Automated document generation adoption rates keep growing. By 2025, the global document management system market will reach $10.17 billion with a 13% CAGR. While software vendors launch more advanced systems, businesses readily implement the offered innovations. They shift from cumbersome paper document management to fully automated document generation.

In 2022, automated document processing technology trends will persist. Companies replace legacy systems with cloud solutions that compile, render, store, and deliver documents independently. They also focus on cloud storage, trigger-based delivery, and other advanced features.

Learn more about what to expect from automated documentation generation in 2022 here. This article will guide you on how to automate documentation for maximum efficiency.

What Is Automated Document Generation?

Automated documentation is automation of document creation, storage, delivery, and management practices. To automate document generation processes, a company needs to integrate its systems with document automation tools or build the necessary features from scratch. Once implemented, the software will create personalized docs, store their copies, and send them to selected recipients based on triggers. For example, when an end-user requests a PDF invoice, the documentation automation tools automatically render and provide it.

Automated document generation tools are demanded in industries that generate documents to run their business operations. These are banks and financial institutions that send tons of docs daily; E-commerce businesses that share order confirmations, invoices, and proofs of delivery; Healthcare providers that send test results or reports; and many other entities. All of them depend on accurate and high-quality documentation delivered at the right moment to the right people.

Benefits of automated document generation

Apart from automating routine document management tasks, automated document generation tools bring additional financial and operational benefits. They nudge businesses to adopt advanced document management solutions and invest in more sophisticated systems.

Here are the main advantages of automated document generation:

• Less routine tasks. Automated document management significantly reduces the share of manual work in everyday business processes. There is no need to manually fill in templates, change formatting, store the copies, and deliver the generated files.
• Optimized work of employees. Automation increases the productivity of all teams that need to manage documentation manually. While they can do more within the same time, the business cuts operational expenses. The accuracy of document creation and management also improves.
• Enhanced traceability. Paperless docs are easier to track than paper-based. You can see who has created the file and interacted with it during the entire lifecycle.
• More satisfied customers. Automation improves the accuracy of delivered documents and enables faster services. Hence, your customers enjoy a much better experience.
• Increased scalability. With an automated solution, you can quickly grow the volume of document processing. Most automatic document generation tools are cloud-based and have no storage and processing limitations.

These and other benefits explain why automated documentation generation penetrates every field. Learn more about how to automate document creation and use it below.

Automated PDF Generation: Definition, Requirements, and Implementation

How Does Automated Documentation Generation Work?

Most companies that need automated document management only have to pick the software with the necessary functionality. There are hundreds of document processing solutions on the market to any taste. After adopting ready-made platforms, companies don’t manage maintenance and upgrades. Software providers are responsible for it. Even though such solutions have standard and quite limited functionality, it’s enough in many cases.

Businesses that support their own platforms or product teams working on custom software take another path. They implement automated documentation generation in existing software through an API. It may be an insurance platform, e-commerce website, or financial web portal. APIs allow layering the missing functionality into a custom solution to optimize engineering. This way, product teams combine the unique functionality of their platform with reliable document management in a single solution.

Regardless of the approach you need, once implemented, automated document generation takes the following steps:

1. A user action or event triggers automated document generation.
2. The software accesses your CRM or database records to create the required type of document.
3. It automatically fills in the document template with personalized information and customizes formatting.
4. The automated document generation software displays the generated file to the end-user and stores its copy.

Solutions that support automated online or offline document delivery can also deliver generated files to selected recipients. It additionally optimizes document management and increases the productivity of teams using such software.

Automated Document Generation Trends in 2022

Have you already adopted automatic document generation tools or only plan to? These trends will offer you valuable advice in either case. They reflect what is happening with automated document processing technology and the market in general.

#1. Document Automation Market Grows

As we have already mentioned, the compound annual growth rate of the document management market will reach 13%. It means this market niche is lucrative to investors and likely to expand.

Besides, companies plan to spend more on automating their business processes and innovations. In 2024, global spending on digital transformation will increase to $2.4 trillion. The growing demand for automation solutions gives a boost to document automation. The thing is that automated document management is an essential part of the digital transformation of any system and one of the first steps to take. Without it, companies won’t truly rebuild their businesses and achieve greater efficiency.

#2. API Integration Is a Preferred Way to Automate Document Management

Several years ago, web platform owners and product teams wasted time on the custom development of document management features. When they wanted the functionality tailored to their system, ready-made solutions couldn’t cover the needs. With the appearance of document rendering APIs, it all changed. In 2022, an API is a primary way to layer new features into software that exists or is being developed. It takes several days to integrate and configure, which considerably optimizes the software development cycle and expenses. Instead of hiring additional developers skilled in document management systems, product teams can engage existing human resources to complete the integration.

#3. Low-code or No-code Automated Document Generation Implementation

If you plan to develop document management features in 2022, consider an environment that supports low- or no-code development. This tech trend is connected with the previous one. Engineers and product teams seek new ways to simplify complex engineering tasks. In addition to API adoption, they may also leverage low-code or no-code engineering practices during document management software development.

Low-code is a development environment that allows you to create applications via a graphical user interface. It eliminates the need for time-consuming hand-coded computer programming. No-code requires even less technical knowledge and enables practically anyone to create apps. These approaches accelerate software delivery and lower the cost of setup, deployment, and maintenance.

#4. Transition to the Cloud Accelerates

In 2022, cloud spending will reach $480 Billion, up from $396 billion in 2021. The automated document processing technology is among the fields that rapidly go from server systems to the cloud. Businesses don’t want to invest in server storage and maintenance. Cloud solutions supported by third parties are much more convenient to use than server-based. They offer great scalability, sustainability, and opportunity for collaboration between teams. Cloud document generation and management are also faster to deploy. Enterprise needs little or no specialized software to install them. Such ease-of-use is essential in the time when the speed of software adoption and related expenses matter to any business.

#5. Security and Regulatory Compliance Get Tougher

The transition to remote work has increased the risk of cyber-attacks and data leakage. This trend has become a challenge for businesses that adopt automated document generation tools with shared access. They need to ensure all the necessary team members have access to document rendering features without exposing the personal data of end-users. The failure to do so entails security risks and compliance issues.

Under such circumstances, it becomes critical to use automated document generation software with user roles in 2022. Such solutions allow you to choose who can access generated documents and what they can do. You can grant admin rights to one person, enable selected users to view generated files, and close access to everyone else.

#6. End-Users Want to Generate Documents On Their Own

Customers love self-service web portals. It’s more convenient and saves consumers from unnecessary interactions with the support team. That’s why market leaders implement trigger-based automated document rendering in their web solutions. It enables users to get the necessary docs whenever they want. Hence, if you also have a web app or website, make sure it allows users to initiate document rendering and download the files.

Read 7 Trends of Digital Customer Communications in 2022

Inkit Render Automated Document Generation Software

Render is a REST API for integrating automated document generation into your software. Use it to layer trigger-based document creation, cloud storage, and retrieval. After the integration, document generation in your app will become fully automated. Render also supports user roles so you can ensure the ultimate level of data security.

Learn more about Render features or pricing here and start a free subscription to test it.