What is document management?
Understanding and knowing document management will give you a deeper insight into document management systems. Knowing more about a DMS will have a more significant impact on your organization. Here we will talk about a document management system in a detail-oriented way for the businesses to understand it for a better organization.
Basic definition
A DMS is a used to track, manage and store documents in electronic format by using optimized scanning solutions. Most organization captures documents on a daily basis. But for many organizations, this process is time-consuming.
Deeper insight
Document management system is freedom. Freedom comes with going paperless by installing document management system.
Freedom from faxing, long search for information, handle documents manually. Most of you will not understand the real pain of working in a paper document management system until you experience work without it.
Once you install a DMS, you will know, what is lightness. A paper document management system is what kept manual labor alive in the white collar world.
Most of us create and need information of the past three years and if would be freedom from any confusion and chaos if it were designed in digital format. Imaging documents are the first step in organizing information in digital form.
Without any system, in place, it is very critical to automate, secure and potentiate documents. Plus the information contained in this document will not be delivered completely.
A document management system is – free time
When it comes work, time is practically money to us. The opportunity cost theory proves this- The more time spends on an administrative task like walking to the fax machine, printer and filing cabinets the less money you earn and pay your employees as you are devaluing your work potential.
You have a talented set of employees, but you will waste their energy in organizing paperwork.
The more time you get at work to do things that matter the more prudently you can use it. Many view paper interruptions as part of their job. This leads to abuse of their professional lives. With reliance on a DMS, you can overcome these inefficiencies.
Documentation confusion causes organizational chaos.
A document management system is – convenience
Convenience is not just for the consumer the small and medium enterprises also want to do convenient business. For example, a cloud-based document management system and a mobile app make it all simple.
You can access files, collaborate and send sensitive information from anywhere all you need is an internet connection. A built-in web portal DMS makes file sharing securely via mobile apps. DMS’s MAC compatibility and mobile apps provide the responsiveness that CPA clients demand.
A document management system is – peace
Information leaks, security breach and other disasters can be the headlines in your organization this 2018. Most of these breaches are a consequence of a poor internal document management system. A document management solution provides with tools to keep information safe in and outside the office.
With recurring 24 hrs backup system secured by Amazon web servers 256-AES ( advanced encryption standard) bank-grade encryption for data in transit in SSL mode ( Secure Socket Layer). Multiple artificial and physical points Docupile provides the best backup server giving you the peace of mind. These are the features of a top elite document management solution.
The document comes in many forms
Suppose you get an invoice from the vendor through e-mail is also considered a document. It is a paper document come in the electronic form. These invoices can be in the form of both paper or electronic document. Your order may be in electronic form in the accounting system. We have two related documents that should be kept together for reference.
There is a difference in the storage system of both the documents. The delivery receipt in the paper form could be anywhere at the warehouse or in a cabinet of the legal department. The acceptance of the receipt could be at the functional department that finally received the document. All your customers may be residing at different locations. If something went wrong with the orders, where will you find all the documents to review the contract?
With a document management system, you can manage and organize all these documents easily without any chaos. With scanning solutions, you can scan any paper document into the electronic form used for document management systems. The electronic docs can be stored in the system or pointed to another system like storing in the cloud. A DMS can tie these documents together.
These documents can be searched and viewed by any of the department, vendor, purchase order number or any concept that is business to your organization. As these are centrally stored documents gone are those days when you are wasting time in searching for documents. You can retrieve and change the documents anytime you need to.
What document management systems do?
Let’s take a look at what document solutions can do. DMS systems make document management system faster, more comfortable and efficient.
1. Make light work of heavy loads
Paper also known as papyrus during the old days was one of the greatest inventions of that era. When humans used to write on stones, walls, slate tablets paper was a significant relief to them. But as a group of people we grew, we started businesses that used a huge amount of paper for documentation. With increasing progress columns of stack paper and misplaced or lost documents became a common factor in the industry.
Then came the scanning technology in 1957 and came into use in 1980 when software developers started using scanning technology creating the first document management systems. With progressing scanning solutions, you could scan ten thousands of documents in a secured digital environment.
This means no more searching records in a cold room for hours. It meant you could find materials on your mobile, laptops, business consoles. Mobile has become a part of scanning solutions in the recent days.
2. Produce Secure Documentation
Hard copy solutions are not easy to store and relocate. Hard copy saving solutions turn out to be very expensive. There were environmentally controlled storage rooms which were not affordable for all organizations. Mountains of documentation made it very difficult for the management to endeavor the documentation system.
