Electronic document management helps Platt Electric improve customer service and reduce storage space.

Print Version

Industry

Retail

Critical Issue

Slow, inefficient access to accounting records caused delays in customer service, and file cabinets were using up valuable office space.

Solution

Converted large volumes of paper records to digital, making them instantly searchable and retrievable.

Results

Improved customer service, more efficient business processes, 64 file cabinets eliminated.


Started in 1953 as a family-owned electrical supply company, Platt Electric has grown to over 900 employees and currently serves six western states. The company supplies high-quality products and services to a variety of commercial, industrial, utility, and other markets.

The Problem: slow access to critical information

Platt Electric needed quicker access to critical information for accounts receivable, accounts payable, and cash deposits to speed up business processes and improve customer service. The records were stored in 64 file cabinets at the corporate office, plus hundreds of file cabinets at their 83 branch offices. When someone needed to access a record, they had to locate the correct file cabinet and manually search. Records were sometimes misfiled, which made the process even longer. The file cabinets were also taking up valuable office space.

The Solution: Document Locator

Platt purchased Document Locator to help take control of their documents. Using two high-speed scanners and two summer interns, Platt was able to scan and index all of their records in less than eight weeks. Indexes were added using Document Locator’s dynamic link property, which allowed Platt to access values stored on their AS400 mainframe and automatically add that information as document properties. Now, when someone needs a document, they simply search using Document Locator’s powerful search engine to find the document they need in seconds rather than minutes.