In order for an organisation to abide by this rule, a clean database should be constantly maintained.

What is data cleansing?

A lack of up-to-date and correct data may lead to significant disadvantages to an organisation, mainly jeopardising those precious customer relations. On-going data cleansing will ensure compliance and consistency, especially when sets of data are combined from different databases.

Through data cleansing, clients’ information is updated and verified, making sure staff will reach the right person on the right number. Adding more information or removing unnecessary details is also essential.

Nowadays, client information changes at an even faster pace. Whether people retire, move or leave a company, those changes should be timely reflected in the database. Identifying duplicate accounts and ensuring opt-outs are not contacted is also part of database management. For mailer campaigns for example, data cleansing will ensure that bounce-backs are at a minimum. Regularly updated information is truly a key business asset that increases the efficiency of staff and the success rate of sales and marketing efforts.

For companies that have branches in more than one location, where people work with the same clients, data cleansing is indispensable as inaccurate records can be damaging to the business. Once updated, the data should be visible in all locations thus ensuring a transparent and effective workflow.

Outsourcing

As organisations grow their business, they need more resources in developing core products or services, rather than focusing on non-essential but necessary functions that can be outsourced to specialised providers. Data cleansing is one of those functions. Outsourcing to a reliable provider can help you maintain your business-critical information at a high quality. Also, by entrusting this process to an Outsourcing provider, companies are able to better utilise resources.

Outsourcing data cleansing can help you:

• Grow your team
• Focus on development and innovation
• Achieve a clean database at a lower cost
• Minimise managerial responsibilities

With strategic outsourcing of non-core functions, companies are able to focus their long-term efforts on developing the business and expanding offerings.

To find out more about Outsourced Data Cleansing with ProcessFlows, please visit our Business Process Outsourcing website, email sales@processflows.co.uk or call us on 01962 835053.

Outsourcing service providers offering flexible contract terms are preferred among those who wish to adjust to changing business trends and stay competitive.

In this upcoming webinar, ProcessFlows’ outsourcing experts will discuss the increasing global trend of outsourcing and its long-term consequences to businesses. They will also cover industry-specific approaches and answer your questions in detail.

To learn more about outsourcing insights, please click here to sign up for our webinar.

The Importance of Order Processing

Whether you are selling a product or providing a service, it is necessary to process your customers’ requests quickly. This can be a challenge when the volume of orders is difficult to process using the resources you have. Consequently, this could lead to heavier managerial burden over your staff, stressful situations for the whole team and may result in dissatisfied end users, due to delays.

In online business in particular, customers are exposed to a huge range of suppliers offering similar products and deals. In this competitive environment, those who offer better customer service, faster order processing and timely delivery will eventually increase and maintain their customer base.

In addition, one of the main advantages of online businesses is that it works while you sleep. The global reach of online sales means there could always be a customer wanting to order from you whatever the time of day or night. Providing overnight staff to handle orders can be costly but is necessary if you want to stay competitive. This is where opting for outsourcing can be a very cost-effective solution.

Outsourcing Order Processing

Outsourcing any manual process brings great advantages to a business. Having an outsourced expert deal with such a process, gives organisations the chance to reorganise and reallocate resources to more efficient routes for growth. This approach is especially effective for start-ups that would like to expand their teams but have limited budgets. Additional advantages that businesses have by outsourcing order processing include:

• Extended hours of operation at a lower cost, by outsourcing an overnight team of staff to process clients enquiries and orders
• Expansion of the team and less day-to-day managerial responsibilities
• Organisations won’t have to deal with any HR processes – the outsourcing provider handles these
• Businesses won’t have to invest in additional infrastructure or technology

Having a long-term vision for any business is key for success. Incorporating outsourcing into such a vision will undoubtedly bring tremendous benefits with long-term consequences. In the case of order processing specifically, organisations can strengthen relationships with existing clients and easily build new ones by providing a constant and efficient service that deals with the timely processing orders.

