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DOCUMENT WORKFLOW
20
Business process are getting clogged up with paper, claims
Adobe as it launches its document cloud
Jam today
More than four out of five
(83%) professionals believe their
productivity and effectiveness at
work is being hampered by outdated
document processes, according to
a study of 5,000 office workers
released by Adobe to coincide with
the launch of Adobe Document Cloud
(see below).
Paper Jam: Why Documents are
Dragging Us Down
reveals that 74% of
professionals in the US, UK, Germany,
France and Australia are reliant on
paper documents at work and six out
of 10 would switch jobs if it meant less
paperwork.
As implausible as this sounds, it does
suggest a degree of frustration with
paper-based document processes, with
54% saying that inefficient processes are
stopping them from doing their best work.
Paper is not the only drain on
productivity. Almost half (44%) of
respondents say that the volume of e-mail
attachments has made their work life more
complicated; and 40% have lost important
electronic information or documents, with
66% of those losses being caused by a
computer or hard drive failure.
Overall, the two greatest frustrations
cited by respondents were not being able
to find documents they know exist (82%)
and managing version control (77%).
Another frustration is not being able
to access documents when away from the
office, seen as a priority by almost two
thirds (64%) of respondents. Only 43% of
documents are accessible in digital format,
with just 6% stored in the cloud.
Reliance on paper is not purely the
responsibility of employers. While more
than four in five agree that paper-free
working saves time, 50% admit to being
emotionally attached to paper documents.
More than one third (35%) said they felt
uncomfortable only having digital copies of
work documents.
Adobe Document Cloud
To help business people cope with the
inefficiencies of existing paper-based and
digital workflows (e.g. email), Adobe has
developed Adobe Document Cloud.
Available via subscription or one-time
purchase, Adobe Document Cloud is a
collection of integrated services offered
through an online personal document hub
with a consistent online profile across all
devices. Together, they enable users to
create, review, approve, sign and track
documents on a desktop or mobile device.
Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of
Technology and Corporate Development at
Adobe, said: “While most forms of content
have successfully made the move to digital
(books, movies, music), documents and
the process of working with them have
not, and that needs to change. Adobe
Document Cloud will revolutionise and
simplify how people get work done with
critical documents.”
Key elements include:
n
Adobe Acrobat DC.
Featuring an
intuitive, touch-enabled interface, this
all-new solution takes Adobe's PDF
software to a new level with the ability
to convert any paper document into a
digital, editable file that can be sent for
signature;
n
eSign Services
(formerly Adobe
EchoSign). Included free with every
subscription, this lets users electronically
send and sign any document using any
internet-connected device;
n
Mobile Link and Mobile Apps.
These smartphone/tablet apps let you
access, work on and sign documents
when you are away from your desk. They
also let you use a smartphone camera
to capture and convert any paper
document into a digital, editable file.
n
Document Management and
Control.
Services
such as Send & Track
let you track and control documents as
they are worked on and processed by
colleagues. Intelligent tracking gives you
visibility of where critical documents
are along a process, including who has
opened them and when.
74% of
professionals
in the US,
UK, Germany,
France and
Australia
are reliant
on paper
documents
at work
continued...
Adobe Document Cloud
