Easyjet compromised the data of 9 million of their customers in 2020, with over 2k of those customers having their credit card details stolen! This is a prime example of where poor business documentation processes can get you.

What do we mean by business documentation? Anything from case management notes, reports, and proposals, to emails and letters. Basically any kind of professional reporting.

As you begin a new year and ponder your business goals, objectives and priorities for 2023, here is why full-proof business documentation has to be at the top of your list.

GDPR and Security Breaches

Given Easyjet’s major security blunder that we mentioned above, it is only right that we start here. Furthermore, it is arguably the most important and potentially disastrous result of poor documentation within the workplace.

You know the dangers of having poor documentation, but what makes good documentation? When it comes to data security there are a few best practices to work by:

• Use Multi-Factor Authentication for access to professional accounts: Especially if you are using them to share your documentation (i.e. Microsoft Outlook)
• Only use software that is GDPR secure: You won’t believe how many businesses we see using free speech recognition engines that don’t even specify where the dictations are stored! A big no-no.
• Double-check everything: Whether you are sending a report to clients or clicking an email link, make sure everything is safe and as it should be. One mistake can cost you big time.

Following these basics and doing some research into further bettering your security will ensure that your business documentation will be safe. Heck, you could even go one step further and get Cyber Essentials Plus Certified like us!

Customer Service

Customer service is the be-all and end-all of business, let’s face it. If you can’t take care of your clients, you can’t keep them, and if you can’t keep clients, you don’t have a business. Not to mention, customer service is intertwined with every other point in this article as well.

But how do your clients relate to your business documentation? Actually, you’ll be surprised how intrinsically the two are related and how your reporting has a knock-on effect on your customers. Here are a few examples:

• Slow query resolution: It can be hard to answer a client’s query if you don’t have detailed and accurate documentation to gather all of the information needed.
• Backlogs: Depending on your workflow process, it may be common for you to have a documentation backlog. This often takes attention away from client-facing or important tasks i.e. time could be better spent on training staff to improve your service or to process more billable jobs.
• Competency: Your clients may doubt your ability to provide them with the service if you are unable to create and present relevant information in a clear and accurate manner.

You’ve heard the phrase ‘the customer is always right’, this is more about the customer being important!

Time Management and Productivity

Productivity: It has become a buzzword over the last few years and we are always bombarded with ways in which it can be boosted (stick with us, the irony of this is not lost).

In reality, there is no hack to being productive, but rather thinking logically and systematically about your processes. The same applies to creating documentation too. Think about what would work for your business and map it out accordingly.

Having an effective system in place to capture all of your business documentation will work wonders for your team’s productivity.

Let’s take speech recognition, for example, if implemented correctly, it can have amazing effects on how your team spends their time. Admin tasks will become less tedious and quicker, allowing for better morale and more time for other tasks. Time spent using speech recognition will be used wisely to create important, detailed and accurate documents. Lastly, teams will be able to manage their own time better thanks to improved efficiency and a better-managed workflow.

So yes, it is in your client’s benefit to have good business documentation, but it is also in your team’s benefit too!

Document Errors

The last reason why you should prioritise your business documentation in 2023 is to reduce errors.

Whether they are grammatical, spelling or factual errors, having them within your reporting is not ideal. Not only can they look unprofessional to third parties such as clients or suppliers, but it can also complicate things in-house too.

Having a system whereby documentation can be captured in a manner where the creator doesn’t need to rush, it is in easy to understand format and can be double-checked will only reflect the business well.

Take speech recognition, it is 3x faster than typing so allows users more time to spend on documentation given that it takes them 3x less time to create. It also has 95% accuracy and the option to correct by voice to ensure everything is spot-on.

Methods like this are key to making sure you avoid errors and achieve that high standard of documentation.

There we have it. If you weren’t sure why having an effective business documentation workflow should be on your priority list this year, now you have four!

It is up to you to figure out how you are going to achieve it. Consider your business, what are non-negotiable’s when it comes to your ethos, and your objectives in looking for a new system. Follow these throughout and you won’t go far wrong.

If you’d like a helping hand and to have a chat with the experts on our Workflow Consultancy Service team, let’s arrange a chat.