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SITUATION
• Shufro Rose needed a platform to automate key processes and integrate with the firm’s tech stack.
• The firm wanted to standardize the experience for advisors so that they could continue providing the highest standard of service to clients.
RESULTS
• Built a digital infrastructure strategy with Laserfiche that has enabled the firm to thrive through change
• Improved back-office efficiencies that make employees’ lives easier
• Kept client-facing staff focused on clients
Wealth management firms need consistent, standardized processes to scale their businesses successfully. When Shufro Rose began looking for ways to digitize its workflows, its customer relationship management tool was unable to produce the robust audit trails or perform the sophisticated workflow logic the firm needed to support its growth. It turned to Laserfiche to manage its books and records document repository and manage its workflows.
Today, the New York City-based independent wealth management firm manages approximately $2 billion in assets across 1,200 households and roughly 2,700 accounts. As it has grown, it has also steadily converted more and more of its business processes to digital workflows that integrate tools such as Tamarac and Docusign with Laserfiche.
“[Laserfiche is] our books and records document repository, storing all the client paperwork we’re required to have by regulation, but it also serves as an operational workload tool for things like account opening, moving money, so that our client-facing and operational teams can work as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
— Vibhaw Arya, chief operating officer at Shufro Rose
Laserfiche allows Shufro Rose to design automated workflows that make its front-end and back-end processes more efficient simultaneously. The firm approaches digitizing a process by starting with a front-end client request. That requires the team to think about the data points it needs to move forward each step of the way. The ability to integrate the process with Tamarac means the firm can pre-populate information it already has, minimizing data entry errors and enabling advisors and their staff to focus on client service, and obtaining only the information they still need.
Digitizing the firm’s money movement process was an early target. The ability to create electronic forms using Laserfiche, which are pre-populated with information saves administrative time and energy. The process also employs sophisticated logic to mitigate risk dynamically, based on the type of transaction taking place. For example, a request to write a first-party check from an investment account with all the information on file and documented can be approved without as much intervention as a client request to wire funds to a car dealership. In the latter case, the firm would need a letter of authorization on file, and may also need to get approvals from the portfolio manager and chief compliance officer.
Using workflows built with Laserfiche, Shufro Rose was able to automate the sending of approval requests as appropriate depending on the situation. The system prompts the appropriate people for secure, electronic approvals, reducing bottlenecks that could slow the process. Because the workflow automatically produces and files a paper trail in the Laserfiche repository, the firm’s record-keeping and compliance requirements are met without the need for additional intervention by staff.
“The repository is our books and records,” said Arya. “We have it all within one platform that keeps it all together and ensures we’ve got full audit trails.”
One of the firm’s significant Laserfiche initiatives has been to streamline the account opening process. This process originally relied heavily upon manual data entry and manually scanning numerous account documents. Shufro Rose created an electronic account opening form in Laserfiche that captures all client information necessary to open a new account in a consistent digital format. A Laserfiche workflow then automatically routes information to relevant operations and client service personnel for execution and review. Any required signatures required for account opening are executed through an integration with DocuSign.
As Shufro Rose turned its attention to other business processes, it uncovered additional benefits to its operations. “The other thing Laserfiche Forms helps us do, given that it’s very checkbox-oriented and data-entry oriented, it also helps us create the operational procedures within Laserfiche itself—it’s become our digital operations management in a lot of ways,” said Arya.
Operational procedures are automatically documented because they live on the Laserfiche form used for the process. Because the process is digital, it’s also consistent. With workflow logic built into the process, steps don’t get forgotten or skipped. And the firm is able to keep track of things at all times using dashboards to monitor the status of requests. “It actually helps us onboard new employees as we’re trying to grow—it becomes a type of training tool, because the process helps you drive what’s needed,” Arya said.
With the help of its Laserfiche implementation partner, Accelerated Information Systems, Shufro Rose has been able to take advantage of the flexibility provided by Laserfiche’s API functions to automate more complex processes.
