Posted by Stephanie Jones on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 10:40 AM
Someone asked me the other day what eBridge Solutions' unique selling proposition was. The answer: Our web-based document management system is the easiest to use on Earth. That's why our slogan is 'Simply Paperless.'
After we give prospective customers 30-minute demonstrations of our web-based document management system, most feel they can use it without additional training. And, they're right.
It's as simple as:
- Log into your eBridge Solutions account online.
- Scan a paper document.
- Assigning it up to seven unique values (like first name, invoice number or date).
- Click the 'Submit' button.
Once you've done that, you are able to:
- Shred the paper document.
- Find the document online using those index values or by doing a keyword search of any typewritten word on the page.
- Share documents with anyone that has e-mail.
- Review a document while someone else has it open.
- Add notes and annotations to the document.
- Restrict who can and can't see certain information.
And, getting started with eBridge couldn't be easier. You could actually be scanning in a few days, depending on what type of scanner you have. (If it's TWAIN-compliant, you're good!)
So there you have it. eBridge Solutions' USP: we're the easiest document management system you could use.
If you don't believe me, sign up for one of our online webinars - every Tuesday and Thursday - and see for yourself how easy it to be Simply Paperless.
Posted by Amber Welch on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 01:16 PM
This is the first in a series of blogs by our technical team. While it is most relevant for current users of eBridge Solutions' document management system, any potential eBridge user (especially medical billers) should benefit from this post.
Document Management Systems are getting a lot of attention as safe and secure storage for documents, but if used properly they can also assist medical billing companies in the routing and tracking of documents from one department to another.
Creating work flow for your company in eBridge can be simply done by setting up Index Fields (the fields for identifying the files) for the information that is important to YOUR process.
Examples of work flow in eBridge
In eBridge Solutions web-based document management system, companies can define up to seven (7) index fields to identify their documents. For medical billing companies, sample indexes typically include:
- Provider
- Post Date
- Batch Type
- Carrier
- Coder
- Biller
- Status.
Each of the fields can then have drop-down lists created so common index values are readily available to all Users. If using Workflow, Status will be a key index. Examples of Statuses include:
- Pending
- Coding Completed
- Billed
- Completed
- Pending Additional Info
- Returned to Provider
As the file is received and uploaded into eBridge, users assign values to the chosen index fields. So, for example, if an EOB for Dr. John Smith's practice was received on 07/25/2010 from United Healthcare anduploaded into eBridge, the screen would look like this:
(The Coder & Biller can be assigned after the file is uploaded by the Department Manager)
Once the file has been indexed and uploaded, the Department Manager can retrieve the file by the Status - Pending, (which shows all Pending files) and then assign those Pending files to the appropriate user.
The file can then be selected by clicking on it and to assign it to a Coder/Biller, the Status just needs to be adjusted using the Edit feature. Once assigned to the appropriate User, the user can then retrieve the documents assigned to them using the Retrieve feature and focusing on the indexes for Coder/Biller and Status: Pending (for files they have not yet completed).
The user then completes the work on the file and once completed, changes the Status again using the Edit option to move the file to the next step.
For instance, if a Coder has completed a file and it is now ready for Billing, they will Edit the Status. As each step of the process is completed, the Status will be changed to reflect where the document is and what is left to do until it has reached Status: Completed.
If you are interested in learning more about work flow in eBridge Solutions, please contact one of our National Account Managers at sales@ebridgesolutions.com or 813-849-6067 option 1.
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 09:14 AM
Founded in 1965, Miller Welding & Iron Works is a custom job shop fabricator and finisher. The company manufactures parts, metal fabrications and machined parts for off-road equipment, mining machinery, oil fields and offshore oil rigs, wind industry components, broadcast antennas and farm equipment.
Miller Welding serves several major equipment manufacturers in the region and nationwide, including Caterpillar, Komatsu and Gardner Denver.
With hundreds of customers and thousands of parts to manage, the accounting staff at Miller Welding was constantly dealing with paperwork.
After the company was acquired by BTD Manufacturing, employees learned of an easier way to deal with their documents: web-based document management from eBridge Solutions.
