From paper to performance: How custom intelligent document processing transforms retail & wholesale operations

Why the need for a custom IDP is imminent.

In the complex ecosystems of retail and wholesale, the flow of information is constant; there is always a new return that needs to be addressed or an inspection report that is due to be submitted. Businesses are often overwhelmed by the influx of these types of essential documents, including endless product catalogs and return authorizations that pile up on top of each other.

Worst of all, manually extracting, verifying, and processing the data in these documents not only drains valuable resources but, based on a recent report from Aiim, it is extremely expensive.

Let’s talk numbers…

• It costs an average of 20 USD to file a single paper document.
• Finding a misplaced document costs around 120 USD.
• Fixing a single misfiled document can cost up to 220 USD.

These hidden costs add up quickly. In fact, based on a recent article from Toshiba, inefficient document management can cost organizations up to a staggering 30% of their annual revenue. That can be the difference between a profitable business and a struggling one.

The document overflow: A growing challenge for retail & wholesale

Consider the sheer volume of documents your business handles daily. For many in retail and wholesale, this information is often unstructured, meaning the data isn’t neatly organized in a database. Think PDFs, scanned images, and even handwritten notes. Extracting critical information from these sources manually creates significant problems:

Time-consuming & labor-intensive: Employees spend up to nine hours of their week on repetitive data entry, diverting their talent from core business activities.
Error-prone: Manual data entry can have an average error rate of 1 to 5%, leading to critical issues like incorrect inventory, pricing errors, and missed orders.
Costly: Businesses lose billions annually due to inefficient document management and data extraction. For retail and wholesale, these inefficiencies disproportionately impact tight margins.
A drag on agility: Slow document processing hinders responsiveness. For retailers, this means customer loyalty suffers: nearly 50% of consumers are less likely to shop with a retailer again if a refund takes too long, impacting future sales and unnecessarily tying up valuable inventory.

Additionally, the retail sector is a significant contributor to the global economy, but it’s also an industry grappling with the impact of digital transformation. Studies by Signhouse suggest that businesses across various sectors lose billions annually due to inefficient document management and data extraction. For retail and wholesale, where margins can be tight, even small inefficiencies can have a disproportionate impact.

Seamlessly integrate intelligence: the Undoc advantage

This is where a custom IDP solution powered by Rappit Undoc steps in. We understand the unique challenges faced by retailers and wholesalers, and we’ve seen firsthand how unlocking the data trapped within your documents can transform your business.

At Rappit, we go beyond simply extracting data. Rappit Undoc facilitates the building of complete, AI-powered document processing workflows directly into your back-end systems. Think about integrating these powerful capabilities directly into your Warehouse Management System (WMS), Order Management System (OMS), or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

Using a powerful suite of building blocks built on top of cutting-edge Google AI, Undoc empowers users to design and deploy custom automation applications that integrate easily with your existing infrastructure. This means you’re not just extracting data; you’re creating intelligent, automated processes that drive actionable insights and operational excellence within your core business systems.

The true power of Rappit Undoc lies in its customization. We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, we work closely with you to understand your specific document types, data requirements, and business processes, building a custom intelligent document processing solution that precisely meets your needs. This domain expertise is what sets us apart. Once you discover how Rappit Undoc works in detail, you can transform your business.

Transforming retail & wholesale operations: real-world use cases with Undoc

Let’s look at how a custom intelligent document processing solution with Undoc can revolutionize your retail and wholesale operations:

1. Streamlining product configuration and sales with furniture retailers

Imagine a furniture retailer, dealing with complex product catalogs from suppliers, often spanning hundreds of pages. These catalogs contain vital information like product names, dimensions, available configurations, color options, material specifications, pricing, and more.

The problem: Manually extracting this data to populate an e-commerce platform is a gruelling task, prone to errors and incredibly time-consuming. Sales teams struggle to quickly access and present accurate product information to customers, leading to lost opportunities and an awkward quoting process.

