.7 cents) can pay more than $870 to power one server per year.
• Space
  Assuming that a standard office space charges $11 per square foot per month, a single, 8 square feet server costs $88 per month, or $1,056 per year.
• Routine server maintenance
  This is a full-time job that often requires an onsite technician. Hiring one with three to five years of IT experience will set you back around $70,000 per year.

This means if you have a 20-person operation, an on-premise DMS setup can potentially cost you $83,926 in the first year alone.

Cloud DMS

The pricing for cloud-based DMS are fairly straightforward and vary depending on data storage, features, and number of concurrent users. PairSoft, for instance, charges around $50 per person per month depending on the features. In addition to subscription costs, you need consider implementation costs. According to market statistics, businesses spend between $2,000 and $5,000 to migrate data to the cloud, integrate the app with third-party software, and configure file sharing policies and workflows.

Overall, implementing cloud DMS for 15 users will only cost you up to $34,000 in the first year, which is significantly cheaper than on-premise systems.

Are you ready to migrate to the cloud?

Much like any important business decision, knowing when to move to the cloud and which deployment works best for your business requires considerable planning. You must identify your security and compliance requirements, categorize the documents you work with every day, and evaluate your current business processes. Are there processes that can be eliminated using workflow automation? Do employees want to work remotely?

Then, consider your budget. The PairSoft team can provide a quote and cost savings calculation for you to ensure is not only feasible for your business, but also aligns with your needs.

Last but not least, check a provider’s document management features, security frameworks, backup policies, and background before proceeding with a migration. Doing this early can save you from a bad deal with an unreliable provider. With PairSoft, you can rest assured you will be working with an efficient and dependable system. In fact, according to G2Crowd reviews, customers rate PairSoft 4.4 stars out of 5.

If you’re ready to move your business processes and documents to the cloud, why not start with PairSoft? It’s an affordable and cutting-edge document management tool guaranteed to make you work faster, save money, and
eliminate paper-induced headaches.

To learn more about PairSoft, sign up for our free personalized demo or call us at 877-666-4960 today