The Challenge
Miller Welding & Iron Works (Miller Welding) is headquartered in Washington, Illinois — just outside of Peoria — and employs more than 125 full and part-time workers. As business increased, the accounting staff at Miller Welding needed a way to put all of their purchasing documentation in a centralized location where all employees could easily access it.
Luckily, in 2008, Miller Welding was purchased by BTD Manufacturing, so when Kevin Summers, Controller, mentioned that he wanted to centralize records, BTD’s accounting specialist, Angie Lehmann, was quick to offer a suggestion: eBridge Solutions.
BTD Manufacturing has been using eBridge Solutions’ web-based document management system to manage all of their accounting files since 2007. BTD’s accounting department, which includes accounts payable and receivable (AP/AR), payroll and purchasing, is more organized and documents can now be located and retrieved in seconds versus minutes. In fact, in their first year with eBridge, they saved almost $60,000 in labor and storage costs alone.
So referring Miller Welding to eBridge Solutions was a no-brainer.
"Manufacturers can really benefit from a web-based document management system," explained eBridge Solutions’ CEO, Leslie Haywood. "From the accounting department to HR to quality control to sales, every paper and electronic document can be centrally stored so that they are easily accessible from every department and off-site location. Some of our manufacturing clients even offer their suppliers access to documents from halfway across the world.
The Solution
Once Kevin sat through a demo of eBridge Solutions, he was sold. "It offered exactly what we needed," he said. "One central location for all of our paper and electronic documents."
Amber Bensen, Staff Accountant at Miller Welding, spearheaded the project from there. She learned the ins and outs of eBridge and was able to train key employees throughout the company on the basics of scanning and retrieving documents. "Everyone was very receptive to the new processes," Amber explained. "They knew that getting all of our documents scanned into the system would ultimately make their jobs easier."
Once eBridge Solutions’ document management system was implemented and everyone had been trained, two Miller Welding employees spent approximately one month scanning in more than a dozen of file cabinets full of documents from the accounting department.
The biggest obstacle Amber faced was getting people to remember the documents they need aren’t in file cabinets any more. Once the documents were physically shredded, that problem was solved.
On a daily basis, Amber’s team is scanning in their purchase orders, bills of lading and packing slips. Her favorite feature is eBridge’s optical character recognition (OCR) tool that lets users search through the typewritten text of any document stored in the system for fast and easy retrieval.
While a full cost analysis hasn’t been done, Amber knows the company is saving money on office supplies, postage and labor by using a web-based document management system.
Miller Welding’s Production Department has recently started using eBridge to store their documents as well.
If you are a manufacturer and need help organizing the paper or electronic documents at your facility, sign up for one of eBridge Solutions online demos and find out for yourself if document management is right for you!
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 07:55 AM
Do you know how much file cabinets cost? I spend a lot of time writing about why people should go paperless with eBridge Solutions' web-based document management. I often cite eliminating file cabinets as a reason. But, I was recently looking for some metal file cabinets for a video we're working on and got a big surprise: file cabinets are expensive!
Online, I found file cabinets that cost anywhere from $100 to $500 (and that doesn't include shipping). Then, I thought I would be able to find cheap ones at the used furniture store, but even there file cabinets were $40 or $50.
What I want to know is WHY? Why are businesses continuing to store their important documents in heavy metal boxes? Don't they know that putting files in file cabinets does not mean they are stored permanently? Nor does it mean those records are secure. (Who can't pick a lock these days with all of those CSI-type shows?)
eBridge Solutions' document management customers have all but done away with file cabinets. In fact, one of our favorite insurance customers, George Dakkak, was able to donate 15 cabinets to his local church after his staff finished scanning in all of his old customer files.
If you are getting ready to buy a file cabinet, stop. Instead, buy a document management system like eBridge. Scan the files you were going to store and then you can shred that paperwork. Documents scanned into eBridge Solutions are given a date and time stamp that allow them to be considered legal originals.
If you want to find out other ways document management systems can save you money, sign up for one of eBridge's online webinars.
Posted by Leslie Haywood on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 @ 10:59 AM
Everyone is talking about document management these days. And while you may know that it is a way to store paper and electronic documents together, you might not have considered how document management – especially web-based like eBridge Solutions' – can make your day-to-day tasks easier.
Let’s look at five mistakes you can be sure to avoid if you add an online document management system to your technology toolbox.
