Fencing manufacturer increases employee productivity & profitability with mobile document management software.

Century Fence implemented DocuWare as the first step on their paperless journey.  New digital processes resulted in improved remote working capabilities and profitability.

Century Fence implemented DocuWare as the first step on their journey to becoming a paperless company. Digital document management meant a reduction in the time spent on clerical tasks. Field superintendents had mobile access to project documents, so processes were not slowed down when they were not in the office. DocuWare enabled seamless digital collaboration between departments, resulting in improved productivity and profitability.

Established in 1917 as a scrap metal brokerage firm, Century Fence is a family-run company that has evolved into a custom fencing provider and pavement marking contractor. A big part of the company’s fence business is focused on high-security fencing for municipal, federal and other high-security customers.

A mobile solution that also reduced dependence on paper was important

A growing company – Century Fence wanted to reduce dependence on paper-based files, speed up workflows and ensure records were searchable and transparent. The company wanted to implement a digital mobile solution to provide field superintendents with remote access to project documentation.  The company needed a solution that had the flexibility to integrate with their ERP and accounting programs. It also needed to offer easy management of documents such as quotes, contracts, insurance, site plans, email correspondence and more.

Integration with existing ERP means user learning curve is not steep

Century Fence selected DocuWare based on its flexibility, mobile app feature and ability to integrate with their ERP system. The company rolled out DocuWare to all three locations. The rollout was staggered and began with the accounting department, where electronic invoice approvals was introduced. The following month, the solution expanded to digitize all projection documentation and during the third month, mobile access was given to field superintendents with tablets.

“DocuWare allows us to keep superintendents in the field, where they are most valuable, rather than in the office doing paperwork. Time in the field enables them to oversee the work and keep projects on time and on budget.”

Matt Powell
President, Century Fence Company

Remote plus onsite access to documents ensures business continuity

Fences are installed over 2-3 days and installations are sub-contracted out. It is crucial for Century Fence superintendents to be onsite and have quick access to project files during this time. The company’s project folders remain open and active for about three months during the quoting, staging, installation and billing phases of a project. With DocuWare, every member of the team can easily add to and access project documents, whether they are in the office or remotely.  This ability to digitally share information between departments has eliminated time spent searching for paper project folders.

Securely stored, indexed and accessible files has reduced man-hours spent on manual tasks

DocuWare’s Intelligent Indexing feature “learns” where to find each index field on a document, and through the integration of DocuWare with the existing ERP, the Job Number on each project document was a match code used to pull in other indexing terms. This led to information being consistently and accurately stored and faster accessibility when needed.

A superintendent’s time spent on cost approvals has been reduced from 4 hours to 30 minutes per week! Digitizing processes and workflows allowed departments to operate more efficiently. The hassle, cost and time involved in physically sending documents back and forth between multiple office locations has been eliminated.

“DocuWare helped us clean up our cost approval process and our accounting department is now taking full advantage of early payment discounts.”

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