To find out more about Outsourced Order Processing with ProcessFlows, please visit our Business Process Outsourcing website, email sales@processflows.co.uk or call us on 01962 835053.

The majority of UK residents use SMS to communicate – people take their mobile phone with them everywhere and check for messages regularly. The reach and accessibility of SMS communication is huge and as most people know how to use a mobile phone, it doesn’t require training or new software.

Here are just 10 of the ways that SMS can be used for business purposes:

• NHS & Private Health – Text reminders can save millions of pounds on missed appointments.
• Reminders – “Please pick up your repeat prescription”, “Your reserved Library Book is in”, etc
• Education – Electronic Register integration; parent, pupil and teacher notification; equipment reminders and more.
• Local Government – Keeping in touch with constituents, e-voting, emergency notifications.
• Housing Associations – Two-way communication with tenants.
• Legal – Discrete, indispensable message delivery, with a full audit trail.
• Finance/Insurance – Invaluable as a system notification tool and for client communication.
• Recruitment – New Job Alerts, Timesheet and Interview Reminders and much more.
• Clever Marketing – Most marketing companies and departments have realised that SMS messaging is an extremely powerful means of communication. Messages can be sent directly to the recipient, with near instant delivery and confirmed receipt. Invitations, competitions and news updates can all be sent to hundreds of recipients within minutes.
• Fire Alarm notification for the deaf and hard of hearing – DMS (Deaf Message Service) is a fire safety device that informs deaf people, via their mobile phone, when they are out and about in a public place that the fire alarm is sounding.

Further information about SMS messaging can be found on our text messaging mini-site. Alternatively, you can contact us on 01962 835053 or email enquiries@processflows.co.uk.

ProcessFlows was formed on 7th April 1987.

It was the same year that disposable contact lenses were developed, construction of the Channel Tunnel began and Sylvanian Families were best sellers in the toy department.

Technology wise; 3-D video games were invented, we had our first Karaoke experience and laser printers were the latest in print technology.

80’s print technology evolved into document imaging and digital storage.  In the early 90’s, ProcessFlows ‘discovered’ RightFax; which led the company into supplying high-end business software.

The business expanded further into the supply of complete enterprise solutions that totally automate the document journey from end-to-end.

The technology that underpins ProcessFlows’ business offering in 2012 has changed a lot over 25 years, but one ‘original’ remains – staff member Mark Steward.

Mark reminisces;

I joined the company in May 1987 as a support engineer, installing a range of both HP and Xerox laser printers. The first laptop we had in support was an original Compaq portable.  It was the size of a small dog kennel, had 2 x 5.25″ floppy disk drives and about the same processing power as my present day watch.

Mark is now responsible for training customers’ IT staff in the day-to-day technical aspects of the document management and document process automation solutions they have procured from ProcessFlows.

Mark’s son, David, who wasn’t even born when his dad began his ProcessFlows career, has recently started working with ProcessFlows.  As Channel Sales Representative, David is responsible for liaising with and recruiting new resellers for the Software Sourcing side of ProcessFlows’ business.

Managing Director Chris Thompson joined in 1992;

It’s been an interesting, and at times, a very challenging 25 years.  Through several name changes, acquisitions & mergers and expansions into new areas of business, ProcessFlows has built an identity to be proud of – an organisation with 25 years proven experience in speeding-up business processes which enable organisations to operate more efficiently and effectively.

To mark their Silver Anniversary, ProcessFlows is holding a Celebration & Reunion for all current and ex members of staff on Friday 20th July at Cams Hall Golf Club, Fareham.

All former members of staff are invited.  Find out more and register to attend at http://www.processflows.co.uk/about-us/events/processflows-is-25/

For that reason, Outsourced Administration Support is gaining popularity amongst organisations that recognise the need to reallocate resources, from back-office functions to business development and growth.

