Digital documents 2.0: Smarter, agile and result-driven

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Digitisation is one of the biggest differentiators and a growth propeller for modern organisations today. The large-scale adoption of digital technologies coupled with increased penetration of the internet is changing consumption patterns, workflows, as well as the ways in which organisations cater to their employees and customers.

Despite its massive adoption, the use cases of digitisation at workplaces still stand superficial. To harness its full potential, there is a need for organisations to undergo deeper structural changes that can automate manual, time-consuming processes and enhance productivity. One such high-impact change is relooking at the document digitisation strategy.

As the world begins to dissociate from paper-based processes with documentation, and new-age technologies expand the capabilities of digital documents, here are a few ways in which innovation in document digitisation will change lives for the better.

Effective and efficient document management
Many documents are a mesh of unstructured data, which is generated by reports, business documents, videos, photos, even e-mail messages. Digital document workflows don't just allow users to save information, but to make sense of data, and extract value from it. With emerging technologies, enterprises and individuals can now derive actionable insights that would otherwise be trapped in reams. Digital documents powered by artificial intelligence can find trends, provide predictions and analyse tasks. A force multiplier in document management, Al is helping eliminate wasted time, enhance and improve collaboration and engagement, and quicken turnaround times on common workflows.

Comprehending user patterns to supply the right information at the right time
Machine learning is a game changer when it comes to analysing user patterns when accessing and/or working with digitised document workflows. The most fundamental ways in which users access documents are dictated by the principles of recency (how recently a document is accessed), frequency (how often a document is accessed), and 'frecency' (a combination of both frequency and recency).

Machine learning modules today can predict behaviour and enable access to most relevant document resources at the users' disposal in a matter of micro­-seconds. This allows for smart digital document workflows to act like an able assistant allowing for faster and more productive work.

Enhanced security
Document workflows powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning have the ability to use efficient techniques to detect personally identifiable information and sensitive information, and protect it when needed. Systems leveraging Al can very easily identify which individual has access to a said document and can help prevent any kind of unauthorised access, edits or alterations. Machine learning and deep learning can help detect unfamiliar activities and patterns, including an unusual movement of data pockets. These new-age technologies can protect documents by safeguarding the files themselves, and with it, improve security alongside whitelists, blacklists and firewalls.

The potential for Al-powered documentation solutions is immeasurable at this point. The goal for solution providers certainly is to empower users of any might—whether a one-man operation or a multinational behemoth, to take advantage of the digital offerings and derive value from them.

The writer is Country Manager - Adobe India & Vice President – Engineering

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.