What is a document management system?

A document management system provides many benefits for businesses.

• Simplifies remote work. Paper can’t move from one home office to another at the speed you need it to. Files stored locally on PCs must be found, emailed, or uploaded to be shared. Working in this way minimizes productivity for everyone. Those sharing the file need to interrupt what they are doing while those needing the file must wait.
  
  Document management systems eliminate this problem. The file resides in a single, secured repository anyone can reach from anywhere, meaning no more waiting and fewer interruptions.
• Increases productivity. Whether your people work in the office, at the home office, or on the road, everyone can access the files they need, when they need them. Productivity isn’t just about getting more work done though. Sales representatives can get the answers they need while in front of a customer, speeding up the sales process. Automated workflows can accelerate processes like AP, increasing the speed by which you get paid.
• Improves workplace safety. Digital documents eliminate the need to move physical paper, creating touchless document sharing. They also make it much easier to implement a hybrid workplace with a mix of remote and on-site employees.
• Reduces paper usage. You will likely still receive paper documents and may need to print some too, but the bulk of office printing will decrease as a single digital document can serve the entire company. When everyone has access, there is much less need to create copies. And new documents can be printed directly into the system, for immediate use and access by everyone who needs to use it.

In the previous section, we mentioned cloud document management systems. While those are popular, they aren’t the only way to implement document management. There are two types of implementations: cloud and on-premise.

Cloud document management systems. These systems live and reside in the cloud, just like a lot of the applications you may use in your business and personal life. They would be considered public cloud applications, which only means they are accessed via the internet, not that your information is publicly accessible. All you and your employees need to access the system is an internet connection.

The benefits of this system include:

• No need for onsite hardware.
• No need for IT support.
• No maintenance or support fees – only a subscription.
• Secured access anywhere there is an internet connection.
• Quick setup and configuration.
• All data backed up in a secured data center.
• Data center system redundancies ensure consistent access.
• Ideal for both offices and remote work environments.

On-premise document management. This type of implementation means you purchase the software and install it within your network, whether that means on a physical server in your office or in your own private cloud environment.

Why do people choose on-premise document management?

• Data security policy requires owning and housing all software within the company’s network.
• IT staff and infrastructure are already in place, for the application, the backup, and for the connectivity, such as VPN for remote users.
• Business preference.

As you might expect, different platforms have different features. There are, however, minimum features that you should expect to see in every document management platform.

• Security & Access Control. Every system should require user login and have multiple levels of user rights access, i.e., Administrator, Manager, User, Read-only.
• Meta data. Sometimes referred to as indexing, you can apply key data – that you define – to the document to simplify retrieval. This way, you don’t have to keep multiple copies in different folders. For example, you could search a client folder by contract number for documents related to that contract.
• Search and retrieval. Rather than clicking through a file folder, you key indexed data into search fields (as noted above) and you get an instant list of all related files and documents.
• Markups. Add highlights, redact copy, apply stamps, and more to documents either as an overlay or embed them into the file itself.
• Workflows. You can build workflows for documents or even create ad hoc workflows to move documents through a standard process, just as you might in your office. These workflows can start at the moment of intake with an intelligent data capture or start once a document is moved into a folder. You’re likely to see a wide variation on workflow capabilities from one system to another.
• Document sharing & collaboration. Send a document link to a co-worker or view a document with a team member in an office across the world.
• Capturing and routing. Scan files into the system, drag and drop from your PC or email, or have them routed from third-party capture systems. In some systems, you can even create forms in the system that become individual, dynamic documents that you can fill out.
• Business intelligence. This element refers to your access to critical business records, log reporting, and other reporting that enable you to use the data in your documents and gather information on how your documents are used.

With so many features, how you use your system will depend on what you need most. Typical uses are:

• For file storage and management. You and your employees use it like an electronic filing cabinet. You scan paper documents into the system and store digital documents. The advantage over traditional processes is how indexing allows you to pull the documents you want faster, from anywhere.
• To drive workflows and approval processes. HR documents such as job applications can be reviewed, approved, and moved along – all while staying secured. AP/AR processes can be automated. You have almost unlimited options when workflows are available.
• Forms/document creation. If your system offers this feature, you can complete forms which upon submission enter the document management system as a new document and can even initiate a workflow.
• Remote work. Electronic document management systems make paper available to employees, wherever they are working.
  

Even if a document management system looks perfect, there are several questions you should still ask, especially if you have a lot of files – paper or digital – that will need to be imported. You’ll likely have many more questions specific to your business, but these questions can help get you started.

• How do we get paper files scanned into the system and indexed?
• What is the import and indexing process for pre-existing digital documents?
• Can you build workflow processes or ad hoc workflows?
• Does this system meet my compliance requirements?
• How many people can use the system? Are there any limitations?
• What does the training and support look like?
• What is the development plan for the product? (You want to make sure it will stay current.)
• Does the product offer any integrations, such as with other applications or even MFPs through a product like Smart Integrations?