The following is the full text of an article published by Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm focused exclusively on Microsoft strategy & technology. Each month we make one or more key articles available to non-subscribers.
Digital document processing provides a way to automate business processes while preserving some existing work systems and work methods. Shown here is a simplified business process in which a builder applies for a building permit to a local government agency, which already has a permit management system to track permit applications.
In a typical transaction, the builder (1) fills out a paper application and returns it to a clerk. The clerk (2) evaluates the completeness of the application and types the builder's data into the agency's permit management system. The clerk also notifies a supervisor of the new application (3). The supervisor evaluates the data in the permit management system (4) and assigns one of the agency's planners (5). The planner extracts data from the permit management system (6) and creates a form letter to the builder acknowledging the application (7).
To automate this process, the agency could extend its existing permit management to cover additional steps. For example, it could provide a Web-based front end that enabled the builder to enter application data directly. However, many organizations opt for digital document processing: they create digital versions of key documents (such as the permit application and the form letter) and enable automated transfer between those digital documents and existing systems like the permit management system. Proceeding this way can reduce cost and risk because it requires fewer changes to existing systems and work methods. It also enables organizations to preserve their current document formats, which can be important when specific formats are mandated by law or required by business partners.
