DATAMARK: Business process reengineering specialist - Bill Randag

As outsourcing continues to grow, and the forecast is double-digits for the next five years, how does DATAMARK fit into the picture?

Bill Randag: Given the economic climate, we anticipate that organisations will give serious consideration to outsourcing resource-heavy functions. If we experience a double-dip recession, companies that cut back-office processes during the last downturn may find that outsourcing is the only way to trim costs.

These are organisations handling millions of documents a year, so often the first process to be scrutinised is the mailroom. That's where DATAMARK fills a role: developing efficient, cost-saving digital mailrooms.

With a digital mailroom, our goal is to take letters, forms, faxes and email, then digitise and process them as quickly as possible so that quality information can be pushed to decision-makers. We use technology to streamline this function so companies can free-up their resources and focus on their core business.

What companies would benefit most from outsourcing back-office functions? And what are the advantages of mailroom outsourcing?

Historically, we've done this for Fortune 500 companies, but we now see mid-tier companies leverage significant benefits from digital management and archival of correspondence. Companies that ingest large volumes of paper cut across all industries and the government sector to include retail, healthcare, insurance, financial services and logistics.

Outsourcing has many advantages, the most obvious is cutting operating costs. Savings can often be 20-40%, depending on the situation; however, lower cost is only one aspect of a good outsourcing arrangement. Other advantages are the elimination of paper storage, and more timely mail delivery via email and other electronic means.

Companies are looking for improvements and innovations year after year, not just one-time savings. We are more than mailroom managers: we're business process reengineering consultants.

What types of innovations are emerging in back-office outsourcing?

Business process reengineering is now used to understand upstream and downstream requirements to redesign end-to-end solutions. DATAMARK uses process engineers, Six Sigma Black Belts, Lean processing experts and IT to help customers remove waste and develop highly efficient solutions.

Companies are expecting more automation for processing all document types. We want to apply automated solutions to complex tasks - paying invoices, processing claims, answering correspondence - that typically require a manual touch or eyes on the document.

We're seeing more automation as recognition and extraction technologies improve, and we bring these innovations to our customers. Another trend is a return to onshore outsourcing. Companies that experimented with overseas outsourcing over the past decade have come to realise the advantages of incorporating onshore outsourcing locations into their strategy.

Can operations be outsourced if companies have requirements to keep processes in their facilities?

Certainly. This is an on-site or facility-managed arrangement. We're one of a few companies that have the capability and experience to establish an on-site mailroom for Fortune 500 firms.

What are the advantages of an on-site mailroom versus an off-site mailroom?

Both are designed for information security, with strict facility access, encrypted networks and background-checked employees; however, clients may prefer an on-site mailroom in their facility for various reasons, such as document control and ease of communication.

Their model might require information distribution across the entire enterprise throughout the day, so it's more efficient to keep mailroom operations in their facility. We're happy to work with the client to find the best solution.

How does someone interested in outsourcing get started?

We invite them to speak to us, of course. When they are ready to consider outsourcing, we'll examine their operations and create benchmarks so we can show them how their process can be improved and what the potential savings could be.