DOCUMENT Spring 2024

SPECIAL FEATURE

STOP & VISIT AT

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GETTING A GRASP ON DOCUMENT ACCESSIBILITY How to foster a seamless experience

KEEPING AN EYE ON CX IN 2024

WHAT IS A DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT WORKFLOW? GEN AI: THE BIGGEST DISRUPTOR IN COMMUNICATIONS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS volume 31 issue 1 | Spring.24 | DOCUMENTmedia.com

FEATURES 10

An In-Depth Look: What is a digital asset management workflow?

By Gilad David Maayan

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Keeping an Eye on CX in 2024 Customer trends that will shape their experiences

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By Sally Schulte

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So, You Want My Business? Listen to My Story.

When supplier and client work together as a team, business solutions deliver the expected results and return

By Bob Larrivee

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Be More Effective with Generative AI in Customer Communications 8 tips for great prompt engineering

By Atif Khan

20

The Business Value of Customer Experience Creating measurements, metrics and dashboards

By Richard Huff

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Getting a Grasp on Document Accessibility How to foster a seamless experience based on each individual’s preference for information consumption

By Ernie Crawford

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Weighing the Impact

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With the advent of Generative AI, organizations must carefully consider the decision to build or buy software, especially regarding ECM applications

By Brian DeWyer

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The Biggest Disruptor in Communications

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Generative AI: The what, how and why behind it

By Eric Riz

DEPARTMENTS 06

Letter from the Advisory Board

08

What the Analysts Say

09

What’s New

30

Think About It

SPONSORED CONTENT 28

STOP & VISIT AT DSF ‘24

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LETTER FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD

president Chad Griepentrog

The excitement is building, so be prepared!

Well, here we are in 2024, preparing for the Document Strategy Forum (DSF) to be held from May 20 – 22, 2024 at the Sheraton Boston. We are excited to be celebrating 16 years of assembling such a great collection of experts, suppliers and your peers, enabling the exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas.

As with every event, we heard your voices and have complied a content rich selection of topics based on your feedback. In this issue, we are providing a look at some of the topics you may have had a hand in helping us choose!

Some of the experts you will hear from include James Watson of Doculabs, Amy Machado od IDC, Chuck Gahun of Forrester, John Mancini of Content Results, Inc., and Crystal Morrison of Fidelity Investments to name a few.

Over the years we have found that a great way to experience DSF is to take time to look over the agenda and target those sessions you feel will be of greatest value to you and your various projects.

Once you have made your selections, place them on your calendar as a reminder for when you are at DSF’ 24 so you will not miss them. You may 6

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want to compile some questions in advance for your interactions with the speakers.

After attending these sessions, take time to visit the sponsors and vendors to not only see what they have to offer, but also to ask specifically how their offerings align with what you heard om the sessions, but more importantly, how they align to your real-life projects and operational goals. Remember, this is the time to investigate what is out there, evaluate if it might be right for you, and invite the suppliers to demonstrate how they can help you reach your goals.

On behalf of the Document Strategy Advisory Board, thank you for taking time to read this article, read this issue, and we hope you enjoy DSF’ 24. If you haven’t yet been to one, plan on it next year. You’ll be glad you did.

Bob Larrivee is a recognized expert in the application of advanced technologies and process improvement to solve business problems and enhance business operations. In his career, Bob has led many projects and authored hundreds of e-books, industry reports, blogs, articles, and infographics. In addition, he has served as host and guest subject matter expert on a wide variety of webinars, podcasts, virtual events, and lectured at seminars and conferences around the globe.

publisher Ken Waddell managing editor Erin Eagan [ erin@rbpub.com ] contributing editor Amanda Armendariz contributors Ernie Crawford, Brian DeWyer, Bob Larrivee, Richard Huff, Atif Khan, Gilad David Maayan, Eric Riz, Sally Schulte advertising Ken Waddell [ ken.w@rbpub.com ] 608.235.2212 audience development manager Rachel Chapman [ rachel@rbpub.com ] creative director Kelli Cooke

PO BOX 259098 Madison WI 53725-9098 p: 608-241-8777 f: 608-241-8666 email: customerservice@rbpub.com DOCUMENT Strategy Media (ISSN 1081-4078) is published on a daily basis via its online portal and produces special print editions by Madmen3, PO BOX 259098, Madison, WI 53725-9098. All material in this magazine is copyrighted ©2024 by Madmen3 All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Any correspondence sent to DOCUMENT Strategy Media, Madmen3, or its staff becomes the property of Madmen3.

The articles in this magazine represent the views of the authors and not those of Madmen3 or DOCUMENT Strategy Media. Madmen3 and/or DOCUMENT Strategy Media expressly disclaim any liability for the products or services sold or otherwise endorsed by advertisers or authors included in this magazine.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: DOCUMENT Strategy Media is the essential publication for executives, directors, and managers involved in the core areas of Communications, Enterprise Content Management, and Information Management strategies. Free to qualified recipients; subscribe at documentmedia.com/subscribe.

REPRINTS: For high quality reprints, please contact Chad Griepentrog, 608-241-8777, chad.g@rbpub.com

WHAT THE ANALYSTS SAY…

Aspire Study: The Future of Generative AI in Customer Engagement Aspire is excited to announce that the first phase of our groundbreaking research study, The Future of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Customer Engagement is now complete. Our survey has found that there is near universal interest in Generative AI investment and that digitally mature and CX-focused organizations are leading the way despite some initial hesitation in regulated industries. In the second phase, we’ll interview industry practitioners and combine their qualitative insights with our survey results to offer subscribers a deeper understanding of the transformative capabilities of generative AI and where it can have the greatest impact on their communications and digital experiences. If you’re interested in learning more, you can let us know here: blog.aspireccs.com/new-airesearch-from-aspire.

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Give Your Customers a Great Experience – Unleash the Combined Powers of Process Mining and IDP Guessing about how your customer-facing workflows are performing is a thing of the past. With process intelligence, you can identify where your customers experience friction so you can remove it. This short ebook, jointly produced by ABBYY and Doculabs, outlines the opportunity every business today has to use data they already have to improve their customers’ journeys. Read today to understand how you can enhance customers’ experience, boost asset retention, and ensure regulatory compliance. Get your free download now: mailchi.mp/doculabs/unleash-process-mining-and-idp-to-create-astellar-customer-experience

Aspire Publication: The Center of Excellence in Customer Experience Management Aspire’s research has shown that as organization’s mature, responsibility for communications management is shifting from IT to CX teams. Despite this trend toward decentralization, the Center of Excellence (CoE) stands as a pivotal entity within an organization, serving as a primary resource for knowledge, leadership, and best practices while playing a critical role in harmonizing communications and creating a cohesive narrative throughout the customer lifecycle.

This thought leadership piece examines different CoE models and explains how businesses can use them to develop a holistic strategy to that incorporates both customer communications experience and the experience of employees crafting those interactions. If you’re interested in learning more, you can let us know by writing to info@aspireccs.com.

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What’s New Catch up on all the news, opinions, and current events happening around the industry.

