Stop at Scanning, and You Stall: How to Build an Automated Content Workflow

Digital document management system with automated folders and workflow icons

There’s a common misconception that scanning documents is the same as being fully digitized. If an organization is still pushing around piles of paper, digging through folder trees of PDFs, and chasing down approvals and signatures, they’re not digital; they’re disjointed.

The reality is that Document Management and Enterprise Content Management have evolved, shifted, and come full circle. In the late 1990’s at the advent of Document Management, the focus was on scanning, indexing based on metadata, and quick retrieval. At the time, organizations prioritized paper for most transactions like invoices, PO’s, procurement, and shipping documents, and broadband internet access was 1.5Mps (way too slow for any Cloud storage). The introduction of the iPad in 2010 and faster internet speeds were the catalyst for companies like Google, DropBox, Box.com, OneDrive, and the like to catch on like wildfire. It was then that paper-reliant processes began to drop off, and a pivot towards paperless started.

Organizations responded to this shift by digitizing their documents in the form of scanning them into either a digital repository or onto their hard drives. Scanning and retrieving documents based on metadata was now commonplace. Many Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and accounting systems started to add ECM features into their core product. This created limitations to ECM in its current state and created more mess for the customer.

Digitization no longer just means storing electronic files somewhere. It’s about compliance and downstream workflows that trigger sub-processes. It’s workflow queues acting like inboxes on your desk. It’s about visibility into processes when staff leave or are absent. It’s information management where records retention laws can be automated. It’s where manual routing impacting geographically distributed offices and courier costs associated with mailing paperwork are automated through distributed capture. And now in 2025, it’s Machine Learning and AI used to augment more complex human labor tasks.

For organizations using legacy technology and processes, the value of document automation is in labor avoidance. The true impact is seen via streamlined processes which impact labor costs, not soft cost savings from quicker searching. Scanning your documents into a digital repository is just step one for complete digital transformation.

What Comes After Scanning in Your Digital Transformation?

Documents that are searchable, routable, and instantly usable coupled with fully automated workflows. 

Vital Records Control (VRC) and DocStar work together to get your basic document digitization from a virtual filing cabinet to a totally automated solution. One brings secure document scanning and records management. The other brings workflow automation and intelligent content management. Together, they help you reduce risk, increase efficiency, and finally move beyond paper. DocStar is a consistent leader in BPM (business process management) and offers a unified approach. A single product can be used for intelligent capture, storage, compliance, web forms, iPaas, and workflow.

Start with Bulk Document Scanning to Enable Workflow Automation

Hands scanning paper documents with digital data being extracted and converted into electronic files

Vital Records Control’s VitalScan bulk document scanning service, streamlines your transition from paper to digital, saving time, space, and resources while maintaining legal compliance and operational efficiency. This is ideal for industries like healthcare, legal, manufacturing, and finance. The service converts everything from standard records and blueprints to microfilm and medical charts, with flexible output formats (PDF, JPG, TIFF) that can be stored directly in DocStar.

Their expert team meticulously preps, scans, inspects, and indexes each file, ensuring high-quality results with optional OCR and barcode recognition for searchable documents. VitalScan offers both bulk and day-forward scanning as the first step for organizations to declutter physical archives, improve accessibility, enhance security, and support business continuity—all through a secure, scalable, and compliance-friendly digital transformation process.

From Paper-Based Workflows to Digital Process Automation

Document management concept, check electronic documents on digital documents on virtual screen Document Management System and process automation to efficiently document paperless operate

Progressive organizations are automating manual paper processes beyond scanning — moving them to electronic web forms, leveraging rules-based workflows to automate common tasks, and utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to handle more complex processes. If that sounds overwhelming, have no fear.

VRC handles the first mile: scanning, indexing, and securing your documents through VitalScan bulk document scanning services, which aim to make converting paper documents into digital images easier. They get your files out of storage and into a usable digital format without sacrificing compliance or control.  

But a folder full of PDFs doesn’t solve your workflow problems. A majority of the business applicability of a truly automated Enterprise Content Management system is through pain point identification. At the end of the day, companies are focused on reducing labor costs associated with common repeatable business processes. The bottom line of business profitability always focuses on human labor costs and the associated wage burden. Instead of designing file cabinets and filing instructions which only solve part of the problem, organizations can focus on bigger business problems with volume and costly labor.

 That’s where DocStar comes in. Once your content is digital, DocStar makes it actionable:

  • AP invoices are routed and approved automatically
  • HR documents are organized and easy to manage
  • Contracts are tracked, signed, and versioned with confidence

VRC turns your documents into digital assets. DocStar turns those assets into automated workflows.

Hands typing on a laptop with digital workflow icons representing business process automation and productivity

Reducing paper is great, but what you really want is:

  • Fewer manual steps
  • Better compliance outcomes
  • Faster turnaround times
  • More visibility into every process

According to IDC, teams spend 30 percent of their time just searching for information. That’s not digital transformation. That’s digital frustration.

With a combined VRC and DocStar strategy, your content is available, usable, and secure the moment it enters your system.

Business professional working on a laptop and reviewing documents, representing users benefiting from workflow automation

You’ll benefit most if:

  • You process high volumes of AP invoices
  • Your HR department still handles paper-based onboarding
  • You manage records in healthcare, education, or government
  • You’re consolidating systems after an acquisition or restructuring

If you’re still managing key processes with a mix of paper, email, and shared folders, this is the fastest way to modernize.

Don’t Just Scan. Transform Your Workflow.

Business team using laptops with digital network overlay, representing workflow transformation and process automation

True transformation is looking at your business processes and removing manual labor wherever possible. But to transform a process, you need the foundational step of capturing disparate documents into a central content repository. You don’t need to rip out your systems or overhaul everything to make progress, you just need to start with a strategy that moves information forward.  How can you take action of documents automatically? By implementing a digital content strategy.

VRC helps you digitize and structure your content. DocStar helps you automate the work that follows.

If you’re ready to make the shift from stored files to streamlined workflows, we’re ready to help.

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