As technology changes, so does the way we interact with the world around us. 

This is especially true when it comes to document generation. 

For years, companies relied on analog, archaic, or manual methods to generate documents. 

According to Gartner, companies lose around 4 weeks each year on misfiled, mislabeled, untracked, or lost documents. Then, you also have to consider that the typical office worker makes around 61 trips per week to the fax machine, printer, and copier.

In today’s digitized world, it’s time to rethink how we create documents. 

With document generation, you can process documents at scale without worrying about human error and time wasted on manual tasks. You’ll also gain a lot of time by automating tasks related to document generation and management.

To put this in context, whether you need to process 10 confidential reports or 100,000 customer statements, you can use document generation software to do this with a simple API request.

And below, we’ll show you how to scale document generation at scale for your company!

Here’s what we’ll cover: 

• What Is Document Generation And How Does The API Work? Benefits And Overview
• 3 Documents And Template Examples You Can Generate At Scale With Automated PDF Generation Software
• 3 Practical Steps to Start Scaling Document Generation

What Is Document Generation And How Does The API Work? Benefits And Overview

First things first, what is document generation, exactly?

Document generation is the automated process of creating documents. It is usually considered to be a form of document automation, which means it’s not just an individual clicking buttons to create one document at a time. 

It is the process of generating multiple documents with different variables in order to make them more personalized. Generating documents is an essential part of any business. 

Whether it’s a vendor invoice, a purchase order, or a contractual agreement, you need to have a way to generate each document quickly and easily. It doesn’t matter if you do it yourself or outsource the work to an agency. 

Either way, you need to ensure that your documents are clear and efficient for everyone who interacts with it. What’s more, the digital transformation of document generation also has the potential to reduce costs for companies. 

With digital technologies, you can cut down on paper and ink costs. This is because you’re not printing as many hard copies of your document. 

For small businesses, this opportunity could be a boon for their bottom line. And for larger corporations, it provides the chance to save money that would otherwise go toward ink and paper expenses.

According to InformDecisions, some of the biggest benefits of going paperless with document generation include faster customer response, reduced staffing, higher productivity, and more.

Since around 46% of small-medium businesses waste significant time daily on paper-intensive processes, digitizing your document management system seems like a no-brainer.

Looking for more reasons to go paperless?

See our full guide on how to switch to paperless billing for more practical info and what document generation can look like in your office.

Now, here’s what you need to know about using document generation in your organization.

What is a document generation API?

A document generation API is a secure way of generating documents at scale, without worrying about unauthorized access to your information. 

It’s an advanced technology that provides you with a randomized range of attributes so that each document looks unique. But they are all based on your input parameters. And with secure parameters, it helps prevent unauthorized access by creating a new set of keys each time you generate a new document. 

This technology will help protect your personal information whether you’re working on sensitive contracts or just need to keep your private documents safe from prying eyes.

The good news is that you can now protect those personal files from unauthorized access with a document generation API. It’s a secure technology that is used for generating documents without worrying about third-party access. 

With the right document management software, you automate parts (if not all the whole process) of your document creation lifecycle. From document generation and document creation lifecycle to secure storage.

It’s an advanced technology that provides you with a random set of attributes so that each document looks unique but is based on your input parameters. The API helps prevent unauthorized access by creating a new set of keys each time you generate a new document. 

This ensures that only the right people will see your file and not just anyone with a little curiosity and a lot of time on their hands.

To recap this step, the main idea is that electronic records are more secure than paper records.

By digitizing your documents into an electronic format, everything becomes encrypted and placed in one place on the cloud. So, instead of password protecting or encrypting files manually, you’ll have a specific document management system where you and your employees can access documents as needed.

Here’s why this is important and can help you.

Benefits of template-based document generation

It’s no secret that saving time and money is important, especially when it comes to your business. In today’s fast-paced society, customer demands are high, and expectations are exceeding. 

What’s more, customers expect a quick response and quality work from their vendors, regardless of the size or level of complexity.

In order to meet this standard, many companies have turned to template-based document generation as a way to save time and money without sacrificing quality. 

With a system in place for generating documents, you can save a considerable portion of your production costs by eliminating the need for manual data entry. In addition, you can produce documents much faster than if they were being created from scratch every time.

Other benefits of document generation include:

• Streamlining important business processes.
• Optimizing document management.
• Making your employees more effective and allowing them to focus on more productive tasks.
• Enhancing customer data protection.
• Protecting important documents from getting lost or destroyed.
• Complying with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, and more.

There’s no question that template-based document generation has its place among modern businesses. 

