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Continuing my series on “quick and dirty” process improvement initiatives that don’t cost anything to implement:

Initiative # 3: Automated Correspondence

You might note by the fact that this is my third installment on document assembly-based improvements that I think this is a major functional cornerstone for any process improvement initiative. And again, if you’ve mostly kept up with technology over the past 5 or so years, you’re likely to realize that most of your enterprises systems already installed provide this functionality built-in.So, in addition to creating documents to leverage your existing information systems, why not automate their use as much as possible?

So how do you automate correspondence? The key is to initiate “triggers” in your systems to send an email or formatted report (or letter) to a recipient whenever you perform an action in the system.

Here are some “real world” ideas:

1. Send an email to clients to advise them of new correspondence from the PTO whenever you docket new mail (with a scan of mail attached).

2. Send an email to clients to advise them when you’ve completed a filing (with a copy of the document, of course).

3. Send a confirmation message to a client (or an agent) when you’ve opened a new matter in your system.

4. Send an acknowledgement when you’ve closed a matter in your system.

I think you get the idea. In practice, everything we do in our systems is reflective of some communication we have with clients, agents, agencies, or partners. We can automate all of those correspondences, realizing real practice efficiencies, to be sure, but also managing risk by ensuring that the communications have in fact taken place.