When teams initiate requests for gift letters, produced when clients donate stock, often to unlock tax benefits, Laserfiche uses an API connection to pull in the historical prices of the stock or stocks being gifted. The process then automatically generates the gift letter to send to the client, which the client can then pass to their tax accountant. At the end of the process, the paperwork and audit trail are filed in the Laserfiche repository without the need to scan paperwork manually.
As Shufro Rose continues to grow, it has additional enhancements already in the pipeline. In 2023, it plans to automate the creation of investment policy statements for new and existing accounts, as well as the complex process of splitting existing accounts, for example, when transferring IRA account assets to beneficiaries.
“Shufro Rose’s approach to digital transformation is firmly rooted in its dedication to serving clients,” said Zaheer Master, president of Accelerated Information Systems, the solution provider that implemented Laserfiche at Shufro Rose. “The firm’s vision and use of Laserfiche has positioned it for success, even in times of dramatic change.”
Improving back-office efficiencies makes employees’ lives easier and keeps client-facing staff focused on activities that produce value for clients. With compliance functions automated and processes well documented, operations can run more smoothly without compromising on risk mitigation. “There are so many intangible values that have come out of this process,” Arya said. As organizations scale, process automation can ensure those benefits multiply.
When the COVID-19 outbreak hit the U.S., the team at Linn-Benton Community College sprang into action. To protect the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and community, the college had to get classes online and prepare faculty, staff and students to work, teach and learn remotely. Linn-Benton Community College, which works closely with Laserfiche solution provider CDI, previously used Laserfiche to automate more than 200 processes across campus, but this unprecedented challenge would put the organization’s digital operations to the test.
Using Laserfiche as a key tool for communication and collaboration, the IT team has been working tirelessly to ensure everyone has access to the information, systems and processes necessary to keep business moving at the college, and enable classes for the spring semester to begin remotely April 6.
“Our No. 1 priority is health and safety,” said Michael Quiner, CIO at Linn-Benton Community College. “I know it has been extremely difficult and stressful for everyone, but we can help to protect students, staff and faculty, by having people work from home, and having students learn from home. To be able to use technology to enable that — I think that’s pretty amazing.”
Linn-Benton Community College serves more than 10,000 students, with almost 600 faculty members, and over 300 staff members. As concerns around the COVID-19 outbreak grew, the college braced for unprecedented change.
“I don’t think anyone’s seen or experienced anything like this before,” said Quiner. “But I believe that the team we have at Linn-Benton Community College is very innovative, and we are used to leveraging technology to enable agility and flexibility.”
On March 19, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order to immediately implement measures for significantly reducing in-person operations at Oregon colleges and universities. The order also advised colleges and universities to continue learning and teaching operations, but to shift to remote or online delivery.
The immediate challenge was communication. With staff and faculty working both on- and off-campus, and the situation changing by the day, the college needed to make sure everyone knew where everyone else was, and how to get in touch if needed. The college’s institutional research department quickly created an automated process in Laserfiche that emails everyone employed by Linn-Benton Community College each morning, prompting them to fill out a form to indicate where they were working that day and the best way to get in contact with them. “That information is automatically posted in a web portal so people know how to contact each other,” Quiner said.
Next, to quickly transition everyone to operate remotely, staff needed to request remote access to systems they typically use on campus. “This seems simple, but it’s a big workflow that involves staff who have to install software on people’s machines and staff to provision accounts, and more,” said Quiner. The college again used Laserfiche Forms to enable staff to make these requests digitally, and route them to the relevant parties.
“The main benefit of using Laserfiche has been that we’re able to quickly create an automated process, and have that process save all the necessary documentation, contain all the right information, and be seen by the right people so that we can get these activities done right the first time,” Quiner added.
At the same time the college was managing the enormous shift, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act) was passed, requiring certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. From the passage of the act to the time when organizations were expected to comply was very short.
A cross-departmental team from human resources and IT quickly tackled the challenge and created a work process which has seven unique forms, six decision points, and 16 process tasks. This was made available to college employees inside of 48 hours.
“Laserfiche allows us to keep the college in compliance during a fast-moving situation while dealing with constantly shifting requirements, interruptions, and urgent priority requests,” Quiner added.