1. Losing a document that can be re-created. Have you ever lost an electronic document that was on your computer? Whether it became corrupt or I accidentally saved over it, I’ve lost a file or two – and usually at a critical time. By storing documents in a web-based document management system, you’re eliminating the risk of human error or computer failure. Any paper document that you scan into the system is captured permanently, so even if your computer hard drive fails, you’ll be able to access your records.
2. Losing a document that cannot be re-created. This is bad. Especially if that document you need is needed for a lawsuit or to meet industry record retention guidelines. If your company gets into a lawsuit, there’s a good chance that there will be some kind of discovery process, where you will be asked to produce all relevant documents relating to the issues in question. In recent years, courts have allowed plaintiffs to make major demands on companies with so-called “fishing expeditions.” And it’s not just Fortune 100 companies that have this problem.
It’s extremely important that corporate documents be readily and speedily retrievable. That’s a good reason why all your paper documents should be in electronic form and in searchable format, whether searchable PDF or TIF. The way to do this is by setting up procedures for identifying important documents and converting them into searchable electronic format, using scanners and software like eBridge Solutions’ web-based document management system, which will help you convert, identify and save the documents.
3. Misfiling a document. There is nothing more frustrating than filing a document in the wrong file folder. Especially when a customer is on the phone asking you a question about their contract, but you can’t find it. Anywhere. With a document management system, you should be able to do a keyword search of every typewritten document in your online file cabinet, so even if you accidentally mis-label a document, you can still find it. (And best of all, correct the mis-label.)
“I am so much more organized than ever before. If I am looking for something all I have to do is type it in and there it is. It’s so much easier than searching through file cabinets or on my co-workers desks for the files I need,” explained Angie Lehmann, accounting specialist at BTD Manufacturing, who began using eBridge Solutions in 2007.
4. Not having the most recent copy of a document. Sometimes, just one word makes all the difference in the world. You want to be sure you have the final version of a contract or sales agreement in your possession. Document management systems should use audit trails with date and time stamping to show when a document was added and by whom. So, you can always tell which version was the final document.
5. Unauthorized access to confidential records. For example, if you are a human resource professional and you have salary information stored in file cabinets in your office, there is the possibility that someone could break into them (or just pull the drawer open, if you don’t lock your cabinets at all times) and see how much Susie in Accounting is making. Or, if you work in a medical office and you store confidential information about your patients (social security number, birth date and credit card number), a disgruntled employee could have a field day with what they find in your chart room. With document management, you can restrict what documents users can and cannot see in your electronic file cabinet.
Not only can it help your business save you time, money and space, but an online document management system can help your employees avoid making mistakes – some costlier than others – in the office.
If you haven't seen eBridge Solutions' document management system in action, sign up for one of our online webinars or watch our online video.
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 09:31 AM
Last week, eBridge Solutions signed our first moving company as a client. Which is surprising, because while many industries seem to be moving toward online transactions, moving and shipping companies seem to remain paper intensive.
The moving industry uses documents in almost every facet of its business. Whether it is writing orders, confirming orders, bill of lading, e-mail correspondence and delivery receipt, or generating invoices, all of these hard copy documents create a drain on corporate resources.
That's where eBridge comes in.
Like a virtual filing cabinet, eBridge Solutions' web-based document management software lets moving companies -- drivers and office personnel -- sort and store document images by numerous indexes, or classifications. Identify or group your documents with index values like Name, Address, Invoice Number, Ship Date and more. The indexes are completely customizable. And those documents can be retrieved using index values or keyword searches from any computer with an Internet connection.
Some moving companies also have storage facilities where they house records. In that case, adding document management as a service to YOUR clients can also be a revenue-generating idea. Offer to scan and store their documents online.
Thanks to KG Trucking of Mercer Island, Washington for being the first of many moving companies to sign up with eBridge Solutions!
Think eBridge Solutions' document management would work in your company? Sign up for one of our weekly online webinars today!
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 03:45 PM
When one of our phenomenal eBridge Solutions' account managers came in and said, "we need to create a marketing campaign targeted at septic and sewer companies," I'll admit, I laughed. To be fair (to me), I don't have a septic tank and don't know if I've ever even SEEN a septic tank. So, septic companies were never on my marketing radar.