Outsourced Administration Support is both cost-effective and low-risk; The outsourcing vendor takes care of all the HR processes and procedures and the subsequent overhead costs. As administrative tasks differ between organisations, outsourcing vendors provide bespoke solutions and precise execution.

Advancements in technology can further increase the productivity of administration support and organisations won’t have to invest in additional infrastructure or devices, but will still gain all the advantages of having a dedicated admin team. Such a risk-free business expansion is suitable for any size organisation.

As focus on strategic tasks is a priority for businesses today, outsourced administrative support is a highly sought-after service. With the help of administration assistants, organisations can recognise the benefits of transferring their back-office tasks to outsourced qualified professionals.

To find out more about Outsourced Administration Support with ProcessFlows, please visit our Business Process Outsourcing website, email sales@processflows.co.uk or call us on 01962 835053.

Apart from the huge cost to the NHS, studies have shown that missed appointments, or DNAs (Did Not Attends), can also increase inappropriate A&E attendance.

Staff and equipment time is wasted, whilst other patients could miss out on seeing a doctor. The Royal Society of Medicine suggests that missing an appointment can also mean missing important treatment, diagnosis or monitoring and may lead to long term health problems.

The most common reason for DNAs is that patients simply forget to attend. Whilst many GP practices display notices to highlight how many people have missed appointments each month, a simple text reminder could prove much more effective. Texting is discreet, instant, cost effective and utilises a technology that the majority of people in the UK are familiar with.

Appointment ProcessFlows® is a fully automated, bi-directional SMS patient notification and appointment management system which integrates with EMIS. The appointment reminder system also allows patients to reply back to a reminder, via SMS, to cancel or request another date or time. The system then automatically updates EMIS with any appointment changes, streamlining the process for surgery staff.

In addition to the pre-canned Appointment ProcessFlows solution, we are also able to offer simple SMS-Email integration, allowing those surgeries without EMIS to send and receive text messages from within their familiar email systems, providing a robust and simple to use SMS reminder solution.

Read the full news story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17298612

If you would like any further information on our appointment reminder solution, please contact us on 01962 835053 or email sales@processflows.co.uk.

Which one of these two models is a better option?

Both terms imply export of production or functions, nonetheless they are fundamentally different. In both cases, however, a business may choose to use the services of an outsourcing provider or undertake the process itself. Which type of outsourcing works best, depends on the organisation’s goals, business process, and risk management strategy.

Nearshoring

Nearshoring means that an organisation has transferred work to another organisation within its own region. For UK organisations, Europe is a nearshoring region and companies prefer to outsource within its boundaries mainly because of its data protection laws. When choosing this model, businesses move operations or functions to a ‘close’ but more cost-effective location, with small time- zone differences and fewer cultural discrepancies.  Proximity allows for less expensive travel, a greater degree of control and timely decision-making in critical situations. Nearshoring countries are often bound by similar financial and legal constraints that provide social and economic stability within a region.

Offshoring

Offshoring, on the other hand, is the relocation by a company of a business process  to a more distant location. Generally speaking, wages in such locations are lower and the overall production cost may be significantly decreased. China, India and the Philippines are the quintessential examples of off-shoring destinations for ‘Western’ companies. If, however, the outsourcing service is not a manual production process, but a customer-related service, the disadvantages of offshoring should be considered. Different time zones, distance, cultural differences, and language barriers, can all impact the work process significantly.

The benefits for organisations who wish to outsource are great; the ability to focus on core competencies, the reallocation of resources to innovation and growth, reduced operation and managerial risk, no additional infrastructure investments and improved overall competitiveness. So, when choosing between nearshoring and offshoring, one should be focused on the benefits, but also be aware that offshoring may pose more risks than nearshoring, and those should be carefully considered.

To find out more about Nearshoring with ProcessFlows, please visit our Business Process Outsourcing website, email sales@processflows.co.uk or call us on 01962 835053.