Aspire Sales Enablement (ASE) Program Makes Its Debut

Amanda Beesley, Vice President of Consulting at Aspire, is now rolling out the Aspire Sales Enablement (ASE) program with a number of service providers in North America and Canada. Amanda has over 25 years’ experience supporting clients’ communications transformation and has an in-depth knowledge of the technology, data, and practical organizational steps required to make it a success. The ASE program has been specifically designed to leverage Aspire’s market expertise, proprietary research, and unbiased, independent insights to help service providers and technology vendors in the CCM and CXM space more effectively position and sell their digital customer experience services. Over a six-month engagement, Amanda and her team of analysts and consultants will work closely with you to boost sales and accelerate growth by leveraging a carefully curated roster of value creation and sales enablement services. Their proven sales strategies and supporting collateral will help you increase successful engagements, stimulate customer interest in new services, and build your pipeline. Furthermore, the ASE program will:  Help build your sales team’s market knowledge so they can optimize customer engagement on key revenue generating services  Give you access to a custom set of recommendations that will help refine your go-to-market approach  Help you craft informed and compelling talk tracks for customer engagement  Offer support for customer-facing events like QBRs and webinars  Provide powerful collateral for your customers that leverages our market research and independent insights www.aspireccs.com

Survey Finds Fraud Protection is #1 Consideration When Selecting Financial Service Provider

Research from FICO shows the need for financial services providers to provide robust hybrid banking models to meet customers’ evolving demands. Key findings show that good fraud protection can be a competitive advantage. A third of respondents (32%) note that strong fraud protection is the most important consideration when opening a new account.

Having that added security is also why most respondents (76%) cite why they prefer to open a financial account in a branch and a further 65% who say they can get the information or advice they need in person rather than via a website or app. By building consumer trust and investing in customer experience, financial services companies are more likely to succeed longer term. Additionally, the survey reports that 12.3% of respondents say their stolen identity has been used to open a financial account, equating to over 32 million people. www.fico.com

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AN IN-DEPTH LOOK: What is a digital asset management workflow?

D

By Gilad David Maayan

igital Asset Management (DAM) is a system designed for organizing, storing and retrieving media files and managing digital rights and permissions.

DAM systems have become a core component of creative processes at many organizations.

A digital asset management (DAM) workflow is a structured process that a company or organization uses to create, manage, store and distribute digital assets. These assets can be anything from images, audio files, videos, documents and other forms of digital content. DAM workflows can streamline the handling of digital assets, ensuring they are stored, managed and distributed efficiently, securely and in a way that maximizes their value to the organization.

The DAM workflow is not just about storing files on a server. It’s about curating these assets in a way that makes them easy to find, access and use. This includes things like tagging 10

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assets with metadata, organizing them into categories or collections and setting up permissions so that only the right people have access to them.

An important aspect of DAM workflows is that they enable collaboration.

Content creation and distribution is often a team effort, and a DAM workflow provides a platform for multiple people to work on the same assets simultaneously, without the risk of overwriting each other’s work or losing track of changes being made.

The Benefits of a DAM Workflow Here are some of the benefits organizations can achieve by putting in place an effective DAM workflow.

Standardization — With a DAM workflow in place, every digital asset is handled in the same way, no matter who is doing the work. This means less confusion, fewer mistakes and a more efficient process overall.

Standardization also ensures consistency in the way assets are organized

and presented. For instance, a DAM workflow might dictate that all images must be tagged with certain metadata, or that all documents must follow a specific naming convention. This makes it easier for team members to find what they’re looking for and ensures that all assets are presented in a consistent, professional manner.

Better organization can also help to reduce legal issues. For example, a DAM workflow might include steps to ensure that all assets are properly licensed and that any usage restrictions are clearly communicated. This can help to prevent costly legal disputes down the line.

Internal Feedback — With a DAM workflow, team members can easily share assets with each other, request feedbac, and make revisions based on that feedback. This collaborative process can lead to better end products and can also help to foster a more creative, innovative work environment.

Feedback is not just about improving the quality of individual assets,

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! though. It’s also about improving the workflow itself. By inviting feedback on the workflow, organizations can identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and other areas for improvement, leading to a more streamlined, effective process.

Collaboration — With a DAM workflow, team members can work on the same assets simultaneously, without the risk of overwriting each other’s work. They can also easily share assets, both within the organization and with external partners or clients.

Collaboration in a DAM system is not just about working together on individual assets. It’s also about working together to manage the organization’s entire portfolio of digital assets. This might involve things like deciding which assets to keep and which to discard, setting priorities for new asset creation or developing strategies for asset distribution.

Security — Security is a major concern for any organization that handles digital assets, and a DAM workflow can help to address this concern. With a DAM workflow, organizations can

set up permissions to control who has access to which assets. They can also track who has accessed or modified an asset, providing a clear audit trail.

In addition, a DAM workflow can help to ensure that assets are stored securely. This might involve things like encrypting sensitive data, backing up assets to prevent data loss or setting up firewalls to prevent unauthorized access. DAM systems can also integrate with other enterprise security solutions like next-generation firewalls and endpoint detection and response.

Main Stages of a Digital Asset Management Workflow — The first stage in 2 Creation the DAM workflow is the creation of the digital assets. This could be anything from taking photographs, filming videos, recording audio, writing documents, designing graphics or creating any other form of digital content.

When creating digital assets, it’s important to prepare that content for

the rest of the DAM workflow. This might involve things like tagging assets with metadata, following a specific file naming convention or formatting the assets in a way that is compatible with the organization’s DAM system.

Organization — Once the digital

2 assets have been created, the

next stage in the DAM workflow is organization. This involves categorizing and tagging the assets so that they are easy to find and access.

Organization makes life easier for those who will be using the assets. But it can also preserve the value of the assets. Well-organized assets are easier to reuse, repurpose or distribute, making them more valuable to the organization.

— The next stage in 2 Storage the DAM workflow is storage.

This involves saving the digital assets in a secure, accessible location. DAM systems might use on-premise storage equipment that provides the required scale and performance, or in the case

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of cloud-based DAM, assets might be stored using cloud-based object-storage or file-storage services.

Storage keeps assets safe, and also contributes to making them easy to access. A DAM system provides a user-friendly interface with search and filtering options, and can integrate with other software that the organization uses, making assets easier to discover and consume.

— The retrieval of dig2 Retrieval ital assets involves identifying and gathering the digital assets that need to be managed. These could be anything from images, videos, documents and any other type of digital content. The purpose of retrieval is to gain access to assets in order to review, update, improve, finalize or eventually distribute them.

In large organizations, the asset retrieval process might involve navigating vast amounts of data. This makes it crucial to have an effective retrieval system in place. This system should allow for quick retrieval mechanisms, such as search, filtering and tagging.

— The final step in 2 Distribution the DAM workflow is distribution.

This involves making finalized digital assets available to their target audience (whether external or internal).

Distribution is a critical aspect of the Digital Asset Management workflow.

It ensures that the right assets reach the right people at the right time. The efficiency of digital asset distribution directly impacts the overall productivity of the organization.

To ensure effective distribution, it is important to define who has access to the digital assets, when they can access them, and how they can access them. Additionally, it should also consider factors such as asset security and compliance with relevant regulations.

