As more and more companies shift to remote work, email overload has become a growing problem for knowledge workers. We struggle to respond to the daily mountain of new messages and millions of requests go unanswered. But it's not just remote workers who need help. Email overload is affecting everyone, from executives to interns. And better email management can have a measurable impact on an entire organisation's productivity and culture. Fortunately, email classification solutions help organisations work more effectively.
In some businesses missing a piece of information or delayed response to an email could have severe consequences such being fined for not being able to make supplier invoices on time, delayed processing of claims, increased loss of customers/customer churn because the customer service executives are not able to action customer requests on time.
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How technologies can help in email classification?
In essence, an email classification system monitors email flow into an organization in real-time via its email inbox. An Intelligent Scanning tool captures critical information received in the emails and based on the based on the criteria set by the individual or company, the system will automatically index and classify each email based on the content from the body and any attachments.
Instead of your staff manually classifying all emails as potential tasks, the technology behind an email classification system automates *99% of the process using workflow automation, AI and RPA (Robotic Process Automation). This allows organisations to achieve no-touch processing of emails where office employees no longer have to waste the time in classifying emails and actioning them. The emails can be routed to specific people or applications within the business, automatically -based on preconfigured business rules, to trigger dependent business actions required to complete a task.
For example, a customer complaint automatically will be classified as a complaint based on the content of the email. This is then automatically forwarded to the customer care executive of the region to take action. The customer service executive has all the information to address the customer complaint, making the experience pleasant for the customer and instigating loyalty.
AI can enhance the email classification by learning from previous data and automatically classifying emails. AI monitors the email, understands the context of the email body, and places the email into the appropriate email folder/inbox/team. The system may also include alerts, reports, and actionable items, such as "cease and desist" notices or customer complaints. It seamlessly integrates into business processes and compliance workflows.
Why do I need email classification?
Organising and categorising emails is time-consuming and repetitive. When many emails are coming in, employees can’t handle every email in time, which increases the risk of error, unhappy customers, and stressed employees.
Automating email classification gives employees back their time to complete tasks. In organisations that deal with a high volume of inbound communications such as large number sales orders, customer or supplier transactions, an automated email classification system can help speed up business processes .
The benefits are:
Saving in time and resources
Reducing cost of processing transactions
Eliminating delays in business processes that are dependent on information received via emails
Increasing accuracy of business information eliminating manual errors of data entry and classification
Improving customer service standards with the ability to act on information quickly.
Meet tight SLA’s for response times and improved relations with suppliers and other third parties
Enables customer service staff to respond within tight timelines and meet SLA’s
For organisations that receive an abundant number of emails containing financial documents and invoices, implementing a system that automatically identifies, classifies, and produces invoices saves valuable time and reduces the need for manual involvement.
Categorising your incoming emails will help your customer service agents provide top-notch service, increase productivity, and make you more profitable. Your customers will appreciate a quick response that helps them solve their issues quickly, which will increase your profitability and productivity.
Should you invest in email classification?
If your company is looking for ways to improve its customer service or overall business productivity, email classification is a definite step in the right direction. It enables employees to manage incoming requests, complaints, and inquiries to benefit both the company and its customers. After all, an effective email classification system helps make every workforce member run more smoothly and ensures no business process is waiting for critical information.
Handling incoming information effectively is the first step towards process automation and as process automation consultants, ABP ensures the founding blocks are set up properly.
Do you receive large volume of business critical information via emails? Get in touch with one of our consultants to discuss how we can help streamline the flow of information within your business.