Automated Custom Application Replaces Outdated File System

For many business owners, data management is a big part of delivering a core service. We all know there are benefits to data management software, but many times the full benefits of upgrading your data workflow management system aren’t apparent until it happens.

For this case study we review California New Business Bureau (CNBB) who was past due for an upgrade to their data workflow management system in order to increase productivity.

CNBB provides services to clients who’ve just created a Limited Partnership, Trust, LLC, Corporation or Non-Profit entity. They thrive on delivering premiere customer service, which means fast and error free delivery of client’s paperwork is key.

For a growing business with three different locations, paper filing was not going to deliver what they needed. A bulk of their business is registering Fictitious Business Names (FBN) for California businesses. With this service, speed and accuracy are a big part of growing their business.

CNBB’s process involves submitting forms and documents to the city, county, state and an active newspaper to publish the newly-registered business name. Prior to working with us, this meant CNBB had paperwork and folders stuffed into cabinets, which is not secure, nor efficient. But those were just the start of their worries.

Manual data entry is an error-prone task, and with each newspaper demanding specific PDF guidelines, the DBA verification process can be slow even for the most experienced people. To add to this, the labor of physically managing a growing filing system was becoming a liability too. It was time to move towards a database management software that helped them work faster and smarter.

The most important and time-consuming issue for CNBB was completing each DBA registration packet. The process used to include entering FBN and business information into excel worksheets along with personal identifiable data about the client.

From this information, CNBB would type out a document called a Publication PDF to send to the best-fit newspaper. A physical packet was the end product for a client, a sort of verification that the work is now complete. This was a 20-25 minute task that could result in minor mistakes for even the most seasoned employees.

The software solution

The solution to their problem? A web database application. The goal behind its creation was automation, ease-of-use and secure data management. After proper planning with CNBB, we mapped out a software system that took into consideration important stages of how data moves within their workspace.

Automated PDFs and reports

Addressing the process of Publication PDFs was a high priority on their wishlist, and here are the results. What used to take 20-25 minutes to produce, can now be done in seconds. For starters, no more paperwork to manage, print, and store.

The new process includes taking the information from a new client and entering it into the web application software. From there, based on the client data, a Publication PDF is created at the click of a button. This eliminates typing errors in vital information, plus it produces the necessary PDF structure that meets each newspaper guideline. What once took nearly half-an-hour to complete is done with confidence and accuracy in just seconds!

Ease of storage

Data storage and retrieval is a clear upside with the new software. Eliminating the process of daily tasks to manage physical paperwork saves time and money. No more paper costs or misplaced files. Scheduling time to file after a long day is no longer necessary. From the start, everything saves automatically when creating a new client file.

Recall sensitive deadlines & auto-reminders

As you can imagine, business licenses have expiration and renewal dates in the county and state they operate in. With thousands of clients to manage across three locations, software that alerts clients and staff about upcoming expiration dates eases the pressures of workers.

With the new data management software, reminders are one less thing to worry about. From the date a new Publication PDF is sent to a newspaper, reminders are instantly set for the client and staff. Now, clients receive automated emails about upcoming expiration dates without any work. Whether it’s a license expiration or upcoming balances, automatic reminders replace previous tasks of looking for upcoming deadlines and renewal dates. It’s like having an assistant to do the hard work – automatically!

Robust sorting feature

When dealing with large sets of data, it must be easy to search and find items when you need them. This problem was solved by creating important filter settings. These are key categories that CNBB uses often to recall specific clients or sets of clients. They can now bring up any number of clients by setting parameters and hitting search. If they can think of it, they can search it – upcoming expiration dates, new clients by location, past due balances over 30 days, number of DBAs to a specific newspaper -it all lives in the cloud.

Folder layout for easy management & security features

As mentioned previously, one of the main goals was creating a simpler and safer way to manage data. Apart from all the automation, we also created a better organized folder structure with easy-to-identify names. Folders can be accessed by personnel from any one of their locations and instantly searched. The folder structure uses a drag and drop method and easy-to-use functions like copy, move, and search.

Deleting is also possible but safer with new security measures in place. Automatic reminders that warn against mass deletions or deleting a folder with other subfolders are central to maintaining data integrity for CNBB. The folder tree structure offers an easy-to-follow map of where data is stored. Researching clients, adding or editing client information is easier and safer with the new custom database software.

CNBB hit all the desired markers with the new workflow management system – automation, ease-of-use, and secure data management. A new web database application that solves even the smallest pressures for staff allows for larger and faster growth for the company, a main goal of nearly all business owners.