Additionally, Linn-Benton Community College modified an existing Laserfiche Form to track the equipment being loaned out to staff and faculty, and enable people to request other equipment they might need. “Before, we were just using this form for staff to request if they needed something new,” Quiner said. “We adapted the existing form so that we could track loaner equipment, and we can still see what additional or alternative support our staff needs.”
The rapidly changing COVID-19 situation continues to pose challenges for all organizations that are transitioning employees to work from home, and working to standardize and digitize business processes to enable business continuity.
“While this has been extremely difficult for everyone, Laserfiche is helping make an impossible task possible,” Quiner said of the experience.
And while student, staff and faculty health and safety remains the college’s top priority, Quiner explained that the organization’s digital transformation efforts will continue.
“Transformation is the idea that we can use technology tools to better leverage our staff’s time,” he said. “We’ve only started to transform. There are so many exciting things — for example, robotic process automation — that we’re dipping our toes into, that will take a lot of the repetitive work from our staff so we can concentrate on supporting each other and supporting our students.”
Future plans include automating time sheets, and employee onboarding and offboarding processes. Quiner is also interested in working with other community colleges in the region to share data and collaborate on processes, so that the larger community of educational organizations can build on each other’s success.
“We’re saving a huge amount of our staff’s time — and not just IT staff but college staff, too — by using business process automation, and moving documents to the right location using Laserfiche Forms,” said Quiner. “Tools like business process automation and RPA can help us get away from chasing down forms or responding to emails, and enable our staff and faculty can do what they were hired to do, which is to make better people, better families and better communities through education.”
Continuity planning is crucial in times of uncertainty. Discover the tools and strategies to keep your business moving at all times, in any situation, on any device.
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At Beachwalk Resort, unit owners and guests come first. After opening in 2015, the four-star condo hotel in Hallandale Beach, Florida, quickly became a coveted destination, with a reputation for casual elegance and world-class service. Beachwalk Resort’s commitment to providing the best possible customer experience recently led its staff to assess key business processes. Today, the resort is using Laserfiche to automate and streamline key parts of its operations, easing compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI) and enabling the organization to take a digital-first approach with owner relations and guest communications.
Beachwalk Resort is a 33-story property that operates like a luxury hotel, with many condo owners opting into a rental program to earn a percentage of sales when units are rented as hotel rooms.
“Hospitality is our business,” said Gery Amaya, director of front office and owner relations accounting at Beachwalk Resort. “We are constantly looking at ways to provide the best possible service to our owners and guests.”
The resort’s focus on customer service recently led to the reassessment of how owner relations and guest communications were being managed. “We wanted to make sure that everything was organized and searchable,” said Amaya. “Streamlined, responsive service is so important in our industry. We had permits, email communications and other information that we needed to be able to retrieve quickly, which wasn’t easy when we were saving documents on different computers or shared drives.”
Hotel staff also must manage guest credit card information, which adds another layer of complexity to communications.
“We do not send credit card or banking information through email in accordance with PCI guidelines,” Amaya said. “The guidelines allow you to send that information through fax if you have a secure server, but that’s not ideal when not everyone uses that form of communication, or you’re worried about a document being left in a fax machine somewhere.”
The resort recently rolled out a new way of doing rental distribution, requiring owners who wanted to participate in the rental program to sign a new contract. Beachwalk Resort seized the opportunity to use Laserfiche to automate the contract management process.
“We had to cancel the old contracts and execute a new rental management agreement (RMA) with the owners,” Amaya said. The RMA and all relevant information is now sent to the owner with a unique link, which allows the owner to complete the contract and upload any personal information — including banking and tax information — without having to send it through email or fax.
Once the owner submits the RMA, an automated workflow routes it to the relevant Beachwalk Resort employees for review and approval. Documents are also automatically routed to a standardize file structure, eliminating the manual filing that employees once had to do.
