Issues Related to Processing Inbound Transactional Content

Inbound transactional content – any content from an inbound document that initiates a business transaction on the back end – takes many forms: invoices, application forms, insurance claims, purchase orders, change-of-address forms, even complaint letters. Each of these contains different pieces of information, ranging from names and ID numbers to addresses, dates, procedure codes and more. Many organizations receive these documents in a mail-processing center that unpacks the necessary information and routes to the appropriate department.

Much focus has been placed on cost-cutting measures in the processing of these documents, including automation, mailroom sharing, off-shoring and outsourcing. Before jumping into any one of these, businesses should consider these issues related to processing inbound transactional content.

Centralized vs. Distributed Processing

Many organizations have already approached some degree of automation in their document processing systems. However, they may not have implemented a fully centralized shared process for a geographically disperse organization. While it makes sense for an organization that has a large geographical footprint to move into a centralized shared process with a low-cost and effective resourcing model, this isn’t necessarily an easy decision. Many regional organizations may want to exercise autonomy over their content processing steps and work within the same time zones. These issues shouldn’t be disregarded, but business leaders should consider all potential challenges before transitioning to a centralized model and do everything they can to mitigate those concerns prior to initiating changes.

Re-using Existing Assets

Any organization with multiple silos tasked with document processing will have some overlap in existing assets. It’s reasonable that businesses would want to leverage these. Consider whether the business benefits from its re-use or if it would become the source of some operational issues.

Planning for E-Discovery

Each line of information on the numerous forms handled by an organization is data that could be requested in e-discovery in connection with litigation. The cost to retrieve this information can be high, and involves sifting through copious amounts of digital data. Organizations should implement solutions from the onset that will consider any potential litigation. Is the data identifiable? How is it classified and organized? Working through these questions on the front end will help reduce discovery costs related to future litigation.