Imagine my surprise, then, when today we signed our first septic tank company! And, guess where they found eBridge Solutions? The Okaloosa County Health Department environmental health web site.
Every day, septic company employees (and other service professionals) go to the Okaloosa County Health Department site to find permit information. Their Environmental Health department issues permits for new, repaired, modified and abandoned septic systems and evaluate existing systems for compliance with all local and state laws and ordinances, as needed.
Karen Arnett of Superior First Response is the owner of one of those septic companies. After logging into eBridge Solutions' document management system on Okaloosa's web site several hundred times over the past few years, she'd gotten pretty familiar with how it works, so transitioning her office to eBridge will be a snap.
And Karen isn't alone. To date, Okaloosa County, St. Lucie County and the City of Cleveland are putting permits or restaurant inspection reports into eBridge Solutions (either by scanning paper documents or printing electronic documents) so the public can quickly, easily and, best of all, inexpensively retrieve their own documents.
In an economy where every penny matters -- especially the government -- it's nice to see that people realize eBridge Solutions and document management can actually SAVE money. Touch a paper document once while scanning and then it will be forever digital and you can retrieve it from any computer with an Internet connection.
P.S. I was going to title this blog post 'Document management goes to *(#&$)' but didn't think anyone else would laugh. Would you have?
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 12:14 PM
BREAKING NEWS: eBridge Solutions has been named the 26th fastest growing company in the Tampa Bay area by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Tampa Bay Business Journal's 2010 Fast 50, a list of the fastest growing privately held companies in Tampa Bay, was unveiled today, Thursday, July 22, 2010, at A La Carte Event Pavilion with rankings based on percentage of annual growth over a three-year period. There will also be a special list and award for total revenue growth in dollars from 2007-2009.
Read more: 2010 Fast 50 Awards - Tampa Bay Business Journal
Earlier this week, eBridge was named the third best place to work (small business category) in FLORIDA by Florida Trend Magazine.
If you want to do business with an up and coming company, give us a call. Every company in every industry is a perfect candidate for our web-based document management system.
Visit www.eBridgeSolutions.com for complete details!
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 @ 08:30 PM
It's (Mostly) Official: eBridge is the third best place to work in Florida among small businesses (50 employees and under) according to Florida Trend magazine.
To identify Florida's Best Employers, Florida Trend partnered with the Best Companies Group, which surveyed firms that chose to participate. Any firm with at least 15 employees in Florida, including firms based outside the State, could participate at no cost. (While it didn't say how many companies submitted applications, being ranked number three is STILL pretty impressive.)
Employees at the firms responded to an online questionnaire about company policies, practices and demographics. A second questionnaire was sent to a sample group of each company's employees, who responded anonymously to questions about eight core areas: Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training and Development, Pay and Benefits and Overall Employee Satisfaction.
eBridge CEO Leslie Haywood was out of the office when the good news was announced, but she immediately text the staff the following message: "Thank you all so much for the humbling ranking!!! We cannot thank you enough."
If we actually like working here, don't you think you'd like to be a customer? :-)
Posted by Stephanie Jones on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 @ 10:57 AM
eBridge Solutions is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. I say this because everyone in the State is looking toward the Gulf of Mexico, watching and waiting to see what the BP oil disaster is going to do to our beaches... and our livelihoods.
One group working over time since the disaster are the 90 or so Florida convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs). Every time I turn on the television, there is a commercial for Pensacola beaches. Every time I read the newspaper, there is a special Florida hotel rate on Clearwater Beach. The organization behind many of these promotions is the local CVB.
It is the CVBs job to encourage business and leisure travel through outreach programs, advertising and joint planning with hotels, event destinations and restaurants. There are countless meetings, marketing campaigns and RFPs going on. That leads to a lot of paperwork. So, for CVBs to survive this summer, many are turning to document management as a COST SAVING measure.
Using document management, CVBs save money by:
- eliminating files, file cabinets and some office supplies
- eliminating off-site storage facilities
- allowing staff to email documents with two mouse clicks
- putting documents at your staff's fingertips for quick retrieval
- allowing auditors online access to certain documents
- increasing compliance with record retention mandates
If your CVB hasn't started to go paperless, now is the time. Watch our document management demo or call one of our National Account Managers at (877) 676-6067 x 324 today!