Reimagining this these contracts as a completely digital, automated process has reclaimed time for employees to focus on customer service rather than chasing paperwork. Additionally, compliance with PCI guidelines is no longer a burden on employees, since they are not charged with transmitting credit card or banking information.
The entire process is also more convenient for owners. “Some unit owners like to run a separate vacation home business, so it makes it a lot easier for them as well,” Amaya said. “Owners can pull up their contracts easily, and remotely as needed. Many of our unit owners are from South America, and they either don’t or prefer not to speak in English. We can easily translate forms and send different versions. It’s introduced a new level of convenience for everyone involved.”
“Digital transformation in the hospitality industry is incredibly human-focused,” said Nareg Halajian, president of Dynamic Document Services, the Laserfiche Solution Provider that implemented Laserfiche at Beachwalk Resort. “Beachwalk Resort demonstrates a deep understanding of customer needs by leveraging Laserfiche technology to empower employees to spend more time on what matters: creating an extraordinary experience for their owners and guests.”
Since the success of the RMA initiative, Beachwalk Resort has uncovered new efficiencies by automating forms-based processes throughout the organization. Using this forward-thinking, digital and automated approach, the resort is able to provide efficient, responsive and customer-centric service.
From the moment guests arrive, resort staff aims to create a memorable experience. Owners have specific rights — such as beach services or parking services — and ownership also comes with six authorized users. “If a staff member doesn’t know a guest for whatever reason — maybe the owner doesn’t come here often, or the staff member doesn’t know their family or friends — we used to have to go and find out who is on the authorized user list, which could take longer than we’d like,” Amaya said. “At the concierge, we can now go into Laserfiche as the guest is standing there, look up the contract and see that they are on the list. It’s not an inconvenience to them, and we are able to provide that elevated service that they expect when they arrive at a four-star resort.”
Beachwalk Resort has also significantly simplified its credit card dispute and chargeback process, minimizing the headache involved for all parties. “Credit card disputes are tricky and not fun for anyone,” Amaya said. “There can be a lot of money involved. We have about 10 days to answer any disputes on credit cards. All the information we need in order to respond to the dispute is stored in Laserfiche. It used to take a day or two to find and compile the information, and now it only takes about 10 to 15 minutes per case.”
Owners and guests have noticed improvements in response times to inquiries. According to Amaya, the resort has received positive feedback from owners on how quickly they’re able to receive information back from staff.
“Laserfiche provided a solution that enables us to monitor everything. We know the information is automatically sent to where it needs to go; we know it’s not sitting in an inbox or a fax machine.”
—Gery Amaya, Drector of Front Office and Owner Relations Accounting at Beachwalk Resort
Amaya and the Beachwalk Resort team are now looking to automate and streamline additional processes to further the resort’s digital transformation. On the horizon is accounts payable. “The prospect of automating AP processes is exciting,” said Amaya. “All the content is already stored in Laserfiche, so we can’t wait to reinvent what we are doing with accounts payable.”
Using Laserfiche records management and business process automation, Beachwalk Resort is building the future of hospitality — a future with less tedious, manual tasks and more time to focus on customer relations and building better relationships.
“Almost every department is now using Laserfiche,” Amaya said. “It’s helped streamline our processes and communication. It’s really exceeded our expectations.”
Digital process automation is a staple of operational success in the modern workplace. Forward-thinking businesses have prioritized automation technology in their digital transformation initiatives for its ability to increase efficiency, transparency and accuracy of information circulated throughout an organization.
Read on to learn what digital process automation is and why it’s an important component of the modern business landscape.
Digital process automation (DPA) is a method of digitizing processes by eliminating manual steps and improving user experience for customers, vendors and staff. Like business process automation, DPA as a methodology is meant to accelerate workflows while decreasing human error. DPA is a core component of enterprise content management (ECM) software in that it supports the routing, modifying and storing of important data traveling in and out of an organization.
A digital process automation platform captures information from electronic forms and other sources to launch digital business processes. These platforms also enable users to customize digital business processes to automatically complete a variety of tasks within the scope of regular business processes, such as public records requests, travel and expense requests and job application reviews.
