I’ve talked in more detail about how to go about setting up a document management system and why using an independent outsource partner can help in the process.

Imagine a football pitch decked with filing cabinets standing three high, they are correctly identified, labelled and indexed with a map that provides directions to all the various cabinets so people can access the information when they need it. There’s just one problem with this scenario, can you imagine reading the map and trying to find the cabinet you want that holds the information you need when you need it?

A document management system is an organisational, technology driven way of taking those filing cabinets and storing them in what can best be described as a digital filing cabinet. Documents and images are stored in a repository allowing management and retrieval of the files.

Document Management software (the software behind the system) creates a secure digital file cabinet where literally thousands of documents of any type can be stored and is the equivalent of a digital safe where archived documents can be housed and accessed many years later.

Having the right document management solution can provide the necessary cohort required for scanning, document imaging, document archiving, fax archiving and electronic records management.

Does an organisation need a document management solution?

This largely depends on how much paper you have entering and leaving the building. I recently visited a customer site who had two large offices filled with archived boxes up to the ceiling. That was the half of it the rest had been off-sited to a bigger and secure location. If ever there was a need for a standalone document management software solution it was staring right at me. As for the security implication…!

Information is key and your business depends on it. Can your employees locate the information they need quickly and easily? The majority of companies store information in a variety of different places such as DVD’s, CD’s, Zip drives, on networks, individual PC’s and the mainstay of most office buildings the filing cabinet. The answer to the question for many businesses is that “yes” they need one.

Why… because

• It reduces the costs of antiquated paper based storage
• It improves customer services by giving advisors access to up to the minute and legacy information
• Reduces the risk of regulatory non-compliance problems
• Provides a disaster recovery plan for all company documents
• Significantly reduces staff time trying to locate documents
• Provides critical document security and accessibility

How does it work?

Document management software helps your organisation expand without having to increase administrative staff and enables documents to be better maintained as records to meet compliance objectives. There are a number of ways to capture documents into the archive:

• scan the document from any document scanner
• drag and drop files from windows explorer
• check documents in from MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Add the entire contents of a network folder
• Retrieval time reduced
• Save thousands £ a year by eliminating off site records storage
• Reduce paper supply costs by thousands £
• Free up office space

Document management software captures, indexes and manages scanned paper documents, faxes, emails, PDF’s, computer reports and anything else in its final form.

Once archived, documents are easily retrieved by  the use of search tags and indexing criteria which have already been set up allowing anyone within the company to access a file or information within seconds and without leaving their PC.

Security measures can be strictly imposed for authorised users ensuring that access is restricted.

What are the benefits?

Companies are better organised by making files easier to access, file, share, retrieve and secure information. Employees are productive because they save time searching for business critical information.

Having a digital filing cabinet affords greater functionality than paper files because multiple people working from home, different offices and even on different continents can access and work on files simultaneously.

So, imagine the football pitch scenario…. if this is your company then call us for more information on how we can help you set up a secure document management system that will work for you. 

Implementing a document management system will save you time and money!

What do you think? Are you drowning in paper? Have you given any thought to the time it takes to find what you’re looking for? Leave a comment we are always interested to hear your views.

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Alchemy will grow with your business – imaging, capturing, indexing, archival and retrieval, document management, records management, integration and distribution functions all available when you need it. Running either on a server or as a stand-alone configuration, it can also be deployed over the web for remote user or self-service.

Alchemy supports many scanning and capture systems as it is built on Microsoft technology and provides out of the box integration for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SharePoint. Irrespective of the document type, Alchemy provides a centralised digital archive where documents from multiple systems can be consolidated and then be delivered using multiple delivery channels.

The post Document Management Systems, Software and the Paperless Office appeared first on Digital Print Management.

