In this issue, learn more about the benefits a Document Management System can offer your organization.
Does it sometimes feel like your print or electronic documents are managing you, not the other way around? Whether you're routinely drowning in papers, unable to find that exact draft you're looking for, managing "tracked changes" from a dozen different authors, or simply hoping to access your files away from the office, a document management system specially designed for your business could be the solution.
The Basics: What is a document management system, and what is it good for?
Document management technology has evolved tremendously over the last several years to meet the growing needs of organizations that rely on electronic documents like Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Today's document management software acts as a powerful, searchable archive that works in concert with your existing office software to provide for seamless data filing, sorting and retrieval. Document management systems can archive and "profile" your files in matter- and project-centric ways, making not only your word processing documents, but also your spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and e-mails more available to you at the click of your mouse. They can track your document versions, give you a full history of any document (including who printed it), and provide better document security. In addition, more recent developments like remote access capabilities ensure that you will always be able to get to your files through the Web or even your BlackBerry.
How Does It Work?
In the absence of a document management system, most firms or associations are limited in the ways they can file their electronic data—they can try to develop a folder hierarchy on their network drives or a naming scheme for all of their individual documents, but those are really the only options available to them. Plus, both are difficult to implement initially, and it is almost impossible to enforce these naming conventions and storage hierarchies in companies with many employees.
Document management systems take the guesswork out of filing by providing structure to each and every document on your server. They do this by creating a customized "profile" for each file. For example, a customized profile for a document could include identification of the matter/case, client, attorney working on the case, document author, date and file type. Then, you can search for the files you want by the attributes of the profile. Further, the document management system is able to search through the full text of each of your documents just like Google can search the web! Profiles are automatically attributed to each file upon that file's save or creation, which means that employees don't have endless forms to fill out when saving a file. In fact, much of the file's profile is automatically completed based on the folder into which it is saved.
Is Document Management Right For You?
Document management systems are perfect solutions for any organization seeking a more effective filing system for their business documents. Law firms and associations, because they manage an exceptional amount of information and often need to retrieve or deliver it to clients, are ideal candidates for this type of system. In addition, growing businesses that need to make company documents available to more and more employees, or organizations that want to provide added security to their documents by allowing only a small number of users to edit or view specific files also benefit from this software solution.
If your organization is like the many already fully embracing the digital age, you may regularly rely upon the Web and personal devices such as BlackBerry phones to get the information you need when you need it. Document management systems offer remote access, making it simple for your attorneys to pull up a client's file when in a meeting or in court, or for your association staff to access his or her PowerPoint presentation remotely when working from home.
Finally, a document management system will allow for full document lifecycle management—from the creation of the document all the way through to the filing, archiving and purging of the document. It can also help to keep your company in compliance with certain federal regulations that require the availability of records for specific periods of times.
The Cost
Before you implement, you will have to consider the cost carefully. Document management systems are expensive. The software itself is at least $350 per person, and implementation usually requires additional servers and a significant amount of installation labor. In total—for software, servers and installation—a document management system implementation costs somewhere between $500-$1000 per person.
The Benefit
If your organization's work product is information or documents, a document management system might be the solution you've been waiting for. This system is almost essential for associations, because they act as information clearinghouses for their members, and require a comprehensive management system for this information. The benefit to law firms is self evident. But other professional companies, like accounting firms, also track a multitude of information, and could better serve their clients with a document management system. Whatever your industry, consider your needs, the services you provide your clients, and the regulations you must adhere to before making a decision about a document management system.
If you have a question regarding any of the information contained within this article or would like to explore the implementation of a document management system, please contact Optimal Networks at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Optimal is a partner of document management solutions expert, Interwoven , which serves over 1,500 enterprises and professional services firms worldwide.
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