Most digital process automation solutions enable you to design these processes as a diagram using a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) interface. More advanced solutions offer extensive business process template libraries that are essentially plug-and-play. One example of this is the Laserfiche Solution Marketplace. Watch the below video to learn more about the Laserfiche Solution Marketplace.
Also be sure to check out the below infographic “Laserfiche 4 Steps to Innovation” to see how Laserfiche users can not only deploy solutions quickly, but get involved with a larger community of innovators.
DPA software helps eliminate redundant busywork, freeing up time for staff to focus on strategic business priorities. A few immediate benefits of DPA software include:
Users can revise, approve and complete document revisions faster with automated routing and task notifications. Users can also easily reassign tasks if someone is out of office.
Custom business process reports enable process managers to measure success and eliminate workflow bottlenecks. Administrators can also get a clear picture of employee workloads with process monitoring dashboards.
Advanced DPA software solutions enable users to complete tasks from their phones as well as their desktops to keep processes moving, saving time and helping to reduce duplicate data entry by users in different locations.
While both DPA and robotic process automation (RPA) technologies are designed to automate and streamline processes, they are different in one key way: how they integrate with outside applications. While a DPA will generally use a specialized API or native integration for a particular application, an RPA solution usually interacts with applications like a human would, using a user interface (UI). This makes the possibility for integrations almost endless for an RPA solution. Because RPA solutions can also be integrated into a DPA solution, to provide last-mile integrations with applications that lack traditional integration points, this means that RPA opens up the integration possibilities for DPA solutions as well.
When selecting a DPA software solution for your business, it’s important to consider:
Ready to learn more about DPA technology? Download this free guide to learn how process automation improves workplace efficiency and saves time and resources across the enterprise.
Researching digital process automation platforms? Check out the G2 grid to compare top vendors.
For Riela Yachts Ltd — a company that provides cybersecurity, safety, technical, crew, fiduciary administration and emergency response services to superyachts — safety and quality service are top priorities. Using Laserfiche, the organization recently transformed the way that it manages information related to safety standards in order to make critical safety processes and procedures more efficient, effective and transparent. This digital transformation has supported crews in their ability to focus on their day-to-day jobs, and further enabled owners and their guests to fully enjoy their superyacht experience.
Navigating Digital Transformation
Modern superyachts — commercially operated luxury yachts that are 24 meters or larger — have some of the most advanced technology onboard, including engineering and navigational equipment, plus sophisticated “toys” like tenders, helicopters, cars and fully-equipped cinemas. Dedicated to providing services that fully complement superyacht operations, Riela Yachts also leverages leading technology in order to provide a modern experience for those they serve.
The company used this tech-forward approach when developing a new solution for meeting the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, an international standard for seagoing vessels.
“It was shocking to understand that on the bridge of these vessels they were operating with huge amounts of paper,” said Christian Moore, technical officer at Riela Yachts.
Riela’s Safety Management System (SMS) is made up of standard operating procedures, contingency plans, operating manuals, reporting forms and more. Prior to using Laserfiche, this information was managed manually, on paper — employees had to print, scan and file documents related to the ISM Code. When updates were made, manuals had to be flown to vessels’ locations, which could be anywhere in the world. A single superyacht could use over 5,000 pages’ worth of forms and manuals each year. The paper and manual processes involved with updating them led to the possibility of ships having outdated versions onboard, and made audits extremely cumbersome.
Riela Yachts recognized an opportunity to digitize and streamline the updating of these manuals, enabling yachts to work smarter and crews to focus on day-to-day operations.
Riela Yachts set out to reduce the amount of paper being used onboard, decrease crews’ administration load as well as improve auditability, to support and simplify ISM Code compliance. By digitizing the manuals that were once made of thousands of pages of paper, Riela Yachts can now store them in an electronic repository. The company also automated the process of updating the manuals of all the superyachts it serves, so that once a change is made, all vessels receive the latest information within minutes.
“We wanted to achieve a fully paperless superyacht where possible and improve the time spent on the SMS for crew, so they can get back to their real job, which is ensuring the owner enjoys their asset to the fullest,” Moore said.
