Document management is a procedure you can use to capture, track, and save electronic documents like word processing files, PDFs, and digital images stored in paper-based content. A well-managed process provides your documents with security, centralized storage, access control, streamlined search and control, and good auditing.
Having known this, you can acquire and implement document management software and gain an advantage over organizations that haven’t gone paperless yet. However, you need to be aware of your business needs so you can come up with the proper metrics on the kind of document management software (DMS) you need. These systems would enable you to digitally store, record, secure, share, and organize important business documents. In short, these document management solutions are present-day filing systems, with digital filing cabinets and drawers.
Keep reading to know some of the best document management practices you can adopt for your business.
Use Of Electronic Signatures
When it comes to digital documents, you can append an eSignature comfortably using electronic signature software. You don’t need to print the document and write your signature, scan it, and send it to where you want it to go. Rather, with the use of appropriate software, you can digitally sign your business invoices, business contracts, or legal agreements before you file them into the DMS.
Besides this, you don’t have to worry if you have several people to sign the document. With this software, you can track your document and receive a notification whenever each of the involved parties attaches their signatures.
Getting Your Documents Ready For Organized Storage
If your business is document-intensive, it’s better to store your documents in digital form. However, organize and tag your files before putting them in digital cabinets. Proper categorization helps when you want to move the documents during the implementation of your new DMS. Besides, it facilitates easy and fast document retrieval.
Therefore, when procuring a document management system, ensure its scanning feature produces high-quality copies. If it doesn’t, it might give you trouble while moving large volumes of data.
Many outstanding document management systems have tailored features for the following:
- Information technology companies
- Civil engineering businesses
- Data management businesses
- Architecture studios
Identifying The Use Of Your DMS
A good DMS helps transform your office into a paperless one. Before you can procure a document management system for your organization, try to make a list of all your business needs. This is to avoid buying a piece of software that doesn’t match the needs of your business, no matter how good it is. Knowing which features are useful for your business would be helpful in narrowing down your choices.
Some of the features you might want to look for in a document management system are as follows:
- Usability
- Disaster and security recovery
- Integration and collaboration
- Scalability and advanced features
Content Indexing
With manual filing, you’d have to search from hundreds of files before you can get the data you need. However, with a document management system, you can use parameters such as keywords and descriptions to locate your files. Other parameters you can use to help you locate your documents are tags, notes, signatures, and dates. In addition, more advanced systems also use metadata-based searching methods.
Indeed, a DMS indexing feature offers fast and easy retrieval of data and therefore is time-saving. Moreover, because of its many advantages, it also allows stress-free document search.
Protection Of Very Sensitive Data
Document management demands a balance of transparency, streamlined workflow, and privacy. If your business handles private files and sensitive data, you need to use a document management system with a secure and robust file saving option. You can also protect such files with the use of a password system and authentication apps. This way, you could allow safe sharing and ensure limited access to protected files.
For the security of important business files, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- Sensitive data protection
- Securing private documents
- Managing hierarchy sections
Document Storage And Destruction
The life cycle of your documents may depend on factors like business type, business decision, and legal requirements. This is where a DMS comes in—to help you in the management of the life cycle of your documents. For this, you can tag your files as achieved, active, or ready for disposal.
Managing the life cycle of your documents would help in the following aspects:
- Reducing document congestion
- Managing information security
- Adhering to legal requirements
Automation
With a good DMS, you can automate certain tasks to improve workflows and gather information for alerts and repositories. Automation also helps in content discovery and forwarding files to the right people in the organization. Moreover, automation allows integrated workflows and easy content searching.
Conclusion
Professional document management is critical for businesses, more so for highly document-driven organizations. Elaborate document management ensures the safety of data files, easy retrieval of information, proper disposal of documents that are no longer in use, and compliance with legal requirements. One of the best ways you can ensure robust document management is by procuring a document management system for your business. However, it’s vital to ensure the software you buy meets the needs of your business.
