What is Document Automation
Eliminate manual document creation and minimize errors.
Document automation refers to the use of technology to automatically create and manage documents without manual intervention. The process has three steps:
- Data Collection and Storage. Information is collected and stored in software systems. These systems drive the document workflows.
- Document Generation. Documents are created without manual input by using pre-designed templates to control the layout and content of the documents.
- Document Management and Delivery. Once generated, documents are automatically distributed to the relevant recipients or stored in designated locations.
Key Components of Document Automation
Data
Document automation requires the collection and storage of data using software such as: CRM/ERP systems, sales and marketing automation platforms or simple webforms.
These may be third-party platforms or custom-built software applications. These systems hold the data and drive the document automation process.
Templates
Templates are the cornerstone of document automation, allowing users to create and layout documents using “placeholders” for dynamic content.
Templates are usually created using familiar WYSIWYG editors, like Microsoft Word. The templates provide advanced formatting and incorporate features like conditional logic, looping constructs and image insertion.
Workflow Automation
Workflow automation controls the entire document generation process, managing everything from data provision, choice of template and distribution of the generated documents.
This component ensures that the document generation is aligned with business rules, may support features like digital signing processes.
What Drives the Automation Process?
A key consideration is understanding how the Document Automation process starts.
User-Initiated
This trigger occurs when a user manually starts the document generation process, typically through a form submission or a button click within an application.
Example: A sales representative fills out a customer order form on a company’s CRM. Upon submission, the system automatically generates a personalized order confirmation document using the customer’s details and the selected products.
Schedule-Based
Documents are generated automatically at pre-defined intervals, ensuring that regular tasks such as end-of-month reporting or billing are handled efficiently.
Example: A financial services company schedules statements to be generated and sent to customers on the first of each month. The system automatically collates the relevant billing data and creates personalized statements for each customer.
Event-Driven
Event-driven triggers are activated by specific events within a system or application, such as a change in status, the completion of a task, or the approval of a request.
Example: In a legal firm, when a client on-boarding contract is approved by a senior partner, an event is triggered to automatically generate the final contract document, including all the necessary signatures and clauses, and is delivered to the client automatically.
System-Triggered
This trigger occurs automatically as part of an integrated system’s workflow, typically within software like CRM or ERP systems, based on specific conditions being met.
Example: When a new customer is added to a CRM system, the system automatically triggers the generation of a welcome packet, including a personalized welcome letter, contract, and introductory guide, all formatted and ready for dispatch.
Benefits of Document Automation
- Improved Accuracy – Automation ensures documents are generated with the most current and accurate data, reducing the risk of errors.
- Scalability – As a business grows, document automation can easily scale to meet increasing demands without requiring additional resources.
- Cost Savings – By minimizing manual intervention and errors, businesses can reduce the operational costs associated with document creation.
- Efficiency Gains – Automation drastically reduces the time required to create and distribute documents, allowing staff to focus on higher value tasks.
Who Uses Document Automation Software
Industries such as legal, financial services, healthcare, human resources, and government extensively use document automation to streamline operations and ensure accuracy.
In the legal field, automation helps in generating contracts, legal briefs, and compliance documents quickly, reducing the risk of errors.
Financial services rely on automation for precise invoicing, reporting, and customer statements, ensuring timely delivery and compliance with financial regulations.
Healthcare providers automate patient records and billing, improving patient care and operational efficiency.
Human resources departments use automation for managing employment contracts and onboarding, ensuring a smooth and consistent process.
Government agencies employ automation to efficiently produce permits, licenses, and official correspondence, maintaining transparency and compliance with public sector regulations.
Types of Automated Documents
Document automation is applied to contracts, invoices, reports, and customer communications, each serving specific business needs.
Contracts are automated to ensure that legal agreements are generated with the correct terms and conditions, reducing the time spent on manual drafting and the risk of inconsistencies.
Invoices are automated to streamline the billing process, pulling accurate financial data from ERP systems and ensuring that customers receive timely and precise billing statements.
Reports, whether financial, operational, or compliance-related, are generated automatically, enabling businesses to maintain up-to-date records and make informed decisions based on the latest data.
Customer communications, such as personalized letters and notifications, are automated to enhance customer experience by delivering timely and tailored content, fostering stronger relationships and engagement.
Document Automation Techniques
API or Integration
This approach involves embedding a document generation software directly into your existing workflows via API or native integration. It allows for the automated creation of documents within your existing systems and processes
Example: A company integrates Docmosis with their CRM system so that whenever a new deal is closed a contract is automatically generated. The integration ensures that contracts are produced quickly with the correct customer details and terms.
- Customizable and flexible.
- Seamless integration with existing systems.
- High degree of control over document output.
- Requires development resources for integration.
- Potentially complex setup and maintenance.
Dedicated Document Automation Platform
This method provides a framework and tools, that includes data capture and storage and document generation as components. These tools often manage the entire document lifecycle, from creation to distribution using prescribed and predefined processes.
Example: A company uses a document automation platform to automate the entire process of employee onboarding. The tool generates and distributes offer letters, contracts, and onboarding documents automatically as each new hire progresses through the onboarding stages.
- Simplified setup with less need for custom development.
- Unified platform for managing multiple workflow tasks, including document generation.
- Less customization compared to API integration.
- May have a rigid approach that requires adapting processes to meet the functions of the tool.
- May include unnecessary features, leading to higher costs.
What is Docmosis?
Docmosis provides template-based Document Generation that can be used as part of a Document Automation process using the Document Generation API.
It enables businesses to automate the creation of documents using familiar tools like Microsoft Word or LibreOffice for template design.
Being able to use these well known and richly featured word processors as the template editor means that simple tasks like:
- Specifying Page Size and Page Orientation
- Creating Headers and Footers
- Adding Page Numbering and Table of Contents
- Creating Numbered and/or Bullet Lists
- Setting Font, Font-Size, Bold, Italic, Underline, Text Colour
- Inserting Tables and Images
can be accomplished using software that people are already familiar with and significantly reduces the learning curve required to build and maintain templates .
It is as simple as typing “less-than/less-than … the name of the field … greater-than/greater-than” like this:
Example: <<firstName>>
Other important considerations were:
- Integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and software systems.
- Automate large scale document generation efficiently.
- Allow both technical and non-technical staff to easily create and modify documents.
The result is a suite of Document Generation Software products that can be integrated into almost any workflow, easy-to-use and will save you time when automating document processes.