Best Practices for Improving Your DAM Workflow Here are some best practices that can help optimize and improve your organization’s DAM workflow: Ingest Assets in a Consistent Manner: Consistent asset ingestion is 12

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crucial for maintaining the accuracy and relevance of the digital assets. It ensures that users always have access to the most recent and accurate digital assets, thereby improving their productivity and efficiency.

It is advisable to have a defined schedule for updating digital assets.

Additionally, it is important to have a process in place for verifying the accuracy and relevance of the new assets before they are ingested into the system. Add Comprehensive Metadata and Tags: Metadata refers to the additional information about the digital assets, such as their source, date of creation, author and so on. Tagging involves assigning relevant keywords to the digital assets, making them easier to search and retrieve.

Comprehensive metadata and tagging not only make it easier to search and retrieve digital assets but also help in organizing the assets more effectively. They also aid in the distribution of the assets, ensuring that the right assets reach the right people. Effectively Categorize Assets: Categorization and folder hierarchies provide a structure to the digital assets, making it easier to navigate through them and retrieve the required assets.

Categorization involves grouping similar digital assets together, while folder structures involve organizing the assets into folders based on their categories. Both of these practices make it easier to manage the digital assets and improve the efficiency of the retrieval process.

To implement effective categorization and folder structures, it is important to understand the types of digital assets in the system and their relationships. Additionally, it is also crucial to consider the needs of the users and how they would likely search for the digital assets. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Role-based access control is crucial for maintaining the security of the digital assets. It ensures that only authorized individuals have access

to the assets, thereby preventing unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

To implement role-based access control effectively, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the roles of the users and their requirements. Moreover, it is also important to regularly review and update the access rights to ensure that they are always accurate and up-to-date. Use Version Control: The last best practice for managing DAMs is leveraging version control. This involves keeping track of the different versions of the digital assets and ensuring that users always have access to the most recent version.

Version control is important for maintaining the accuracy and relevance of the digital assets. It also helps in preventing confusion and errors that might arise from using outdated versions of the assets.

To leverage version control effectively, it is advisable to have a system in place that automatically updates the digital assets to their latest versions. Additionally, it is also important to clearly label the various versions of the assets and provide a summary of the changes made in each version.

In conclusion, managing DAMs effectively requires a strategic approach. By following the best practices outlined above, organizations can optimize their digital asset management workflow and reap the benefits of increased efficiency and productivity. The key to effective DAMs management lies in the ability to retrieve, distribute and manage digital assets effectively while ensuring their security and compliance with relevant regulations.

GILAD DAVID MAAYAN is a technology writer who has worked with over 150 technology companies including SAP, Imperva, Samsung NEXT, NetApp and Check Point, producing technical and thought leadership content that elucidates technical solutions for developers and IT leadership. Today he heads Agile SEO, the leading marketing agency in the technology industry.

www.azuba.com

KEEPING AN EYE ON CX IN 2024 C C us t o m e r t r e n d s t h at w i l l s h ap e t h e i r e x p e ri e n c e s

BY SALLY SCHULTE

ustomer Experience (CX) is not a new concept.

It’s been around long enough for some analysts to predict that Customer Experience is “out” and Customer Effort (CE) is “in” (and both have an acronym — the pinnacle of an established idea).

What’s critical for companies to realize is that optimizing experience and minimizing effort are inextricably bound

— and are both essential to retaining business in 2024.

Inflation, the increased cost of consumer goods and reduced buying power have created consumers that are not only concerned with how much they are spending but who they are spending it with. Today, they choose you. But you are only ever one or two negative experiences — maybe a missed investment opportunity or an

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process involves collecting information and documentation — and (unfortunately) a lot of back and forth between you and the “customer.” Enterprise forms solutions are digital extensions of your core systems. They create “mobile first” experiences, automatically present translated versions, prefill and validate data instantly, collect supporting documents digitally and much more. These capabilities result in fewer, more meaningful, more impactful interactions.

In other words, less time wasted and less effort for your customers and your employees. To underscore why that matters, “Only 9% of customers who had low-effort experiences were likely to change vendors or merchants, compared to 96% who had high-effort service interactions,” according to Gartner (Source: 4 Actions to Improve Customer Loyalty by Reducing Customer Effort, January 10, 2024) expired insurance policy — away from them leaving.

What Do Customers Expect?

Your customers expect their interactions with you to mirror the interactions they have with Amazon or Apple: a fast, simple experience that delivers what they want quickly. The challenge for companies in heavily regulated industries is finding a way to do that and collect 10x more information, involve 10x more approvers and comply with internal and external regulations. Ouch.

The good news (finally) is that there are enterprise technologies built for this exact purpose. Enterprise forms solutions give companies a way to create intelligent, fully digital experiences for even the most complex business processes — and here are some of the biggest reasons to think about forms automation to improve CX.

Top 3 CX Benefits of Enterprise Forms Automation 1. No More “Empty” Interactions — Nearly every servicing or onboarding

2. Faster Outcomes That Exceed Expectations — Gone are the days of customers accepting a 30-day window until they can start working with an advisor on their investment portfolio or find out if their vehicle theft claim was approved (not reimbursed — that’s another 15+ days). If they can get almost any consumable good delivered to their house within 24 hours, why can’t they get the answer to [insert any onboarding or servicing request here] in the same amount of time? Companies that can do that stand out in a major way from their competitors. I 3. Better Employee Experience Delivers Better Customer Experience — In a tight labor market, finding and retaining skilled staff is a challenge for companies. According to Adobe’s State of Work report, 32% of employees left their job because of poor technology and 49% said they were likely to leave if bad tech gets in their way. Giving employees modern tools that enable them to deliver outcomes quickly — whether it’s business analysts creating processes

themselves, in just a few hours, or customer service representatives on the phone, fulfilling a service request and being able to give an update before they hang up — allows them to have impact and eliminates the need for call-backs.

Employees feel valued and empowered to serve, and that directly influences their customer interactions.

There are plenty of other reasons companies should completely rethink their approach to long-standing, mission-critical onboarding and servicing processes. The hot topics of structured data intake, maximum tech utilization, improved time to market, operational efficiency and business ownership are all in the mix — and they all have downstream effects on CX. But, for brevity’s sake, the three highlighted are the three that the customer experiences directly.

The Corporate Reality Check What an amazing thing if companies could snap their corporate fingers and poof — the hundreds of form-related business processes they manage just became fully automated, digital, secure experiences. And what if IT didn’t need to build or maintain them? That’s living the digital transformation dream.

Creating these experiences is possible. Making what is complicated today simple is possible. Using a centralized technology to streamline data intake and manage digital data collection processes is possible. All it requires is a different approach and an understanding that just because an internal process is “complex” or “sophisticated” doesn’t mean the solution is. In many cases, the ease and simplicity of the solution will surprise you.

SALLY SCHULTE is the Senior Product Marketing Director at Smart Communications, a customer communications management technology leader focused on helping businesses engage in more meaningful customer conversations and transforming traditional forms-based processes into intelligent, conversational user experiences.

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SO, YOU WANT MY BUSINESS?

LISTEN TO MY STORY.

When supplier and client work together as a team, business solutions deliver the expected results and return

I

By Bob Larrivee

have had the pleasure of working in the information management and process automation fields for near 40 years. During this time, I held many different positions, two of which really opened my eyes. They were in marketing and sales.