Let’s explore some practical areas in which template-based document generation can offer advantages, regardless of the industry.

3 Documents And Template Examples You Can Generate At Scale With Automated PDF Generation Software

When you implement a template-based document generation system, you won’t have to worry about manually entering data for every single piece of content. 

Instead, your software will be able to automatically populate your documents with information from the database. 

Then, you’ll be able to make standardized documents from your customer data and distribute them to the right user as needed.

This means that all you’ll have to do is review the document and add any updates or changes before it’s published. In addition, this will allow you to spend less time generating documents from scratch.

Below are some common documents that you can automatically generate with the right software.

1. Billing and Invoices

Don’t want to spend hours on end at the end of every month to create invoices manually?

You could spend hours each week typing out one by one, or you could use template-based document generation software so you can print professional-looking invoices in seconds.

Template-based document generation software can save you hours of time by taking the work out of creating professional invoices. It also ensures that your invoices are consistent, professional, and error-free.

This is usually done by gathering information from a connected database, for instance, a CRM, and then is automatically entered, and a word or PDF document is generated.

Here’s an invoice receipt example document by HubSpot. 

Instead of manually filling in forms like request descriptions, customer information, and so on, that information will be automatically transferred from customer data.

2. Financial Statements

Template-based document generation for PDF financial statements is a very cost-effective way to produce professional-looking documents that are legally compliant. This provides your business with the opportunity to generate reports with little effort. 

Template-based document generation can create reports of any size, shape, or layout you desire, and they are compatible with any operating system.

3. Cash Receipts

Paperless offices and digital record-keeping are becoming more and more popular. This is because it is less expensive, less time-consuming, and more secure. 

Furthermore, digitizing records reduces the amount of paper needed, allows for easier access to information, and can cut costs up to 80% by reducing the need for warehouses. It also eliminates the need for filing cabinets or boxes because documents are just a few clicks away.

Other document templates you can use for PDF generation include:

• Medical test results and reports for healthcare document management.
• Request forms.
• Terms and conditions.
• Agreements.
• Insurance claims.
• Order confirmation.
• And more

3 Practical Steps to Start Scaling Document Generation

Document generation might seem like a complex project if you don’t know where to start and suddenly want to generate thousands of documents for your organization.

While the steps may vary depending on your industry, below, we’ll cover some overarching steps you can take to start scaling document generation.

Here’s what you need to know.

#1 Track what kind of documents are needed

It is important to track all the different types of documents that your company needs before implementing a document generation strategy. 

Document generation creates a lot of files, so it’s best to know what you will be generating beforehand. 

This way, you’ll only have to create the files you need rather than having more than you need and wasting time on unused files.

Think of documents or forms that have a lot of manual information that needs to be inputted manually.

Information like customer names, their personal information, addresses, what they need help with, and more. For example, if they’re filling in an online form to contact you from your website, you can use that information to automatically input it into templatized forms.  

#2 Choosing the right software

There are many document generation platforms out there that can help with this task, but it’s important to find one that works for your business and is compatible with your computer system, as well as your employees’ computers. 

The easiest solution is to invest in software that’s already made rather than making your own from the ground up. Be sure to find one that includes an easy-to-use interface that makes generating more complex documents easier.

Another important here you need to consider is the question of “build or buy”.

Building software from scratch might be expensive and time-consuming. But doing so will ensure your document generation software is tailored specifically to your needs and operations.

While buying industry-specific software might be more convenient.

See our thoughts on building from scratch or buying an API for document generation here.

#3 Implementing and scaling your document generation strategy

You must have a practical system in place to execute your strategy. 

Once you choose the software that works best for your company and implement it into your workflow, this is when scaling starts to happen. 

All companies generate different types of data throughout their day. When you have a strict system that everyone adheres to, you can look forward to smoother operations.

From a practical standpoint, changes to go paperless might include:

• Setting short and long-term goals for each department in your organization.
• Cultivating a paperless leadership style.
• Creating a comprehensive file organization system.
• Adopting digitization software and training employees on how to use it.
• Updating your company policy and creating internal resources as needed.

Where To Go From Here

With the advent of technology, we’ve seen many advances in how we generate and share information. In today’s market, it has become easier than ever to create documents with a few clicks of a button. 

Whether you need to create custom HTML to PDF rendering or you require an HTML to PDF generator API, automated document generation is easier than ever. 

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to your needs, check out Render.

Thanks to this API, you can easily manage renders for optimal security, communication, compliance, and documentation needs throughout your industry.

Learn more about how document generation API works and how you can start automatically creating documents on demand!