How Much Time Do You Waste on Manual Document Work?
The average office worker spends 40% of their working time on document-related tasks: naming, sorting, sending for approval, archiving, searching. Most of these tasks are repetitive and can be automated.
Document automation doesn't mean replacing people with machines — it means freeing people from tedious work so they can focus on tasks that actually require human intelligence.
What Can Be Automated?
1. Automatic File Naming
Instead of every employee naming files however they please, a DMS can automatically name documents based on predefined rules:
- Invoice uploaded →
2026-02-14_invoice_client-ABC_001.pdf - Contract scanned →
2026-02-14_contract_supplier-XYZ.pdf
AI recognizes the document type and extracts key data (date, client name, amount) automatically.
2. Automatic Categorization
When you upload a document, AI analyzes it and automatically places it in the appropriate folder:
- Invoice → Finance / Invoices / 2026 / February
- Employment contract → HR / Contracts / Active
- Delivery note → Logistics / Delivery Notes / 2026
No more manually moving files from the Downloads folder.
3. Approval Workflows
Many documents require approval before they become final: proposals, contracts, purchase orders. An automated workflow:
- Employee creates/uploads a document
- System automatically sends it to the manager for approval
- Manager approves or sends back for revision (one click)
- Document is automatically signed and archived
- Everyone involved gets a notification
No more "Send me an email with the document so I can sign it" — everything happens within the system.
4. Automatic Archiving
Documents older than X months automatically move from active to archive folders. Documents past their legal retention period are automatically flagged for deletion.
5. Automatic Notifications
A DMS can automatically notify you when:
- A contract expires in 30 days — time to renew
- An invoice hasn't been paid for 15 days — time for a reminder
- A document has been awaiting approval for 3+ days — escalation
- A retention period is expiring — review before deletion
ROI of Document Automation
| Task | Manual (monthly) | Automated | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naming and sorting | ~15 hours | 0 hours | 15 hours |
| Document search | ~20 hours | ~1 hour | 19 hours |
| Approval workflows | ~10 hours | ~1 hour | 9 hours |
| Archiving | ~5 hours | 0 hours | 5 hours |
| Total | 50 hours | 2 hours | 48 hours |
For a company with 10 employees, that's 480 hours per month — or 3 full-time positions.
How to Get Started with Automation
- Identify repetitive tasks — what does your team do every day with documents?
- Define rules — how should documents be named, sorted, approved?
- Choose a DMS with automation — not every DMS has these features
- Start with one process — e.g., automatic categorization of invoices
- Expand gradually — add workflows, notifications, archiving
Conclusion
Document automation isn't the future — it's the standard your competitors are already using. Every hour your employees spend manually naming, sorting, and searching for documents is an hour they could spend on work that actually creates value.
Arhivix automates 90% of manual document work from day one — upload a document and AI takes care of the rest.
