Document Process Outsourcing Case Studies & Success Stories

April 16, 2015
|By Garegin Hakobyan

Fortune Global 500 Insurance Company

A leading Fortune Global 500 insurance company worked with document process outsourcing (DPO) provider Ricoh to improve efficiency of its mission-critical document processes, improve customer satisfaction, transition into digital services, and reduce cost. A third party supplier of banks and insurance companies, Ricoh provided securely-managed solutions and leveraged its domain expertise in the banking industry to help achieve the company’s goals. 

Ricoh implemented a two-stage solution. The first stage involved transferring in-house production to Ricoh’s document processing office, while the second stage focused on developing improved document processes. Ricoh handled capture and distribution of inbound documents, close-loop printing and distribution, and page-level reporting, 

How Outsourcing Helped

Risk Mitigation

To eliminate risk, Ricoh used closed-loop production systems as it handled over 60 million documents every year for the company. Ricoh provided a secure intranet portal where users can order a multiple print services such as brochure and poster printing. Users can also submit documents for printing, check the documents and track production.

Reduced Costs

A company executive said that Ricoh’s service-based approach saved them money and improved shareholder return. By allowing Ricoh to manage mission-critical document processes, the company was also able to invest resources into core and strategic business activities.

Improved Process Efficiency

In the first phase of the project, the company’s print and distribution services were moved to Ricoh’s external document center. Ricoh also helped manage labor and asset issues related to the transition and shutting down of in-house departments. In the second phase, Ricoh introduced automation to speed up production and closed-loop systems (such as lot check controls) to reduce errors and improve auditing compliance. Because the documents were error-free, they reached the customers faster and increased satisfaction.

Digital Transformation

Ricoh provided digital mailroom solutions that reduce the company’s paper trail. Instead of paper records, inbound documents were archived, validated, and uploaded to the company’s management information system. The original records and data hub were thus easier to access.

Canon UK

Canon is a world-leader in imaging products for home and office. To maintain its strong market position and improve service levels while reducing costs, Canon UK (based in Reigate, Surrey) decided to work with document processing specialist Swiss Post Solutions. Canon realized that transforming the company’s document-intensive processes would require an outside expert. By working with Swiss Post Solutions, Canon gained access to innovative solutions and facilities required to run the company’s busy operations more efficiently.

How Outsourcing Helped

Increased Focus

Outsourcing document processing to Swiss Post Solutions allowed Canon UK to invest internal resources into its core business.

Access to Domain Expertise

Canon UK understood that some processes were outside their domain expertise. Working with Swiss Post Solutions ensured that the right documents were sent to customers as quickly as possible, data was easily accessible, documents could be destroyed when required, and customer service exceeded expectations. Swiss Post Solutions started by using its benchmarking database to compare Canon’s practice with market best practices. It gave the company insight into the market and their competitors and ways to improve.

Improved Process Efficiency

Swiss Post Solutions scheduled mail rounds to prevent congestion during peak hours. Because the in-house staff was trained to cover for absent workers or those on holiday, it reduced the company’s dependency on untrained contract employees.

New Technologies Introduced

uFile, uBook, and iTrak were among the technologies that Swiss Post Solutions introduced to improve courier process efficiency. uFile is a data archiving management system, uBook is a booking and management system, and iTrak is a tracking system for inbound signature deliveries. According to Canon UK’s Facilities Manager, iTrak helped the company reduce waste by eliminating paper records and allowed packages to be tracked from dispatch to delivery.

Improved Staff Retention and Productivity

To improve career progression and retention of Canon UK employees, Swiss Post Solutions introduced personal development plans to guide the workers and basic equipment training to reduce reliance on engineers. When machine problems arise, mailroom staff checks the machine first and fixes the issue, if minor. Only serious problems are escalated to engineers. 

Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) is Maryland’s largest gas and electric utility provider, employing about 3,200 people and serving over 2 million customers in the entire state. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, with approximately $27.4 billion in revenues in 2014. BGE partnered with document process outsourcing provider Xerox to realize cost savings, improve process efficiency and boost customer satisfaction. 