Using Laserfiche Forms, Riela also developed more than 30 electronic forms in the SMS that help individual crews streamline regular procedures. These forms include arrival and departure in port, accident reporting, and checklists for when the engine room goes unmanned.
Now, all information related to these critical safety procedures is collected digitally and automatically sent to Riela’s staff at headquarters in the Isle of Man, so it can be reviewed and stored in a central repository.
Smooth Sailing
Riela Yachts and their customers have saved significant time and money from working smarter and digitizing, centralizing and automating safety manuals and processes. Vessels have the most recent information at their fingertips, making compliance with the ISM Code much less of an administrative burden. Crews are freed from many of the previously required manual tasks and captains are able to audit completed tasks as needed by the ISM.
The company is now also using Laserfiche to digitize more forms including permits for work, standing orders as well as management minutes. Also currently in the works: moving to a mobile app version of the SMS, which will allow captains to access the system through a tablet.
Riela has also been able to recoup administration costs associated with the manual processes and gain new clients as positive reactions to the modern, digital SMS system experience have spread through the docks and shipyards.
“We are excited to for the future and even greater returns on investments as the company grows and expands,” Moore said. “The savings, returns and new business we have gained from introducing Laserfiche have been significant and, after just celebrating our one-year anniversary as a company, we see Laserfiche aiding our success over the years to come.”
Accounts payable (AP) has been an essential part of business for decades. However, today’s organizations have more expected of them in the digital age – vendors now often want payment almost instantly and at the same time completely without error.
To keep up with the changing demands thrust upon modern AP departments, many organizations have used automation software to streamline their processes. However, AP is an incredibly complex process that may still require some manual work.
One of the largest challenges for traditional AP automation is processing data from invoices when the format changes from document to document. Oftentimes organizations design custom solutions to solve this problem. Still, they may take months of setup before AP teams can see value.
However, technology is always evolving. New software can now harness the power of artificial intelligence to recognize not just one type of invoice, but virtually any invoice format sent its way. These new, cutting-edge tools are a boon to organizations looking for a more thoroughly automated AP process, freeing up staff to focus on strategic initiatives and new ideas instead of occupying themselves with busywork.
Machine learning is a specific type of AI, used across a variety of industries, from healthcare, to government, technology and finance. The most common way for ML to work is to examine a large data set (say, for example, 1,000,000 photos of various animals) and then find patterns that result in a desired output (for example, which of those photos featured a dog.)
Going back to the challenge of processing invoices, the machine learning solution to this problem works similarly. By examining a wide variety of invoices, the ML algorithm can be trained or instructed to recognize particular patterns, learn from them, and understand fundamentally what makes an invoice, an invoice.
With this knowledge, the ML algorithm, given a group of invoices where no two are formatted the same, would still be able to identify and extract data – such as invoice number, invoice date and vendor name – from each document in the set.
Using process automation software with AI technology offers a wide variety of tangible benefits for your organization, such as:
Accurate information: Easily extract invoice information such as invoice date, PO number, invoice number and total due.
Realize ROI faster: Implement a faster AP solution that doesn’t require extra effort to recognize different invoice formats.
Boost productivity: Minimize error-prone data entry by automatically pushing invoice data to enterprise applications.
Protect against fraud: Identify invoice discrepancies early with automated data validation against previously approved POs.
Improve cash flow: Shorten payment cycles and avoid late fees by automating reminders and streamlining payment processing.
AI technology allows you to go beyond what was possible before with AP automation. Adding the ability to recognize different invoice formats to your workflows can enable your organization to be more agile, adaptive, and efficient when it comes to paying out to vendors.
Want to see for yourself how Laserfiche® can transform your AP department with AI? Test out this technology with our invoice examples or one of your own on our smart invoice capture page.
The digital transformation of the aviation industry continues to create new ways for airline carriers, leasing companies and aircraft service organizations to compete.
