The Inception of OnTask Automation May 18, 2018 Even the most tech-savvy businesses are still using some manual, paper-based procedures to filter tasks through the process. When Accusoft’s Steve Wilson, VP of Product, witnessed the sales contract approval process, commonly known at the office as the “Red Folder” process, he realized something had to change. I remember thinking to myself … ‘We’re a technology company. Why haven’t we taken our processes digital?' Steve Wilson VP of Product So many companies live by the rule of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” While many are stuck in their ways, Accusoft decided to raise the bar and fix the problem itself. Understanding the Issue The first step was to analyze Accusoft’s business process management (BPM). Accusoft reviewed how it managed processes from one point of contact to another. Whether the process was event planning or a department workflow, the company began to see a trend in manual business processes. Want to learn more about process mapping? Read about it on our process mapping blog. They decided to start with analyzing the sales contract approval process first since it was one of the most painful processes for the sales and executive team. The sales contract process included too many emails, multiple document versions, hand-written comments, approvals via a red folder and wet signatures. This time-consuming manual process was wasting precious time and energy. Todd Neal, who’s now OnTask’s Product Manager, knew there had to be a way to spend less time on paperwork. However, research from AIIM shows that the cost of manually routing documents is expensive. Between printing, scanning, and manually sending files to other departments, there’s not only a time investment, but a monetary one as well. Plus, these manual processes lack visibility and transparency. There is simply no way to manage work that’s in progress and know what stage it’s in. Developing a Solution Accusoft took matters into their own hands and started developing a workflow tool they could use for simple or complex business processes like sales contracts, non-disclosure agreements and PTO requests. It started with creating the concept of a workflow automation software and then moved through different features such as forms, e-signatures, the dashboard and workflow designer. Soon, OnTask was born. When Accusoft introduced the new workflow tool to the rest of their employees, the reaction was wonderful. “Everyone really loved the simplicity of the workflow tool. It was easy to implement because it was so self-explanatory,” says Neal. Bringing It to Market When Wilson saw just how successful OnTask was with Accusoft, he started to research workflow automation in other industries. “We are a successful technology company who was still using manual business processes for everyday workflows,” he said. “If we were doing it, I was sure that other businesses were too.” Turns out, he was right. Digital transaction management (DTM) was extremely popular at the onset of OnTask. The need for a digital solution was apparent. As the technology in the market progressed, BPM emerged as the leading method to increase productivity in the workplace. However, the market needed an automation tool that encompassed a variety of tactics. There is a need for an end-to-end solution in the market that simplifies workflows and also offers digital signatures and forms. Too many companies and organizations are still using manual paper-based processes to get their work done. They need an all-in-one automation tool. Accusoft is a leader in document imaging technology. Once the research was complete, the idea progressed rapidly into a marketable product. OnTask is an easy solution to overcome loss of time, money, and productivity within organizations. By integrating digital automation into your business processes, you’re making everyday tasks so much easier for your employees to complete and track. OnTask enables any organization or department to easily implement their unique document-based processes with no development time and no hardware or software to install or maintain. Process owners are empowered to continually improve efficiency and effectiveness, and end users, both internal and external, can easily participate in any workflow. Todd Neal OnTask Product Manager OnTask differentiates itself from competitors with its functionality and ease of use. Supporting an unlimited amount of customization to meet any organization’s unique requirements, OnTask is able to take your team’s productivity to the next level with workflow automation. See how OnTask can help you reap the rewards of digital processes.