Marketing — As with most tech companies I know, sales and marketing typically position their products

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as a solution to a problem. In some cases, the marketing department will use actual customer case studies to develop promotional materials intended to peak prospect interest. The idea being that when one reads the story, they can relate to the described problem as being like theirs. (Note the word I chose here is like, and not exactly.)

The same holds true of various conferences, seminars and customer events

designed to interact with customers and prospects, in hopes of enticing them to explore various products and services further, potentially leading to a sale.

Afterall, that is why the suppliers are there, to sell something and increase their revenue streams.

Sales — This is where sales come into play. It is their job to interact with the prospect or customer and determine which product(s) will best serve in providing a solution to the business problem at hand. As such, one might expect that the sales representative would take time to ask a lot of questions, listen to the answers, and truly understand the business problem the customer is describing, before presenting a solution. I hate to say this, but it is rarely the case, and I too was one who was at fault for this.

Many sales representatives have a lot of experience in providing solutions to business problems, and often begin presenting product functions during the “exploration” phase of the sales cycle as the customer describes their situation. The customer may state that the problem is their invoice processing is slow and they would like to decrease processing times.

Immediately, the salesperson begins to describe how their using recognition and data extraction technology combined with workflow automation will increase throughput. While this may be true, what we don’t know yet, is the underlying business problem and reason for this process to be slow. In this sales approach, there is an assumption being made that the customer knows the issue and what to do about it.

When digging deeper, the real customer problem or goal, is to improve cashflow. In this scenario, we are talking to a logistics company dependent upon keeping their trucks rolling, drivers paid, and delivery schedules met. While improving cashflow involves decreases in invoice processing times, what is really needed is a true understanding of the business process from end-to-end and the only way to do that, is to ask more questions and listen to what the customer is saying — and not saying.

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! Digging Deeper Given we now know that cashflow is the real business problem, the question becomes one of how the invoice process impacts cashflow and when it is triggered. In this case, the customer is in logistics with a fleet of trucks traversing the country and delivering goods.

Upon further discussion, we find that the invoice process is triggered when a signed delivery receipt is provided to the accounting department. This signed delivery receipt is part of the driver’s responsibility to collect, and then provide to the accounting department. In the past, and still to this day, delivery of these signed receipts might be mailed in, sent by courier, or even held until the driver returns to the office. In some cases, this would take weeks or even longer based on where the package is coming from.

Having this information now gives a clearer picture of why the process takes so long and opens the door to further discussions regarding requirements surrounding invoice creation and distribution to the client. For instance, one may find that there is no requirement for the original delivery receipt to be in hand to invoice, only a replica. The original is required for record keeping purposes and even at that, the original may be only used for quality validation.

Possible Solution Given the newly discovered problem and business requirements, one might find that capture and transfer of the delivery receipt to accounting would greatly decrease the processing times and improve cash flow. As such, the tech solution might include remote capture or capture to the cloud, recognition technology with data extraction, and more could be incorporated. In fact, just by deploying remote capture capabilities, the invoice processing times could be decreased. (I personally have seen results that improved delivery receipt transfers to five days from up to seven weeks.)

The reason sales need to listen and not jump to conclusions, is that without

understanding the whole picture, a proper solution might not be complete. Focusing on only the accounting department would not have seen the trigger of signed delivery receipts or the fact that replicas are sufficient to kick off the process.

Additionally, customers don’t know what they don’t know, and it is up to sales to work with them to uncover the underlying issues, extended processes/ triggers, and provide enlightenment on their business and operational requirements. In this case, the need for the original as the trigger was nonexistent, and use of a replica (image) is acceptable.

In My View There are many times when communication between customer/prospect and sales and marketing personnel is inadequate. Many situations begin with a question that requires more questions once answered. The tendency is to jump into how a product is a solution but yet the real problem has yet to be identified.

In one case that I was personally involved in as a technology consultant to sales, an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and workflow solution was being proposed that was of significant cost. The sales representative had done a great job of positioning our product to solve the business problem but failed to discuss some of our technology requirements with the client. In this case, it was in relation to network communications, connectivity, and bandwidth. (Yes, there was a time this was of great concern.)

As I sat with the client and dug into this further, the sales representative became nervous that we might lose the sale, while the client became more open to discussion. You see, no other supplier had even mentioned this, let alone take time to openly discuss it.

When we finished talking about the networking and communications infrastructure (finding it was inadequate), the client let us know that he could issue purchase orders below a certain amount without having to go to bid

and he would like to keep it all with one supplier. The sales representative immediately began talking about how this was a much larger project, etc. and failed to hear what wasn’t being said.

After kicking the sales rep under the table, I told the client we could break this down into several projects, develop a project plan to coordinate everything into a suitable schedule, and stay under the project cost limits he was obliged to maintain for each project. Upon leaving the building, the sales rep asked me what had just happened, and I explained that now he had an opportunity for five projects rather than one.

This is but one example of many instances I have seen and been part of over the years. As suppliers of business solutions, we are looked at as the experts in our fields and as such, should be helping the client identify real business problems and requirements. Not just technology.

As clients, we should be prepared to openly discuss our business operations, technology infrastructure, and ask questions of the supplier, even if they seem trivial. It is only when supplier and client work together as a team, that business solutions deliver the expected results and return.

Customers should expect that if you want their business, you will listen.

Sales should expect that customers don’t always know how to articulate their real problems and in some cases are presenting you with symptoms, not problems.

BOB LARRIVEE is a recognized expert in the application of advanced technologies and process improvement to solve business problems and enhance business operations.

In his career, Bob has led many projects and authored hundreds of e-books, industry reports, blogs, articles, and infographics. In addition, he has served as host and guest subject matter expert on a wide variety of webinars, podcasts, virtual events, and lectured at seminars and conferences around the globe.

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BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH GENERATIVE AI IN CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS 8 tips for great prompt engineering | By Atif Khan

Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on AI in CCM. Look for Part 2 in the next issue.

T

he potential of generative AI to positively impact how we work and live is massive, yet early efforts with new solutions from OpenAI, Google and Microsoft reveal quality and control issues when precise guidance is absent. This is particularly true in customer communications where careful crafting of the message is essential. Prompt engineering is an indispensable discipline that dictates the success or failure of generative AI initiatives. The art and science of crafting precise, effective prompts is

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essential to steer AI toward producing high-quality, relevant output, particularly when sensitive and important information is being conveyed to customers. In this era of technological advancement, mastering prompt engineering isn’t just advantageous, it’s a critical imperative.

Prompt engineering is akin to learning a new language, one that allows you to guide AI more effectively. By refining the way we ask questions or present scenarios to the AI tool, we gain better control over its responses. Embracing prompt engineering can be a game changer in leveraging AI technology, transforming it from a tool that merely responds to one that truly understands and assists in achieving desired goals.

Building on the concept of prompt engineering, let’s explore the principles of effective prompt design for generative AI: 1. Clarity and specificity: The cornerstone of effective prompt design lies in using clear and specific language.

For instance, a vague and ineffective prompt could be, “Create a customer communication,” which lacks detail and direction. A more effective prompt would be, “Draft a personalized email for customers age 30-40 about the tax credits applicable to retirement savings available in 2024, highlighting benefits and eligibility details.” This precise prompt ensures that AI’s output is directly aligned with the specific communication needs of a financial

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services provider, targeting a particular customer segment with relevant information.