In 2010 Hertfordshire County Council was fined £100,000 for faxing sensitive information to the wrong recipients.

This was the first fine to be issued for a fax data breach by the ICO (an independent UK authority set up to promote openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals).

The fine set alarm bells ringing and councils are now looking much more closely at the security risks of their fax processes, as part of their overall data protection strategy for minimising the chances of breaking the stringent privacy regulations.

Electronic faxing improves efficiency and security

Electronic fax provides a traceable, efficient and quick faxing process from the desktop which takes out the human-error risk and guarantees the security of fax information.

Many Councils are already using a networked fax solution to improve their fax efficiency and have integrated fax into their overall document processing and management strategy. As a result, they have also improved their fax security.

However, throughout the public sector, manual faxes containing confidential and sensitive information are still tooing and froing between departments, ‘sharing information’.

It’s a familiar office scene; people getting up and down from their seats trekking to the fax machine and crawling under desks trying to retrieve the sheet that got away. It’s frustrating, distracting, time consuming … and a security risk.

Why is electronic fax so secure?

RightFax network fax solutions provide a secure electronic, point-to-point method of communicating fax documents – Faxes can be sent/received from the desktop, multi-function printers and via MS Exchange/Office365/Lotus Notes/etc.

One of our clients, a leading clinical testing laboratory, relies on RightFax to accurately and securely deliver confidential patient test results.

Test results held within their in-house system are output to RightFax as text files. Embedded codes within RightFax supply key information which ensures that results are sent to the exact person in the right department for the correct patient. This greatly reduces the risk of a patient being given the wrong diagnosis or treatment simply because the results became ‘mixed up’ when being faxed.

Added bonus – you can make manual fax machines redundant

You no longer have to pay for electricity, toner, paper and line rental to keep those greedy old fax machines up and running, which you probably didn’t realise add up to about £300 per fax machine per year.

The future?

The information commissioner, Christopher Graham, has submitted a business case to the government to ask for them to extend his compulsory audit powers. So we will no doubt be hearing a lot more about fines for data breaches, that could have been prevented with some simple electronic housekeeping.

ProcessFlows can help you secure all types of documentation and processes

Our automated solutions for invoice processing, fax distribution, document management, digital mailroom etc are fully compliant and provide data security at every stage of the document journey.

If you would like to find out more, please contact us on 01962 835053 or email enquiries@processflows.co.uk.

Take Accounts Payable as an example. If done manually, this process can be time-consuming, complex and a burden, posing a number of challenges, from errors when entering data in accounting systems, to the costs associated with document shipping and storage. Automating this process will inevitably lead to more efficient working practices, with the added benefit of cost reductions. Not forgetting the reduction in paper, time savings, and increased security in proper invoice management.

This process of automation can be also applied to the Accounts Receivable process. If there are too many unallocated payments, an automated solution will help to achieve a clean sales ledger, more effective credit control and more accurate and actionable management information. With every-day reconciliation, you will have a less stressful month-end process and you won’t waste time chasing invoices that are already paid. Errors are minimised and relevant documents are stored electronically, making audits far more straightforward.

Month End closing processes are also frequently complex and time consuming. A faster close process, with increased accuracy and efficiency, should be a goal for any organisation. Eliminating omissions, improving speed and identifying redundant processes is possible through a financial reporting solution. There will be no more inadequately documented policies, wasted time and missed deadlines due to unplanned activities. With an optimised close process, companies can reallocate resources to more value-adding activities.

These solutions are not a substitute for your current systems – they work along with existing infrastructure to further hone processes. Automating functions in a finance department can help underpin the organisation as a whole and often acts as a driver to re-assess processes in other departments.

Want to find out more?

ProcessFlows will be hosting a free of charge event to demonstrate how we can assist in cost savings and streamlining your Finance department. The event will take place on February 29 at the Faraday Room, IET London, 2 Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL. To register, please click here.