Can the sending of personalized documents be automated?
Efficiency question :
The simple answer is yes. Sending personalized documents can be automated, but the possibilities go beyond simply delivering them.
An automated process can prepare an email, enter the recipient’s name, define the subject, draft the message and automatically attach the correct document for that person.
Document filing can also be automated. For example, employee performance sheets or sales documents associated with different representatives can be automatically placed in the appropriate folders.
Automation can therefore handle the production, distribution and filing of documents according to the organization’s needs.
Key considerations:
In a Microsoft environment, Outlook integrates particularly well with the other technologies used to automate email and document delivery.
The automation can retrieve the required information, prepare the email and attach the corresponding document before sending it.
For document filing, Power Automate can automate the movement or placement of documents in the intended locations, including Microsoft 365 environments.
The entire process should therefore be considered: should the document be sent, filed, or both?
Challenges:
Confidentiality is particularly important when automating the sending or filing of personalized documents.
Before automating document placement in different folders, make sure access rights to those locations have been configured correctly. An effective automation should never allow a user to access a document they are not authorized to view.
The same care must be applied to email delivery. The rules used to associate each document with its recipient must be reliable enough to prevent confidential information from being sent to the wrong person.
Technology:
Several Microsoft technologies can be combined to automate this type of process.
Excel can be used to structure some of the information required for processing. Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) can program different production and delivery steps, while Power Query can retrieve and prepare the necessary data.
Outlook can be integrated into the process for email delivery, while Power Automate can automate different stages of document filing and movement within the Microsoft 365 environment.
The combination of technologies depends on the process being automated and where the data and documents are located.
Developer's advice:
Seek support when automating the sending or filing of personalized documents. The structure of the process is important, particularly when documents contain confidential information.
Pay particular attention to source data quality. An error in a name, email address or association between a recipient and a document can flow directly into the automated process.
A well-designed solution can include controls that detect certain anomalies before documents are sent or filed. The goal is therefore not only to automate the process, but also to make it more reliable.
If you want to automate the sending, distribution or filing of your documents, contact SLV Expert. Our team can help you design a process suited to your environment and confidentiality requirements.