Posted on May 31, 2017 by Joey Green

Dealerships have no shortage of paper. Controllers and F&I staff members spend hours searching through storage facilities for necessary files. Boxes continue to accumulate until there’s no longer room. To improve workflow automation and internal document management controls, dealerships should investigate implementing document scanning. Turning mounds of paper into digital documents available with the click of a mouse has many instant benefits. Here are our top five reasons why you need to say goodbye to paper:

  1. Eases document retrieval process
    By scanning dealership documents, controllers do not have to worry about files being misplaced or completely lost. Scanning enables all customer transactions and employee files are digitally accessible and archived. When service managers need to locate a specific customer file, they can easily search the system and find the information boosting their customer interaction and satisfaction. Cashiers and warranty auditors can also find necessary documents without ever leaving their desk. Requested documents can quickly be shared via email, saved or printed for immediate use. For more efficient customer service and operational efficiency, dealerships can implement cost-effective document scanning and archiving solutions to make smarter decisions and improve customer interaction.Perform an internal audit on your current document filing process. Start by asking yourself and your staff these questions:
  1. Lowers dealership operating costs

From storage facilities to filing expenses, scanning lowers your operating costs tremendously over time. Minimize the amount of manpower and time transporting physical files to and from your storage area.

Costs in the following areas provide with zero value add:

In addition to saving money on your filing system, you will lower your costs in chargebacks on your manufacturer’s warranty audit due to misfiled or misplaced documents.

  1. Increases reliability and security
    Dealerships are mandated by many laws regarding document retention and security. With various employees handling files daily, physical documents have a greater potential to get misplaced or lost. Electronic storage and archiving not only saves a tremendous amount of time but also provides a very reliable recovery solution. In the event of a natural disaster or unexpected event, all dealership documentation is secure. Additionally, for increased security, dealership administrators can grant specific permissions to each employee depending on their department and role, so they can only access documents they need to see.
  2. Improves workflow
    We recommend dealerships determine their workflow from prep, scan, quality control, data validation and quality assurance. Scanning and following each of these processes will help automate accounting practices and standardize document management to ensure all activity is accounted for in a centralized system. These improvements will result in a smoother workflow.
  3. Better manage compliance and audits
    An electronic document scanning and data archiving system ensures manufacturer compliance processes are followed. With a scanning and archiving solution in place, users can immediately identify where they may be missing documents and assets that will be a liability in their next audit. According to The Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the average dealership spends close to $200,000 annually on overall regulatory compliance. CAR also reported an average of 30 to 40 pages can be required for a warranty claim. Dealerships can securely grant their auditors online access to view only the necessary, requested files for the audit. Meanwhile, auditors never have to leave their office.

Want to take the first step to going paperless? Request a demo now.