How Outsourcing Helped

Streamlined Billing Statements 

BGE wanted a more efficient, cost-effective way to send regular billing statements to its clients. BGE knew that outsourcing was the best way to achieve these goals. Xerox served as a single source provider of printing services, printing management and client communications. Xerox streamlined information to reduce the number of pages (reduced two-page billing statements by 99 percent), reduce print and mailing costs, speed up turnaround time to ensure regulatory requirements are met, and make the statements easier to understand. Xerox also increased the font size and positioned relevant information prominently for better accessibility and visual appeal. The provider planned to customize the statements with targeted information in the future.

Reduced costs

A BGE senior analyst reported that the company achieved dramatic cost savings ($297,000 savings in printing and mailing costs alone) as a result of the partnership with the DPO provider, as well as a reduction in paper output by 7 million sheets annually. 

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Because the billing statements were simpler and easier to understand, Xerox helped lower complaints and call center inquiries while increasing customer satisfaction.

Seco-Carbology (Seco Tools)

Seco-Carbology or SC (now Seco Tools, Inc.) is a multinational developer, manufacturer and provider of innovative metalworking products for machining, including milling, hole-making, holding, and turning tools. SC wanted to support the sales activities of its distributors while retaining control over its brand. Specifically, SC wanted their dealers to access and customize sales collateral materials directly. 

The company’s existing sales collateral production system was time-consuming and prone to errors. The goal was to eliminate printing and storage in the document lifecycle and shorten the turnaround time in obtaining sales collaterals by allowing dealers to order preprinted sales materials easily and customize them. SC chose Xerox to provide full-service marketing and document processing solutions to achieve its goal.

How Outsourcing Helped

Reengineered Communications

Reengineered documents were the key to driving down costs and improving client acquisition and retention rates at Seco Tools. The document advisors at Xerox combined the latest design techniques and behavioral science studies to improve the effectiveness of paper and digital communications. 

Xerox drew on variable data showing that personalized, one-on-one sales collaterals increased their value to the recipient, and that color personalization was more effective than black and white personalization at increasing the response rate. Personalized sales communications also reduced cost per response to 54 percent and increased sales by an average of 93 percent. Using their domain expertise, document advisors at Xerox were able to improve brand recognition, boost sales and improve the bottom line.

Increased Dealer Participation

Due to the streamlined process of obtaining sales collaterals, both dealer participation and sales of certain products increased more than 300 percent to meet demand.

Customized Sales Collaterals

Xerox created an almost 100 percent automated web-to-print portal that allowed dealers to customize and easily order sales and marketing materials from SC. A job ticket and a PDF file were created for each order received. Xerox also designed a tutorial for the distributors to help them learn the new system.

Reduced Turnaround Time

It used to take about a month for dealers to obtain sales and marketing materials from SC. Through the web-to-print on-demand portal, Xerox eliminated pre-printing and reduced the turnaround time from four weeks to one week. 

Staff Leasing Philippines for Document Process Outsourcing

There are many takeaways from these outsourcing case studies and success stories. One of them would be finding a service provider that’s the right fit for your business, whether this would be staff leasing in the Philippines or any other outsourcing location. These success stories also point out how crucial it is to work with a BPO company that can provide securely-managed solutions and domain expertise.

Another common thread from these case studies of successful document process outsourcing projects – knowing exactly how the business process outsourcing company will handle risk mitigation, reducing costs, process efficiency improvement, reducing turnaround time, reengineering communications, increased focus, improved customer satisfaction, and digital transformation for your company. 

It’s also worth noting if your business can gain new technologies, better staff retention and productivity, and, if applicable, streamlined billing statements to clients, increased dealer participation and sales as a result of the streamlined process and increased productivity.

Is outsourcing document process right for your business? Learn more by visiting our Should You Outsource page. You may also want to gain more information about Outsource Staffing Philippines. 

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