When you’re in the directory publishing business, managing paperwork is an ongoing challenge. Pinnacle Publishing has thousands of contracts on file that they need to reference daily for customer inquiries.

Binders and binders of contracts were being stored in the upstairs level of their facility, and they were running out of storage space. In addition, their customer service staff had to run upstairs and make copies of contracts and run back downstairs to assist customers over the phone. This meant they either had to put the customer on hold or call them back to provide the information they needed. Pinnacle Publishing also had a data backup concern in case of a fire or natural disaster.

Knowing that effectively managing paperwork is an ongoing business need for Pinnacle Publishing, Cindy Lewer, Marco Technology Advisor introduced the concept of document management to the company’s chief information officer, Steve Lalli and Gini Holler, production manager. Together they brainstormed on how the company could use document management software in their daily operations to decrease document retrieval time, reduce storage space, and increase customer response time.

A year ago, Pinnacle Publishing invested in a Captaris Alchemy document management solution from Marco. The software is being utilized in many areas of their company including customer service, sales support, and payroll. Gini explained, “Marco was proactive in assessing our needs by visiting with us a couple of times before the sale. We can count on them to make suggestions that will improve our operations and save us money in the long run.” 

The document management solution Marco implemented includes Alchemy scanning software which allows their staff to scan in and store all customer contracts and sales reports that were previously kept in binders. Customer service and sales support staff use the software’s search and document retrieval functions to quickly access documents to assist their internal and external customers as efficiently as possible.

Pinnacle Publishing was pleased with the software installation, training, and service they received from Marco. According to Steve, “The installation of the system and software training went very smooth. Marco helped us set up our indexing system which is very easy to learn and use – it’s a very simple structure. We were able to get a hold of Marco’s people with any questions. Their service is great - Cindy takes care of us very well.”

Gini added, “Marco operates more like a partner in our company than a vendor. They were excellent at assisting us through each step of the process after we purchased the software. They have a team of people who find the answers to our questions.”

Here are some of the benefits Pinnacle Publishing’s has seen with the Alchemy Document Management system:

Time and Cost Savings – the system has greatly reduced the time it takes for Pinnacle Publishing’ customer service and sales support staff to find and retrieve documents. The search functions of the software allow them to quickly search and find documents to help them assist internal and external customers. Here are just a couple examples:

Before when a customer called to inquire about their contract, Donna Peterson in customer service would have to manually search for the correct binder with the contract. Now she can simply search for the electronic file using their document management system and quickly access the information needed. If the customer needs a copy of the contract, she can just email them a PDF file instead of going through the time and expense of mailing it.

The system has also helped make Pinnacle Publishing’s sales support staff more efficient. According to Ruth Walters, sales support, “It use to take a couple of hours to find and proof a printed ad. Now it only takes a couple of minutes. Instead of flipping through pages of ads, we simply type in what book the ad was published in and can easily find the ad. It’s much faster now.”Gini added, “Marco operates more like a partner in our company than a vendor. They were excellent at assisting us through each step of the process after we purchased the software. They have a team of people who find the answers to our questions.”

Space Savings – Pinnacle Publishing needs to keep their customer contracts, sales orders, and other important documents on file up to ten years. They were running out of storage space to house the documents. They are now able to scan and archive the data which frees up much needed space so the growing company can expand their workforce as needed.

Secure Data Backup – In the past, the company only had hard copies of their files stored at their facility. The document management system has allowed them to electronically store their important information on-site and have a digital backup stored off-site in case of a fire or natural disaster.

Pinnacle Publishing is a telephone directory publishing company that provides independent and cooperative telephone companies with both print and online directories. With 26 sales representatives and locations in Bemidji and St. Cloud, they currently publish 132 publications in 16 states for over 160 companies.