Replacing an outdated document management solution, Etrieve revitalized document management and workflow at Carson-Newman University.
Prior to becoming a Softdocs customer, Carson-Newman University made the switch to paperless in 2001 after choosing to implement a document management solution. Unfortunately, over the course of the next few years, new feature offerings and updates to the product began to decline.
“We had that solution for many years. I think it was 2000 or 2001 when we started to use a paperless option. At the time it was functional for us, but over time it became less and less functional,” said C-N’s Executive Director of Financial Aid, Danette Seale.
With limited features and enhancements being added to the system, C-N employees noticed that their document management system was aging poorly and no longer allowed the same level of utility that it once did. Eventually they lost their ability to maintain electronic workflows and had to resort back to paper-heavy processes.
“Our workflows no longer worked, so we abandoned them. Basically our document management system became an electronic filing cabinet. Instead of putting things into workflows and working electronically, it became—let’s route the paper and scan on the back end.”
Frustrated with only being able to scan and access documents, C-N began looking for another solution that would allow them to establish workflows among departments and, once again, move on from paper-heavy processes.
With the encouragement of the registrar’s office and financial aid, C-N prioritized finding a replacement with increased functionality and the ability to bring new departments on board, as occasionally required. Seale was also concerned that the forms and procedures of financial aid change from year to year, so it was important that any future solution be flexible and updated regularly.
Reliant on a document management solution running on an old server that was no longer under maintenance, C-N knew it was the right time to upgrade to a new solution.