2. Contextual awareness: Grasping the context surrounding a prompt is essential, particularly in the healthcare domain. A prompt like, “Inform about a health plan drug coverage” is insufficiently contextualized. A more contextually aware prompt would be, “Explain the impact of the recent changes in Medicare Part D on prescription drug coverage for seniors, emphasizing new benefits and costs.”

3. Goal-oriented prompting: Defining the objective is vital. An aimless prompt like, “Talk about finance” is less effective than, “Explain the benefits and risks of index fund investing for young adults,” which clearly aligns with a specific informational goal.

4. Iterative prompt refinement: This principle involves revising prompts based on feedback. An initial prompt might be, “Describe new healthcare policies,” which could result in a broad and complex response. To refine this, a better prompt would be, “Outline the 2024 changes in Medicare Advantage healthcare policies in the state of California impacting patient insurance

coverage, focusing on simplicity and clarity for a general audience.” This adjusted prompt is likely to produce a more targeted and understandable explanation suitable for patients who may not have in-depth knowledge of healthcare policy.

5. Adapting to AI’s capabilities and limitations: Recognizing the strengths and limitations of AI models is crucial, especially in the financial services domain. A prompt such as, “Provide financial advice for an individual’s investment portfolio” is beyond AI’s capability. A more suitable prompt that leverages AI’s abilities would be, “Summarize key factors affecting the bond market in the current economic climate.” This prompt aligns with AI’s capacity for data analysis and synthesis, providing insights into market trends without overstepping into personal financial advisory, which requires human expertise.

6. Creative and flexible prompting: Encouraging innovation and adaptability in prompts can lead to more engaging and insightful content, particularly in the financial domain. Consider a prompt like, “Imagine a renowned 20th century economist blogging about the impact of cryptocurrency on global finance.” This imaginative scenario invites AI to merge historical economic theories with modern financial trends, potentially yielding a unique and thought-provoking perspective on current financial issues.

7. User-centric design: Prioritizing the end user’s specific needs and understanding is critical, especially in healthcare communication. An overly broad prompt such as, “Detail disease prevention methods” may not resonate with all patient groups. A more user-centric approach that targets a specific age group and provides relevant, accessible and actionable information would be, “Create a simple guide on diabetes prevention for newly diagnosed patients over 50 years old.”

8. Ethical and responsible prompting: This principle is about avoiding biases and misinformation. For instance, a

prompt like, “Explain why our bank’s investment strategy is superior to others” could introduce bias and, potentially, misinformation. A more balanced prompt would be, “Provide an objective analysis of different investment strategies offered by major banks, including our own.”

Each principle is essential in crafting prompts that lead to effective, accurate and responsible output from generative AI systems, enhancing the interaction between humans and AI. By mastering the art of prompt engineering and skillfully applying these principles, we can significantly reduce the occurrence of AI ‘hallucinations” — misleading or irrelevant responses — and ensure users receive the most accurate and helpful answer on the first try. This precision in communication enhances AI’s impact in achieving overall objectives, whether it is in customer communications or any other domain where AI can lend its capabilities. Moreover, the importance of having the right AI capabilities and knowledge to guide the process cannot be overstated. It’s essential to adopt an AI platform that supports your team with the necessary capabilities to ensure effective prompting. As you integrate AI into your operations, remember the choice of platform can significantly influence the caliber of your outcomes, shaping the future of your organization’s engagement, efficiency and overall success.

ATIF KHAN has over 20 years of experience building successful software development, data science, and AI engineering teams that have delivered demonstrable results. As the Vice President of AI and Data Science at Messagepoint, Khan has established a comprehensive AI research and engineering practice and delivered two AI platforms (MARCIE and Semantex) that have brought a fresh perspective to the CCM industry. Through collaboration with the leadership team, he has defined the vision and objectives for these platforms, accelerated their market launch, while forging academic partnerships to achieve long-term product research goals.

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move their business elsewhere, which makes the overall customer experience more important than before.

Why is good CX good business?

THE BUSINESS VALUE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Creating measurements, metrics and dashboards

M

By Richard Huff

ost customers prefer digital communications due to convenience. Digital communications arrive faster, enable interactivity and allow for immediate payment options.

However, digital customer communications are often poorly designed or present different branding, making customers suspicious. To effectively utilize digital channels, organizations

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need to transition from managing customer communications (the operations aspects of production and delivery) to managing the customer experience (CX).

In today’s digital world, customers have more choices than ever before.

Consumers are no longer limited to the local downtown brick-and-mortar bank and can easily compare rates, services and convenience between multiple offerings. With lower barriers to switching providers, customers can readily

An improved customer experience provides organizations with a number of benefits, such as increased sales from the higher retention rate and customer loyalty. In many regulated industries, the cost to acquire a new customer is in the hundreds of dollars. Therefore, each customer an organization can hold on to increases the lifetime value of the customer and eliminates the cost to replace them.

Research shows that providing clear communications and a good customer experience make customers roughly two and a half times more likely to spend more with the company. In addition, the good experience leads customers to share the experience with others and recommend the organization, thus increasing the number of customers. A credible reputation generated by wordof-mouth referrals is beyond the control of marketing and cannot be replicated by advertising.

Understanding the customer journey The customer journey maps out the arrangement of interactions between the organization and the customer to complete a business process. For example, filing an insurance claim could start with a customer service call, uploading pictures of the damage from a phone, email communications to collect additional details, text notifications of the current claim status and, finally, a paper check mailed to the customer. In this example, the process crosses multiple channels and should not require the customer to repeatedly input personal information.

The process also cannot require a large number of steps or repeated steps to get to a resolution.

The key to an improved customer experience is understanding the customer journey and changing the business process to automate

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interactions, reduce hand-offs and share data across systems to eliminate duplicate data entry and smooth out the transaction, keeping in mind that the most efficient process may not create the best customer experience.

How can CX be measured?

The most common metric for measuring the customer experience is the net promoter score (NPS), which is based on an optional customer survey asking if the customer would or would not recommend the brand. However, since the survey is optional, the NPS does not provide a complete picture. The same applies to customer satisfaction and customer effort surveys.

Customer conversion, retention and churn rates provide a broader but more complete set of metrics against which to measure CX. While these numbers may be subject to seasonal sales or outages, they provide an overall perspective on the organization’s relationship with customers and a strong foundation for customer satisfaction.

The customer lifetime value works as a counterpoint by allowing the organization to consider the value of a customer against the cost to acquire and retain the customer.

To make an assessment requires data, which organizations can collect in a number of ways. The best source for process data is from internal analytics that track system load, average response times and workload distribution. These data points enable organizations to identify potential bottlenecks within a process so the processes can be tweaked for efficiency.

In addition to integrated analytics, organizations can also mine customer service call transcripts to better form a more detailed understanding of customer needs and common issues. The call center data will provide the top customer issues, the percentage of first call resolution and average resolution time for incoming calls. Organizations can use this data to improve products and services, clarify or provide

additional documentation and redeploy resources to meet customer needs.

Comparisons against historical data can also be used to measure the success of changes to business process automation.

