Electronic Document Storage System for Unified Customer Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Companies face challenges in encouraging customers to switch to paperless document delivery due to obstacles such as managing multiple online accounts, navigating various websites, document retention issues, and customers lacking cloud accounts, which hinders the adoption of paperless systems and environmental sustainability goals.
Innovation Solution
An electronic document storage (EDS) system that aggregates documents from multiple companies into a single online account, allowing customers to access all their documents from one platform, retains documents longer than companies typically do, and supports both registered and unregistered customers, encouraging paperless document adoption and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If companies make documents available online through their own websites, then document accessibility is improved, but customers must manage multiple accounts and navigate various websites which increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple company document systems into a single customer portal where customers can access documents from multiple companies through one account. This merging eliminates the need for customers to manage separate accounts and passwords for each company while maintaining centralized document accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The customer portal is designed as a universal system that can access and display documents from multiple different companies through a single interface. The system performs multiple functions including authentication, document retrieval, and display across various company sources without requiring separate systems for each company.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If companies retain documents online for long periods, then customer document retention needs are satisfied, but storage costs and system resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the long-term document storage function from individual company systems and consolidates it into a centralized customer portal. The portal retrieves documents from companies when needed and maintains them in its own storage system, allowing companies to delete their copies after transfer while the portal retains them for extended customer access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary document retrieval and caching before customer access is needed. Documents are fetched from company systems in advance and stored in the customer portal's repository, ensuring immediate availability to customers without requiring real-time access to company systems when documents are needed.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If companies use paperless document delivery, then environmental sustainability is improved, but customer adoption is reduced due to accessibility and account management obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The customer portal acts as an intermediary between company document systems and customers. It simplifies the paperless delivery experience by providing a single point of access, managing authentication, and presenting documents in a unified interface, thereby removing the operational obstacles that previously hindered customer adoption of paperless systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed to providing an electronic document storage (EDS) system enabling companies or customers to upload electronic documents to be distributed online. These electronic documents may be made available to one or more specified customers, recipients of the documents, by authenticating login credentials provided by the customers. Metadata used to identify the recipients may be extracted from the electronic files or comprise separate electronic files. The EDS system may ensure that companies cannot access documents uploaded by other companies or customers for other companies, and that customers access only documents that the customers are authorized to access. To provide additional security, the EDS system may accept encrypted electronic documents and decrypt the electronic documents to allow customer access.