The Undoc solution: Undoc can be specifically trained to understand the structure and content of these supplier brochures. Intelligently extracting:

• Product SKUs and Names
• Detailed Dimensions and Specifications
• Available Options (e.g., fabric types, leg styles, color palettes)
• Pricing for different configurations
• Part numbers for assembly or components

The business benefits

Faster sales cycles: Sales representatives can instantly access accurate product data, allowing them to arrange complex orders for customers in a matter of minutes.
Enhanced customer experience: Customers receive precise quotes and product information, building trust and satisfaction.
Reduced order errors: Automation minimizes the chance of mistakes in product selection, configuration, and pricing, leading to fewer returns and dissatisfied customers.
Smooth ERP integration: The extracted data can be directly fed into your ERP system, ensuring inventory accuracy and streamlined order fulfillment.

2. Optimizing returns processing for reduced costs and improved customer loyalty

Returns are an inevitable part of the business, but managing them efficiently can be a significant challenge.

The problem: Receiving and processing returns often comes with a lot of paperwork, such as return authorization forms, packing slips, inspection reports, and credit memos. Manually verifying return reasons, product conditions, and customer eligibility for credits or exchanges is slow, labor-intensive, and prone to errors. This delays customer refunds, ties up inventory, and can lead to costly mistakes.

The Undoc solution: Undoc can be configured to automate the entire returns processing workflow by extracting key information from various return documents:

• Customer details and original order information.
• Item SKU and quantity being returned.
• Reason for return (e.g., defective, wrong item, change of mind).
• Condition of returned goods (based on inspection reports).
• Authorization codes and required credits/exchanges.

The business benefits

Faster returns processing: Accelerates the inspection, approval, and crediting/exchange process, leading to quicker resolution for customers.
Improved inventory accuracy: Real-time updates on returned items help maintain accurate inventory levels, allowing for faster restocking or disposition.
Enhanced customer satisfaction: Prompt and accurate handling of returns builds customer loyalty and trust, leading to repeat business.
Data-driven insights: Analyzing return reasons and patterns can help identify product quality issues, supplier problems, or areas for improvement.

3. Unlocking insights from customer orders for enhanced inventory management

Retailers and wholesalers constantly deal with customer order forms, purchase orders, and order confirmations.

The problem: Extracting detailed product information and customer preferences from these diverse documents is often a manual task. This makes it challenging to get a real-time overview of incoming orders, manage inventory levels accurately, and forecast demand effectively.

The Undoc solution: Undoc can automate the extraction of:

• Customer details and shipping information.
• Product SKUs and quantities ordered.
• Order dates and priority levels.
• Special customer requests or notes.

The business benefits

Optimized inventory management: Real-time order data results in more accurate inventory forecasting and replenishment, reducing stockouts or overstocking.
Improved order fulfillment accuracy: Precise extraction minimizes errors in picking and packing, leading to fewer incorrect shipments and customer complaints.
Personalized customer service: Understanding customer order history and preferences allows for more targeted marketing and personalized service.
Streamlined warehouse operations: Automated data feeds can directly update warehouse management systems, improving efficiency from receiving to shipping.

Embrace the future of retail & wholesale with Undoc

Let’s be honest, in today’s fast-paced retail and wholesale world, efficiency is king. It’s not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for thriving. That’s where Rappit’s Undoc, with its custom Intelligent Document Processing, comes in. Imagine what you can achieve by:

• Lowering your operational costs and putting more money back into your business.
• Boosting accuracy and saying goodbye to frustrating data mistakes.
• Streamlining your workflows and getting things done faster.
• Uncovering valuable insights that help you make smarter decisions.
• Empowering your people to focus on big-picture strategies and building great customer relationships.

Don’t let your documents be a barrier to your success. Unlock the hidden value within your data and drive operational excellence with all the powerful features that Undoc offers.

Ready to transform your retail or wholesale business? Contact Rappit today and discover how Undoc can be tailored to your unique needs.