Communications by Topdown

The Role of Document Automation Software

Written by Paige Tippett | Mon, Oct 10, 2022

Communication is at the root of everything we do. From every relationship we build to every goal we accomplish, and even every sale we make. Communication is at the center of how we act and react in our everyday lives. This is an extremely important concept for organizational leaders to acknowledge and recognize, as it plays directly into the way that consumers respond to their brand. Without strong channels of business-to-consumer communication, the likelihood of success simply plummets. Having a communication strategy isn’t enough by itself, although it’s a good start. To really have a communication strategy work for you and your organization, though, requires a dedication to the communication process, and understanding your consumers. In today’s economy, the largest up and coming consumer segment consists of digital natives who operate with a digital mindset. Doubling down on these market segments, the one impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was a massive shift to a more virtual marketplace and economy. All of this results in a digital economy in which businesses are forced to find appropriate and convenient channels of customer communication that are efficient, serve a scaling book of business, and still retain a human touch. Organizations rely and depend on document automation software to address these market needs. 

Human interaction and human connection are specifically important today. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to sweep the world and keep people isolated from their loved ones, the role of human connection and understanding in the business community has greatly expanded. While the overall economy dipped significantly during the onset and duration of the pandemic, there were a few pocket economies that actually boomed during this downturn. One such market segment was the mobile app market. With so much of the world shut down and subject to stay-at-home orders, entire communities shifted to an online presence. This led to an impressive spike in the mobile app market, and really changed the face of the economy as a whole. 

Considering how much of the consumer market were already digital natives prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, communication preferences were already beginning to change significantly over the past couple years. With the added push into a digital era caused by the pandemic, the trend for mobile communication and remote work has continued to increase, resulting in an economy that is almost entirely virtual. In turn, making personalized communication a point of emphasis for many major market players. 

Document Automation Software and Human Connection

With human connection being such an important point of emphasis for so many organizations in the current economy and business marketspace, implementing document automation software may seem a little counter-intuitive to the end goal. However, with a sophisticated CCM, the document automation software and capabilities go above and beyond what we initially think of when it comes to automated programming. Long gone are the days of chat-bots that are so obviously non-human. In their place, companies have developed technology that integrates manual input and considers where any individual customer is along their customer journey. These are groundbreaking features that seamlessly come together to offer the user a comprehensive suite of document and communication tools designed to boost efficiency, productivity, and optimize the customer journeys present in any given organization. 

Sophisticated CCMs consider the human connection and the power that empathetic communication brings to any relationship. As such, with skilled communication professionals and a sophisticated CCM in their toolbelt, organizations are able to craft impactful and personal messaging that inspires action. 

The Impact of Getting Personal

Document automation software is a tool in and of itself. Without the proper execution, though, document automation software is just another business tactic sitting on the shelf. In order to optimize document automation software in an organization, there needs to be a level of personalization built into the processes. This really comes at the beginning of the process and the creation of the document templates before any communication is even sent to a customer. Creating these templates with understanding and empathy still falls on the shoulders of the communication staff. However, the benefits that stem from increasing the amount of personalization in business communications speak for themselves. 

Consumers respond positively to personalization for a multitude of reasons that relate to an overall increase in customer experience. This is vital as the customer experience is one of the most valuable aspects an organization delivers. In today’s modern, virtual economy, customers have more buying power than ever. This, in turn, results in a consumer base that is more likely to jump to a competitor’s service after a single negative experience with any given organization. 

On the flip side of this same trend, consumers respond extremely positively to a strong customer experience. In fact, delivering a strong customer experience leads to an array of additional benefits. These extra benefits range from higher rates of customer retention, to more frequent customer-to-customer referrals. 

Some Final Words on Document Automation Software

Document automation software is an important aspect of any CCM on the market. While it offers some value as a standalone feature, when it’s paired with the other suite of features that CCM systems bring into an organization, its value increases significantly. It isn’t just the technology by itself though, even with these tools at hand, it takes dedication and attention from the staff of an organization to properly set up channels of success using tools like document automation software to better serve their customer base or book of business. 

For more information on document generation software, communication best practices, or anything else on CCM software, keep browsing Topdown System’s content library.