The analysis provides the opportunity to modify workflow processes for better efficiency, but more importantly, it enables the organization to track costs along the customer journey, understand how costs evolve as process improvements are implemented and gain a better understanding of the customer lifetime value as compared to the customer acquisition and onboarding costs.

To be successful, organizations must invest in customer experiences in the same way they would invest in a new product.

Treating CX as a product To be successful, organizations must invest in customer experiences in the same way they would invest in a new product. Higher customer experience scores require investment to improve and sustain. Those within an organization responsible for CX need to allocate budgets to support staffing, data-driven research, improvement projects and technology to support their CX goals.

In order to create better experiences, the organization must first envision and develop the new experience

with journey mapping, usability testing and customer feedback loops.

Establishing a team dedicated to CX enables an organization to focus its efforts and assign projects to dedicated individuals.

Organizations can improve the customer experience with new technology designed to support digital channels.

Investments in call center technology, including voice over internet protocol (VoIP), will directly affect the ability for customer service operators to respond to requests. Customer journey orchestration tools work behind the scenes, allowing for real-time decision making across channels to create personalized campaigns that improve customer engagement. Both are examples of technologies that will enable organizations to improve the quality of customer interactions.

Other tools, such as unstructured data mining tools and AI-based call center analysis, provide organizations with a deeper understanding of customer needs than traditional surveys do. The robust view-of-the-customer data allows the company to make organizational and process changes to support better CX.

Being a good listener Ultimately, creating a better customer experience begins with a willingness to listen to the customer. Organizations of all sizes need to leverage the mechanisms used for customer communications to make the conversation bi-directional and make changes based on customer feedback. Digital communications offer new opportunities to hear from customers and increase revenue by turning that feedback into a better customer experience.

RICHARD HUFF is Senior Analyst at Madison Advisors, an independent analyst and market research firm that addresses the needs of the electronic and print customer communications management marketplace. Visit madison-advisors.com.

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GETTING A GRASP ON DOCUMENT ACCESSIBILITY How to foster a seamless experience based on each individual’s preference for information consumption

By Ernie Crawford

E

nsuring document accessibility is essential for universal information access, catering to individuals who are blind, partially sighted or have cognitive impairments. Compliant, accessible document design fosters inclusivity and aligns with legal standards, creating an equitable communication

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environment. Accessible documents not only broaden audience reach, but also showcase a commitment to ethical practices, ensuring clarity for everyone, not solely those without disabilities.

Prioritizing accessibility is fundamental in constructing a just and informed society, where equal access to information becomes a cornerstone for fostering

inclusivity and promoting a shared understanding among diverse individuals.

A common misconception is that accessible documents exclusively cater to the blind but, in reality, a wide range of individuals requires alternate formats or accessible digital content. Some individuals find large print more suitable for non-accessible documents. Many people who are proficient in braille find it their only way to communicate.

Additionally, some grasp information more effectively through audio files.

There are numerous circumstances and variables that can influence how individuals process or consume documents, and recognizing that people learn and absorb information uniquely underscores the importance of providing format options to accommodate individual preferences and needs.

Without document accessibility, people who rely on formats like accessible PDFs, braille or large print face significant barriers. Inaccessible layouts, small fonts or missing image descriptions can exclude visually impaired individuals, forcing them to trust unreliable software or hindering their ability to access information and take actions.

Core Principles Creating accessible documents goes beyond mere adherence to standard regulations. While compliance with rules like WCAG, PDF/UA, Health and Human Services (HHS) and/or others is essential, the paramount goal is to ensure documents not only are compliant but are also usable, facilitating easy navigation and information absorption for customers and employees. This principle extends to all alternate formats, encompassing digital variations like accessible PDFs and HTML, and traditional formats such as braille, large print and audio. Achieving this requires careful consideration of usability, as well as structure, content and navigation to guarantee an accessible experience that is seamless.

Structure: Clear document organization through headings and bullets facilitates universal understanding.

A sequential structure is pivotal for accessibility, ensuring information

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE! follows a logical order for easy comprehension and navigation, benefiting all document recipients. Properly labeled tables are crucial, as clear labels and headers assist readers in understanding the table’s purpose, making data comprehensible for users with visual impairments.

Content: In accessible document creation, alternative text (alt text) plays a fundamental role by providing textual descriptions for images and other non-text elements, ensuring inclusivity for a diverse audience. Additionally, maintaining high color contrast and employing appropriate font sizes is vital for accessibility, benefiting individuals with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities and the aging population. These considerations collectively contribute to an enhanced readability experience.

Navigation: Keyboard accessibility empowers users with motor disabilities and screen reader users to interact with content seamlessly. Additionally, it aligns with accessibility standards and caters to users who prefer keyboard navigation.

Usability: A truly accessible PDF goes beyond mere technical compliance. While meeting accessibility standards like WCAG, PDF/UA or HHS is paramount, it’s just the first step. A truly usable document empowers the user with an experience comparable to that of a sighted individual. Imagine a document with a jumbled reading order. While technically tagged, it renders the story incomprehensible — compliant but not usable, thus not accessible. Similarly, improperly linked table headers or inaccurate alt text may pass accessibility checkers but hinder information delivery.

Implementing Document Accessibility Various factors should be considered when making information, particularly documents, accessible. The primary focus should always be on the recipient. Therefore, the main objective is to offer these documents in diverse alternate formats that cater to their preferences and requirements.

Digital Alternate Formats: Accessible digital documents, like accessible

Word and PDF files, break down communication barriers. They come in various formats, including plain text, HTML and others, providing users the flexibility to choose their preferred method. While HTML and PDF share common features like alt text and clear structure, each format caters to different needs and offers unique strengths: PDFs are ideal for preserving document formatting and layout, often used for official documents, brochures, transactional documents and reports. HTML is typically a foundational format for web pages, offering greater flexibility for dynamic content, interactive elements and search engine optimization.

The paramount goal is to ensure documents not only are compliant but are also usable, facilitating easy navigation and information absorption for customers and employees.

In both cases, the above-mentioned core principles are essential and should always be followed, along with full compliance and timely delivery.

Alternate Formats While digital formats have become increasingly important, there is still a significant need for traditional alternate formats, and they remain crucial for accessibility. Braille, large print and audio are all traditional formats which are still used extensively.

Accessibility Solutions There are many tools and resources available to aid organizations in delivering accessible documents. Selecting the appropriate solution hinges on understanding the essential features required. Here are some fundamental requirements to look for: Ensure the solution supports various accessible formats, including digital and alternate formats. Consider future needs and document volume, delivering scalability. Confirm that the solution integrates with existing workflows and document management systems to minimize disruption. Consider a solution which provides automatic accessibility validation to ensure compliance. Verify compliance with digital accessibility standards such as WCAG, PDF/UA and/or HHS. Consider a single, robust solution capable of delivering all your document accessibility needs. As language regulations evolve (as with the recent CMS Final Rule), seek a solution that delivers document accessibility alongside automated language translations.

Accessible documents are vital for creating a truly inclusive society. By prioritizing both usability and compliance, organizations can empower customers with diverse digital and traditional formatting options and foster a seamless experience based on each individual’s preference for information consumption. Achieving accessibility is not just about meeting regulations, it’s about fostering inclusivity and breaking down communication barriers for an exceptional customer experience.

