Developing A Document Management Strategy for Your Organization – Part 1

Organizations rely on information for everyday operations as well as long-term success. Information can be in the form of company data, customer data, and market research findings. It’s often stored through documentation, which can be both digital and on paper — but, if you’re like many other organizations, you have a lot of paper documents lying around, without a lot of organization. Maybe you have a cabinet or filing system specifically for them, or maybe they’re just piled up in random places around the office… either way, dealing with all those documents can be a real hassle. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a better way to manage them? Well, there is! Working to develop a document management strategy is as important as any operations strategy and can help make your life a lot easier.

What is a document management strategy?

A document management strategy is a plan for organizing, storing, and accessing electronic business documents. There are many benefits to having a document management strategy, including:

  • The ability to access documents from anywhere
  • Improved collaboration among employees, and
  • Increased security

When implemented correctly, a document management strategy will establish a process and can help a business run more smoothly and efficiently. As you develop the strategy and when consider different document management solutions, it’s important to determine two critical points:

  1. The needs of the business, and
  2. The type of documents that will be stored

For example, a company that deals with confidential information may need a solution that offers high levels of security, while a business that collaborates frequently may need a system that makes it easy to share documents. Both types of document management solutions may be offered by the managed service provider.

Document management systems help improve efficiency and productivity

A document management system (DMS) helps your organization be more efficient and productive by automating processes, improving communication and collaboration, and providing easier access to information.

By automating processes, a DMS saves your organization time and money. For example, a DMS can automatically convert incoming emails into PDFs and filed in the appropriate folder. Or, it can automatically generate reports based on data stored in the system. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and frees up employees to focus on other tasks.

A DMS also improves communication and collaboration by providing a central repository for all organizational documents. This makes it easy for employees to find the information they need, when they need it. It also allows employees to work on documents simultaneously, which can help speed up the completion of projects.

Finally, a DMS provides easier access to information. For example, with a DMS, employees can access documents from any location with an internet connection. This is particularly helpful for organizations with employees who work remotely or are often away from the office.

Overall, a document management system helps your organization be more efficient and productive by automating processes, improving communication and collaboration, and providing easier access to information.

Benefits of a document management system technology

A document management solution is designed to increase efficiency for your employees as it allows for easy searchable documents for anyone within your organization. It offers many advantages for businesses, including:

Enhanced document security

The security of customers’ personal information (including trade secrets) will become a key part of a digital future and the industry will evolve. Document management solutions have incorporated security controls to identify those who are allowed to view certain documents. An overview of all activities within a given file. Your data can easily be stored on an encrypted server without physical damage in the event of fire or floods.

Quick and easy document retrieval

Finding documents is difficult, and this may even cost you money. It takes just seconds to locate the documents that are necessary, and employee access to documents via their smartphone. Have they ever heard of this? Organizational productivity is hampered every year by poorly managed documents. Find some advantages to paper-free offices.

Easy scaling

Document management software can provide more flexibility to the user than paper-based systems. This helps your company grow by adjusting the index with just one mouse click. Depending upon what you prefer, you can also store documents in an encrypted database or a computer file.

Improved collaboration

Using a document management system makes it easy to share knowledge and collaborate with other users. It allows access to information from different places. Users may share information, view workflows, and approve documents if needed.

Better regulatory compliance

Staying compliant can be a challenge. A document management system helps organizations with compliance issues, as well as helping you avoid fines and license revokes. For example, HIPAA has strict security and policies for document management. A managed services provider who offers document management systems ensures that you stay compliant in all required areas.

Additional time savings

If the current manual method of managing documents is costing you time and energy that could have been spent on other business issue, then a document management solution will benefit your team.

Final Thoughts

A document management strategy is essential for any business that wants to be efficient and productive. A good document management system will help your organization by providing enhanced security, quick and easy retrieval, scalability, improved collaboration, and better compliance. These are just a few of the benefits that a document management system can provide. In Part 2 we’ll walk you through how to implement a document management strategy, show you how a managed service provider can help, and review the components that need to be part of any document management plan.

Visual Edge IT, Inc. (VEIT) specializes in managed IT services and security, cloud computing, and print/copy solutions for businesses across the U.S. including remote office locations. We offer a full line of office technology and services including 24/7 remote monitoring and administration of networks, service desk, and data backup and restore to improve business processes across a variety of industries. Plus, Visual Edge IT™ represents the industry’s leading manufacturers of office technology allowing businesses to get equipment, supplies and service from a single source. Backed by more than 20-years of technology service and a national network of expert engineers, VEIT is uniquely positioned to support business technology needs. The company is headquartered in North Canton, OH, USA. Request your no-obligation assessment today and get a free dark web analysis.