It's no secret that, despite the ongoing quest for digital transformation, many businesses are stuck in the old ways of using fillable PDFs and paper forms to capture information. The first thing that comes to mind for most of us when we think about capturing information from inbound communications is the scanning of physical documents. This approach isn't just outdated and prone to errors, it's a major roadblock to efficiency and customer satisfaction. The finance industry offers a stark example of this, with an average of 60% of paper forms submitted containing errors, leading to a domino effect of delays and frustration. Clearly, the traditional data collection method is ripe for disruption.
Rethinking your inbound capture processes takes some thought when considering Total Experience Management (TXM) — the act of creating a better experience for customers, employees, partners and users involved with a company. It requires adjusting from a customer communications management (CCM) mindset that focuses on the document to developing a strategy where three critical elements necessary to achieving TXM — the customer experience (CX), the employee experience (EX) and the user experience (UX) — can work together to create a seamless, positive experience for all.
Inbound Capture and UX
Collecting, processing and integrating incoming information — in physical or digital form — into an organization's workflows plays a key role in business processes. Organizations are beginning to recognize the substantial benefits of coordinating efforts between their outbound and inbound document workflows to streamline the inbound document capture processes. However, collecting data from the plethora of information sources that inundate an enterprise daily (think emails, paper documents, faxes, web forms, mobile devices and other digital inputs) can take a toll on everyone involved in the journey.
For any business, data is one of the most valuable assets. Relying on manual processes to collect this data is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but manual processes can also make it challenging to gather and analyze data effectively. Hence, automating data collection processes allows businesses to unlock powerful data-driven insights that help optimize workflows, track performance metrics and offer a high level of personalization. The emergence of technologies like Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and AI change the inbound capture landscape with the ability to extract and classify data with minimal human intervention while enhancing accuracy and speed. The shift from manual processes to automated inbound capture makes it possible for organizations to work more efficiently, accelerating their journey toward digital transformation.
Enhancing EX Satisfaction
Along with customers, employees, too, want fast, efficient and seamless business interactions. Automating inbound capture capabilities simplifies in-house processes, leading to quicker turnaround times and a more user-friendly experience. It also reduces repetitive tasks and enhances productivity. Selecting an inbound capture system, such as intelligent forms for data collection, that offers a low code platform and integrates easily with other systems makes it possible for business users with minimal technical skills to create information data capture experiences, resulting in faster processing of loans, insurance claims or legal agreements for customers and other interactions that enhance CX. Employees can spend time on higher-value tasks rather than repetitive administrative work, which can lead to job dissatisfaction and burnout.
Real-time Personalization and CX
Personalization has been recognized for decades as crucial to a positive CX. Automating inbound capture plays a vital role in the ability to offer the hyper-personalization that customers now expect. Having the ability to recognize customer preferences, recent purchases or other relevant historical data makes it possible for companies to provide recommendations, pre-fill forms or address customer issues in a timely fashion.
Moreover, inbound capture data can drive predictive analytics and support proactive decision-making by identifying patterns that help prevent issues before they arise, such as flagging customer frustrations and anticipating customer needs. According to a report by Deloitte, companies using predictive analytics to enhance customer service can increase operational efficiency by 25%. Having the ability to integrate inbound capture with technology like AI, raw data can be transformed into actionable insights. For example, a bank may use inbound capture to analyze data from a loan application experiencing bottlenecks, making it possible for the bank to connect with the prospect and offer guidance to the customer to provide a smoother CX.
Benefits of Integrating Inbound Capture into TXM
Effectively capturing and integrating customer insights within your Total Experience Management strategy transforms operational workflows and fosters more impactful interactions. By automating data collection and processing, businesses can boost accuracy, shorten response times and deliver more personalized experiences. This smooth information flow enhances customer satisfaction and improves internal efficiencies, enabling organizations to respond swiftly to shifting demands. As customer and employee engagement evolves, a robust inbound capture strategy will be essential to providing a cohesive, responsive experience across all touchpoints.
Avi Greenfield, Vice President of Product Management for Customer Experience Management (CXM) at Quadient, has over 25 years of experience using technology solutions to build business value, with a focus on customer communications and content strategy and delivery. He leads Quadient's portfolio vision and roadmap for CXM. He helps meet the needs of businesses for managing omnichannel communications to enhance customer engagement and improve experiences across key journeys.