An electronic document industry pioneer, ERNIE CRAWFORD is the President/CEO and founder of Crawford Technologies. One of only a small number of people worldwide with a Master Electronic Document Professional (M-EDP) designation, Ernie has more than 30 years of senior marketing and management experience in the high-volume electronic printing market.

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I

By Brian DeWyer

WEIGHING THE IMPACT W ith the advent of Generative AI,

organizations must carefully consider the decision to build or buy software, especially regarding ECM applications

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s Generative AI tipping the scales in favor of building Enterprise Content Management (ECM) software, or will it ever get to that point? Indeed, the prospect of having code appear before your eyes is enticing. However, relying on Generative AI for coding projects comes with pitfalls that organizations must consider.

Among these pitfalls are customization limitations. Generative AI can produce generic code very quickly.

However, it may also need help creating code that meets specific or complex requirements. In addition, AI-produced code can be inconsistent and produce varying levels of quality depending on the input provided and the particular AI model used.

Reliability issues and security vulnerabilities are some of the most significant considerations when using AI to help build in-house software.

Generative AI can produce functional code, but it may contain subtle bugs that are difficult to detect. Regarding security vulnerabilities, Generative AI may inadvertently introduce attack vectors because it doesn’t inherently understand the security practices or the specific security requirements of developing an ECM application.

Even with the advent of Generative AI, organizations must carefully consider the decision to build or buy software, especially regarding ECM applications.

ECM Build Vs. Buy Many organizations use monitoring tools such as Splunk, NewRelic, Dynatrace, Solarwinds, Nagios, Zappos and others. However, regarding ECM, AI will be challenged to develop and maintain truly effective monitors that offer deep visibility and context.

As with any software development, readiness, scope, resources, opportunity, cost and time-to-value are all

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elements that must be entered into the decision equation. Before embarking on building your own ECM solution, consider the following: 1. Development Knowledge Gap and Costs — Building ECM monitors requires proficient developers who deeply understand ECM system architecture, interfaces and stack.

Finding these individuals requires salaries, benefits recruitment costs, and hardware and software infrastructure.

Companies must also consider the staff to produce and maintain such monitors because the software requires a team with specialized knowledge of multiple ECM systems and monitoring best practices.

2. Development Time and Effort — ECM development timelines can range from several months to years. Anyone considering developing an ECM solution in-house needs first to consider these requirements:  Obtain Software Development Kit(s) (SDK) for each ECM platform.  Develop or obtain developer knowledge of SDK(s) for each ECM platform.  Develop detailed requirements and project plans.  Develop or obtain developer-level knowledge of ECM platform stack, interfaces and operating behavior.  Assign Project Manager.  Design, Build and QA the following:  Tests  Monitors  Conditions/Thresholds  Displays  Dashboards  Reports  Remediations/Automation  Notifications  Move through a DevOps process to the production state.

3. Ongoing Maintenance and Updates — Maintenance for

the newly developed ECM solution will require resources to monitor the monitors, fix issues and introduce enhancements. Not carefully considering the maintenance costs will strain IT budgets and consume much of your staff’s time. It’s also important to note that these maintenance issues grow as ECM evolves with new features such as operating systems, databases and application services.

As with any software development, readiness, scope, resources, opportunity, cost and time-to-value are all elements that must be entered into the decision equation.

4.

Scalability and Risk Challenges — Significant modifications are often required when attempting to scale a custom monitoring solution, and incremental funding for changing circumstances, such as supporting intelligent automation technologies like RPA and other ECM platforms or automating ECM recovery actions, may not be available.

Deciding whether to build or buy software requires a thorough analysis

of cost, flexibility, scalability and compliance. In addition, the risk profile of a custom ECM monitoring solution increases over time compared to a proven “off-the-shelf” solution. This risk is especially true when the custom ECM monitoring solution authors are no longer in the same roles.

Even if organizations consider using Generative AI to help create an internal ECM monitoring solution, the facts still point to buying a solution as the more effective outcome. AI does help companies with the time, human resources and funds needed to build software solutions. However, when considering building ECM monitoring solutions in-house, the pros and cons analysis tips the scale in favor of the buy scenario — especially since developing practical ECM monitoring solutions is challenging for many in-house IT personnel.

Today, proven ECM monitoring solutions offer chargeback, capacity planning, content security, and many integrations to ensure an out-of-the-box solution at a fraction of the cost and time it takes a developer to produce.

BRIAN DEWYER is CTO and Co-Founder of Reveille Software. With more than 25 years of experience in technology, Brian DeWyer provides product strategy and technical leadership in his role as Reveille CTO and board member.

Brian leverages his extensive knowledge from his tenure as a senior IT leader at Wachovia and previous role as a process consulting practice leader for IBM Global Services delivering on-premises and cloud-based solution implementations for Fortune 1000 commercial and government clients. He has led process change efforts within large organizations, building on content-driven solutions for high-volume transaction processing applications. He is a past board member of the Association of Image and Information Management (AIIM) industry association. Brian graduated from Virginia Tech with a BSME and holds an MBA from Wake Forest University.

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THE BIGGEST DISRUPTOR IN COMMUNICATIONS

G e n e rat i ve A I : Th e w h at, h ow a n d why behind it

BY ERIC RIZ

O

ver the past 2 short years, the communications industry has been at the forefront of technological innovation, shaping how we connect, share and understand the world around us. Among the plethora of advancements, Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as a groundbreaking disruptor, redefining the boundaries of content creation, customization and interaction.

What Is Generative AI? Generative AI refers to the segment of artificial intelligence technologies capable of producing new content, ideas or data that were not explicitly programmed into them. Unlike traditional AI systems that analyze and respond to input with pre-defined responses, generative models learn from vast datasets to create output that can mimic human-like creativity. This includes text, images, videos, and even

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code, offering unparalleled versatility across various domains.

How Does Generative AI Work?

The power of Generative AI lies in its underlying algorithms, primarily driven by machine learning (ML) and deep learning techniques. Two key models in this arena are Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Transformers: Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): GANs consist of two parts — a generator that creates content and a discriminator that evaluates its authenticity. Through iterative training, the generator improves its capability to produce increasingly realistic outputs, from photorealistic images to complex patterns. Transformers: Initially designed to handle natural language processing tasks, transformers have shown remarkable efficiency in understanding context and generating text. This technology powers some of the most advanced language models today, enabling them to produce coherent, contextually relevant written content on a wide array of topics.

Why Is Generative AI a Disruptor in the Communications Industry?

Generative AI’s disruptive potential stems from its ability to automate and personalize content at an unprecedented scale. There are several ways it is fundamentally altering how content is created, distributed and personalized.

Its impact is profound and multifaceted, affecting everything from content production to customer engagement: Automates Content Creation — Generative AI can produce a wide variety of content, including text, images, videos and music, significantly faster than traditional methods. This automation reduces the time and resources needed for content production, enabling organizations to generate new content at scale. It can draft articles, create visual content, and even generate

realistic simulations, reducing the reliance on human creators for routine or bulk content needs. Enables Unprecedented Personalization — By analyzing user data and preferences, Generative AI can tailor content in real-time to fit the individual needs and interests of each recipient. This level of personalization was previously difficult or impossible to achieve at scale. It means that every piece of communication, from marketing emails to news articles, can be customized to increase relevance and engagement, thus enhancing the overall user experience. Fosters Creativity and Innovation — Generative AI doesn’t just replicate existing content; it can create something entirely new. This capability opens up new avenues for creativity and innovation in content creation.

