Searching for documents is time consuming. Fifteen percent of needed documents are “out of file” or misplaced; 7.5% are lost completely. Thirty percent of the work day is spent searching for files. Electronic Document Management can provide an immediate response to a query, by-passing the long process of a paper search. Eliminating the manual search can enhance customer service, which helps you offer customers faster response times.

For example, a car dealer performs a vehicle inspection and is missing a key. The dealer calls the manufacturer to get a key number so a new key can be made for the car. The manufacturer will then need to search through the files for the car that matches the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to provide the key information to the dealer. This search could take several days. If the files were stored digitally, the dealer could call the manufacturer and provide the VIN number of the car, which could be entered into the search field. The dealer can get the information almost immediately, greatly enhancing customer service. The manufacturer could even allow dealers to dial into their system to retrieve unrestricted information.