Document automation solutions gives organizations the ability to create higher quality documents, faster than they would using processes that are dependent on manual work. But, how do you know you’re getting the best option for your needs?

The short answer: It’s all about the features.

Document Automation: What Should You Look For?

All document automation software is designed to help you streamline document generation, but your solution shouldn’t stop at the creation of a document. In fact, there are several key features that are absolutely critical to evaluate when shopping solutions – elements like template design and workflow automation form the foundation for a best-in-class document automation tool, but there are still some factors to consider when thinking about these features. For example, how easy the template builder is to use will dramatically impact onboarding time, as well as user adoption — When the new solution is too difficult to use, users go back to old processes and tools.

In this article, we’ll discuss some more of the key features to look for, as well as provide insight into related considerations. We’ll also highlight some of the relevant features in Experlogix that help our solution stand out from the crowd.

Intuitive Template Builder

The way that document templates are designed is a core facet of any document automation solution, but not all template builders are created equal. The best solutions offer an intuitive, easy-to-use interface so that business users can build document templates without relying on technical teams.

For example, Experlogix’s low/no-Code template builder leverages the same functionality as Microsoft Word, allowing users to build templates without coding knowledge and while using familiar software. This makes it easy to create simple or complex templates, leveraging everything from basic text to pictures, analytics and other media.

Data Collection

Quality documents depend on quality data. But what if you don’t already have the data you need in your CRM or ERP system? Copying and pasting information between systems is time-consuming and messy, but it’s sometimes the only way to bring together information from different sources.

Document Automation features like Smart Forms in Experlogix address this issue by allowing you to include customizable forms as part of an automated workflow. For example, a workflow may trigger an initial email to go out with a link to a form, and then form completion would trigger a document to be generated.  Smart Forms allow our clients to automate and simplify a broad range of processes. For example, insurers can drastically

The best part? Experlogix Document Automation can connect to an unlimited number of data sources, so you’re not limited in where you can pull information from.

Integration and API Support

Creating high-quality documents consistently is about more than just large volumes of data, it’s also about how organizations are able to use it. Integration makes it easy for systems to share data and removes manual work, like manually uploading documents to esignature platforms or writing the same email whenever you have to deliver the document.

Integration is also a key component of Experlogix Document Automation. We feature out-of-the-box integration with major business platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce NetSuite, and it’s easy to make documents leveraging data from any number of sources. We go a step further with the Document Automation API. This allows developers to integrate document automation capabilities into virtually any application.

Collaboration and Review

Document automation software should also empower users to collaborate more effectively. Features such as document versioning, track changes, and commenting enable multiple stakeholders to contribute to a document simultaneously. This promotes real-time collaboration, reduces the need for back-and-forth communication, and enhances efficiency in document review .

Compliance and Security

Many of our clients work with documents that include sensitive information, in industries like healthcare, insurance and finance, as well as the non-profit sector. This makes it critical that their document automation solution handles the data following security best practices and adhering to major compliance requirements.

We take security seriously, and our solution is compliance with stands like SOC2, which sets requirements for the coding and review practices for software. We also follow industry standards such as the NIST and OWASP reports to ensure our solutions meet business-grade security needs.

Document Management

more engaging documents that remain consistent with the organization’s brand. Integration with storage solutions like Dropbox, Drive and others also helps to ensure that saved documents are warehoused correctly and can be easily accessed when neeeded.

Transforming the Way You Generate Documents

The differences may seem small, but even seemingly small features can add up to a large impact. It can also be the difference between minor efficiency gains and major transformations in customer or employee experiences. Regardless of your document needs, though, it’s important to consider the benefits of a solution with a comprehensive feature set since many legacy tools still require some coding knowledge or advanced logic for building document templates. This makes the solution inaccessible to non-technical users, while also slowing down more advanced users. An interface that’s easy-to-use provides significant value at every part of the document automation process.

Businesses are under near-constant pressure to operate more efficiently, but it’s what you do with those efficiency gains that really makes the difference. Many of our clients leverage the time they save by providing additional value to their customers, beyond what their competition can provide. This includes personalizing more communications, as well as simply delivering communications faster and more consistently. Because even more advanced features are easy to use in Experlogix, many clients use the solution to provide more information to their customers. This can include educational documents about produces or services or more complex documents like fully developed investment reports. The only limit is your creativity.

The bottom line is that the right document automation solution can help you deliver better customer experiences while saving money and time. Of course, the best way to see how well a solution may fit your needs is to see the interface for yourself.

To  see how it all works in Experlogix,  request a demo here.