It can inspire human creators by providing novel ideas, draft versions or even by generating art and music, pushing the boundaries of traditional creative processes. Enhances Interactivity and Customer Service — AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by advanced generative models, can conduct more nuanced and complex interactions with users. These interactions go beyond simple scripted responses, allowing for more human-like conversations that can adapt based on the context of the interaction. This enhancement in interactivity is revolutionizing customer service, making it more efficient and accessible. Democratizes Content Creation — Generative AI tools lower the barriers to content creation, allowing individuals and smaller organizations to produce high-quality content that could previously only be made by those with significant resources. This democratization means a broader range of voices can be heard, and niche communities can be served with tailored content, enriching the media landscape.

The Future Outlook As we look to the future, the implications of Generative AI in the communications industry are profound.

It promises not only to enhance operational efficiencies but also to foster creativity, making personalized and impactful communication more accessible to all. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Ethical considerations, such as data privacy, content authenticity and the potential for misuse, are paramount.

Generative AI is not just a tool or technology; it’s a paradigm shift in how we conceive and execute communication strategies. As we navigate its potential, the focus must remain on leveraging this technology to enhance human connection, ensuring that it serves to enrich our collective experience rather than diminish it.

Generative AI is undeniably the biggest disruptor in the communications industry, transforming how content is created, personalized and consumed.

Its evolution will continue to shape the future of communication, promising a landscape that is more inclusive, dynamic and innovative. The journey of Generative AI is just beginning, and its true impact is yet to be fully realized.

An established leader focused on corporate efficiency, strategy and change, ERIC RIZ founded data analytics firm VERIFIED and Microsoft consulting firm eMark Consulting Ltd. Over a 20-year career in the Microsoft space, Eric has worked extensively in the areas of document and records management, web content management, portals, digital business and process analysis, analytics, metadata, and data management. His outlook on Blockchain, WEB3, governance, and change management is welcomed internationally as a keynote speaker and author, offering thought leadership on data strategies and solutions, and shifting corporate focus to the organization’s specific needs.

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STOP & VISIT AT BOOTH #

409

SPONSORED CONTENT

Experience true digital transformation with 4Point. As your strategic partner, we offer comprehensive solutions for your digital journey. Visit Booth #409 to discover how we revolutionize digital document processes. Don’t miss Eric Stevens, VP Strategic Engagement, discussing cloud migration benefits and accessibility importance on May 20 & 21. Learn from Angèle Taylor, Director of Marketing and AEM Champion, about AEM expertise and collaboration with Adobe. Join us at DSF’24 to shape your digital future. Booth #409 or contact us at sales@4point.com.

www.4point.com | sales@4pointcom

BOOTH #

318

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Many document rich organizations realize the benefits of API-driven, agile, approaches to Enterprise Communication Processes. These organizations rebel against monolithic infrastructures and deploy modern, open solutions enabling effective customer communication from data to distribution. Before you dump your tea (data, budgets, etc.) in the harbor, please visit Compart North America, Booth 318 for demonstrations and discussions on our unique approach to the Enterprise Communication Process. Meet Compart experts on the entire ECP spectrum including Preprocessing, Composition, Post Composition, Omnichannel Distribution, and piece-level Tracking. Join the revolution against proprietary infrastructures!

www.compart.com

BOOTH #

310

Messagepoint is an intelligent, cloud-based content hub for CCM. Our hallmark is providing game-changing, innovative solutions for the CCM space that enable our customers to maximize speed and efficiency through advanced control over their content. Messagepoint is the only CCM solution leveraging a modular approach to content management. This powerful capability enables granular content control and sharing across communications and channels. Our users make a change once and it instantly updates both traditional touchpoints and personalized, dynamic digital experiences via headless APIs. Messagepoint’s latest innovation, adding generative AI to Assisted Authoring, provides unparalleled efficiency in content www.messagepoint.com | info@messagepoint.com | 800.492.4103 optimization and translation processes.

BOOTH #

510

Experience the power of MHC EngageCX, a flexible SaaS platform, where regulated customer communications flow seamlessly, and inefficient processes are transformed. Join the ranks of MHC customers who have increased efficiency and compliance in documents and messaging. Chat with our experts and putt your way to a new Yeti! Don’t miss out!

| www.mhcautomation.com | brigette.miller@mhcautomation.com BOOTH #

314

Discover the power of unified customer communications that go beyond with Quadient Inspire. Visit the Quadient Booth #314 to learn how Quadient’s centralized Customer Communications Management platform enables seamless management of digital and print channels, empowering business users to create personalized, omnichannel communications across the entire customer journey. With flexible deployment options including on-premise, public or private cloud, hybrid, or hosted managed services, you’ll be covered no matter what the future brings. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet our team, partake in giveaways, and be on the road to revolutionizing your customer interactions.

www.quadient.com/en/customer-communications/overview | info@quadient.com | 866.883.4260 BOOTH #

203

Smart Communications provides the platform that leading organizations trust to deliver personalized, consistent and compliant conversations across all touchpoints and channels. The Conversation Cloud™ consists of SmartCOMM™ for enterprise-scale customer communications, SmartIQ™ for digital forms transformation, and SmartDX™ for trade documentation. Over 650 enterprise organizations across the globe rely on Smart Communications to simplify and automate complex processes and deliver highly secure, frictionless experiences across the customer lifecycle.

| www.smartcommunications.com | 800.986.6810 BOOTH #

408

Join us at the intersection of efficiency and simplicity for a conversation on streamlined document reviews. Don’t miss out on this chance to elevate your tradeshow experience with a touch of sweetness — a delicious gourmet cookie.

symph.io | team@symphio.com | 847.370.1192 28

spring.2023 DOCUMENTmedia.com

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

THE 2023-2024 HOT CX SOLUTION COMPANIES

scan the QR code to see all the HOT COMPANY details

Think About It / JOHN HARNEY /

/ ERIC RIZ /

“ACCENTURE PREDICTS THAT 90% OF WORKING HOURS IN BANKS EVENTUALLY WILL BE IMPACTED

BY GEN AI’S USE OF LLMS AND THAT BY 2028 GEN AI WILL DELIVER AN ACROSS-THE-BOARD 30% PRODUCTIVITY GAIN IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY.”

“A YEAR AGO, TOPICS LIKE CHATGPT AND GENERATIVE AI WERE BEING HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME WHILE TODAY THEY ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE.”

/ BRIAN DEWYER /

“When considering building ECM monitoring solutions in-house, the pros and cons analysis tips the scale in favor of the buy scenario.”

/ RICHARD HUFF /

“An ever-expanding array of data privacy regulations have been introduced to cover more than 75% of the world’s population.”

/ SALLY SCHULTE /

“Your customers expect their interactions with you to mirror the interactions they have with Amazon or Apple: a fast, simple experience that delivers what they want quickly.”