While aviation has traditionally lagged behind other industries in digital innovation, Coopesa RL — a provider of service and skilled personnel to the aviation industry since 1963 — has prioritized investing in new technology to transform its business. Most recently, Coopesa used Laserfiche to digitize and automate its documentation processes, which has resulted in a reduction in employee hours spent on updating and tracking down paperwork, better oversight of documents and processes, and a boost in productivity. Additionally, the improvements have shortened the average time planes are grounded for service, enabling Coopesa to offer more value to clients.
“Every day, more and more airlines, competitors and suppliers are transitioning to a digital environment,” says Herbert Cabrera, IT director at Coopesa. “Additionally, many of our mechanics are millennials; they are very willing to work in a sophisticated digital ecosystem. We recognize the need to provide the tools that will empower them to be as effective and productive as possible.”
Based in Costa Rica, Coopesa offers major maintenance, inspections, modifications, upgrades, refurbishments and painting for the world’s aviation fleets and leasing companies. The company has three hangars, and plans to open a new facility that will accommodate additional offices, back shops and the service of even more narrow- and wide-body planes. As the company evolves its offerings, Coopesa has also embarked on a journey to digitally transform its business as well.
Coopesa’s IT team identified an opportunity to digitize the process of documentation, which is required for every task involved with aircraft repair and maintenance. Documentation enables the company to comply with numerous regulatory requirements from more than 13 aviation regulatory agencies in the region — plus requirements from clients’ countries. Traditionally very manual and paper-heavy, documentation for a single service could take up to three days.
Some of the challenges Coopesa faced as a result of manual, paper-heavy documentation processes included:
The company sought a user-friendly, customizable solution that could help employees digitally and securely document service activities and purchases, as well as reduce the manual tasks involved with managing and updating documentation.
“In order to keep up with our growing clientele while continuing to honor our commitment to quality, safety and compliance with regulatory requirements, we turned to Laserfiche digital document management and business process automation,” Cabrera says. “Laserfiche helps us to meet one of our biggest challenges: complying with civil aviation control entities in each of our clients’ countries as well as our own.”
Using Laserfiche, Coopesa digitized critical documents related to services and automated many of the tasks related to reviewing, approving and updating documentation. The company also automated the process of material purchase documentation, which must be kept for two to five years for auditing, depending on material type and client requirements.
“Digitizing these processes allows us to avoid manual review of thousands of documents, and mitigated the risk of lost documents that previously had to be physically transferred between offices. We also have a full audit trail for all documents; everything is completely traceable. This digital experience puts us on par with the largest repair shops in the world.”
—Herbert Cabrera, IT director at Coopesa
The company has plans to integrate Laserfiche with other internal systems, to centralize information and enable employees to more easily locate certificates and other critical documents, no matter where they are stored. Another project on the horizon is the digitization of personnel files, which also require strict controls and security.
“For many years, the aviation maintenance industry was reluctant to adopt technological solutions, but now there is a new digital ecosystem,” says Cabrera. “Laserfiche has enabled us to not only participate but act as a leader in the digital transformation of the aviation industry.”
Coopesa’s Laserfiche initiatives have significantly reduced costs related to the printing, storage and transportation of paper documents. More importantly, the documentation process — which previously took up to three days — now only takes one to two hours. Clients automatically receive notifications immediately when they have corresponding tasks to complete.
“Streamlining this process is incredibly valuable,” says Cabrera. “We can shorten our turnaround time, while our clients can quickly schedule the return of their aircraft to operation. This has a positive effect on our revenue as well as the customer experience.”
The increase in transparency across the organization also allows for better planning. Staff are empowered with information regarding hangar space, technician and other resource availability to fulfill clients’ service and maintenance needs in the most efficient manner possible. Managers are also better able to measure performance and productivity by examining process data.
Another important benefit: Employees have reclaimed time from tedious, manual processes to be dedicated to more specialized tasks related to quality control and customer service.
“Our biggest satisfaction is seeing aircraft take off from our facilities, and operating safely and reliably,” adds Cabrera. “We will continue to invest in the technology solutions that enable us to be our clients’ partners in maintenance, and to meet their needs with high-value and competitive solutions for service.”