Companies who are looking forward to purchasing a document management system may be confused about how to find the safest and secure DMS. There are many digital security certifications and information security management techniques used by the developers to secure the DMS.
One system works for some industry may not work for another. For searching for the optimum DMS, you should start with a Google search. Put a Google search by “document management systems for [industry name here] companies” in the search engine. Keep the focus on the client’s testimonials as well as management techniques using various solutions.
3. The route in the blink of an eye
Storing the hard copy documents is difficult and re-routing them is far worse. Imagine being in charge of physically transferring an important document to one or more reviewers Imagine if you could route hundreds, thousands or even ten thousands of documents to all the same approvers.
The physical routing of documentation becomes a nightmare that requires full-time employees dedicating most of their time to routing.
A DMS makes the routing process within seconds. Whereas the physical and email routing process is a time-consuming process with the possibility of being lost.
4. Tracking at the speed of light
The routing of hard-copy documentation is a problem when it comes to tracking down the documents.
Employees will want to get the documents signed by one of the reviewers. But sadly the reviewer was unavailable and the work is delayed. There might be a chain of people whose signatures may be necessary. Taking the physical document to every signatory is very time-consuming.
One of the sole reasons for the invention of DMS was to organize and simplify re-routing.
It is evident that the approval process of documentation that additionally edits will be necessary. This is the sole reason that the DMS system also integrates tracking and time stamp technology in their tracking system so that documentation system becomes more straightforward.
5. Cloud-based Document Management System.
Cloud services have a rosy future. Most software systems are not accessible and less convenient when they are cloud-based. Cloud is the most trending in the document management systems.
Many organizations have security-related concerns when it comes to cloud-based DMS. With changing necessities, we have more magnificent inventions. Hence, a cloud is available in a viable and secure document management solutions.
6. Document solution has gone mobile
Most of the document management systems have gone the mobile app way in the last few years. Mobile apps are essential in today’s business environment. We have a million games and mobile apps on play store why not have a DMS solution.
Where you can access upload files anytime anywhere on your mobile. Who had thought of working on a mobile phone? But technology has improved devastatingly making mobile-friendly work apps.
7. Instant benefits you will experience after installing a document management solution:
Take a look at a concise list of high- level benefits:
- Increased work speed
- Reduced errors
- Eliminate lost and misfiled documents
- Save time, space and money
- Automate redundant processes
- Improve customer service
- Work from anywhere
- Control access
- Track files
- Document turnaround is fast and efficient
- Maximize performance
What’s the difference between desktop and online/cloud-based DMS?
Desktop/on-premise DMS
They do not require the on-site maintenance and the upkeep required by an internal IT department. On-premise DMS is designed to integrate and sync with the organizations preexisting on-site IT infrastructure.
A desktop DMS consumer more power adding electricity cost but the overall cost of the On-premises DMS is more cost-effective as compared to any other DMS models. On-premises include a third party, desktop-licensed products purchased from software suppliers. The on-premise solutions require server hardware.
Cloud-based DMS
Cloud-based do not require the same level of planning and implementation like that of desktop/on-premise DMS. A cloud-based system does not need server hardware. The cloud-based document management system is most functional and secure models offered in DMS product spectrum. It transcends all the desktop compatibility issues faced by organizations when using niche operating system other than Windows.
The cloud is beneficial in critical stages of organizational growth. Cloud reduces the operating expenses to a greater extent compared to on-premise DMS. Cloud’s bandwidth is limited.
The cloud frequently referred to as SaaS is not a tangible software as the name suggests. In fact, the cloud implies to global infrastructure around the world. Cloud integrates enhanced security, collaboration, and storage bandwidth necessitated by increasing complexity and volume of SME’S information.
The most attractive feature of the online cloud-based DMS is how the vendors make the storage space enhanced security. There are hyper-collaborative tools available to the organizations at meager prices without forcing any buyer to adapt to new information architecture. Many cloud-based provide access to multiple servers without occupying too much space in the office.
Distinguishing DMS from Consumer- Grade technologies.
Many consumers went paperless before the organizations. This has probably confused you about commercial grade technologies with consumer grade technologies.
The document management system may not include the word “enterprise” like enterprise content management DMS can be classified as enterprise-grade technology. Enterprise-grade technology is basically for Small and medium enterprises.
DMS functionality is about ensuring that an organization implements the technology it needs for improving internal processes. Many consumer-grade solutions enable the user to store, compress and share information in the cloud for future access. A DMS is designed to accumulate compliance from an organizational standpoint with the help of built-in security features.
Conclusion
Hope you had a greater insight into DMS from basics to complex solutions. Install a DMS to organize, compare design features that benefit the entire organization.