Often referred to as DMS (Document Management Systems) is the use of a computer system and software to store, manage and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper based information captured through the use of a document scanner. [Source: aiim.org]

Loss of data and information management poses challenges for many organisations not least the intergrity and security of senstive company information and the management of

Implementing a document management system will save you time and money!

customers data. Many companies operate on an ad-hoc reactive basis only developing systems when the need arises or when there is an obvious breakdown in the management of internal processes.

Unstructured and ad-hoc solutions evolve out of a legacy of existent systems most of which are paper based resulting in duplication, non standard and system inefficiencies.

This coupled with the increasing public awareness in the sensitivity of data exposes companies to unncessary risks and cost.

How do you manage your documents?

Information management is a critical part of the business process on par with more traditional business operations but few organisations consider it to be so or, have the time or expertise to build an information management program.

Document Management is one of the more complex and sensitive jobs that an organisation has to manage.

Documents are created, edited, published, revised and stored either as a paper file or electronically. This is referred to as the documentation life cycle and managing the procedure is known as document management.

Companies create and store many business documents with people contributing to the system daily making the management of the process an even greater challenge.

When a document is created electronically, it requires some storage space on a PC. Someone creates a document but it is feasible that several other people in the company may require access to it this can be problematic if the organisation has many employees and this is further complicated when you factor in employees who work remotely or are located all over the world rendering saving the document on a personal computer locally inaccessible.

Document Management systems reduce paper filing provide instant access to files, can store any document type securely.

Here are some tips on how to implement a document management system using an outsource partner

• Hosted document management solutions offer a pay-as-you-go model based only on the services you need and the volume you process. The solution provider is responsible for hardware and software upgrades giving you access to the latest features without capital expenditure. A hosted document management solution can be running in a matter of weeks compared to the months it takes to evaluate, procure and then install an in-house solution.
• The average business produces a massive volume of documents which can make locating and retrieving documents in a timely fashion a real challenge and to compound matters files are often filed in non standard indexing systems making documents difficult to find. A single source supplier for document management solutions can help reduce operational and legal risks by managing a company’s information assets as they have the expertise, infrastructure and knowledge to provide best practices for implementation.
• Workers waste thousands of pounds each year trying to find information that doesn’t exist, can’t be found or is recreated again. Up to 50% of our time can be wasted trying to find the information we need.
• Outsourcing enables the service provider to minimise your business risk associated with in-house solutions where physical records are moved offsite to storage facilities, scanned and then returned for re-filing increasing the risk of lost and incorrectly filed documents. Physical documents are easier to find, scan and can be filed in a single location and the paper document never leaves the security of the vendor’s facility. Audit trails are maintained making it easier to access valuable content.
• Managing documents with unstructured content and in a non standard format requires additional business and information technology resource. Documents stored in cabinets, record storage boxes and scattered in different locations and electronic files stored in multiple applications makes accessibility a real challenge. Using a DMS combines the cost effectiveness of traditional paper storage for the bulk of your records with the speed, convenience and cost savings of digital access. Files are kept in paper format and are scanned on demand.
• Employees want self service access and retrieval and as speed is of the essence digital file access has to be put in the hands of end users. A hosted document management system can support this requirement providing intelligent scanning and image capture features supported by a digitisation process. Once documents are imaged they can be made available via an FTP site (File Transfer Protocol), ECM system (Enterprise Content Management) or via a hosted repository.
• Few organisations have the resources or expertise to create or implement an effective document management strategy and solution. When outsourced the vendor takes care of the document management conversion, information security and privacy making sure best practices and compliance are followed.
• Implementing a DMS can be a foreboding exercise but using an experienced provider who can manage the complexities of setting up a program cost effectively and efficiently will save time and money and will provide considerable value to the organisation in the long term.

Alchemy Document Management solutions and software creates a digital file cabinet for your company where you can securely store any document type and then find it within seconds. Providing document scanning, document imaging, document archiving, fax archiving and electronic records management capabilities.

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The post How to implement a document management solution appeared first on Digital Print Management.