A document management system (DMS), 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. It is how your organisation stores, manages and tracks its electronic documents. Document management is the software that controls and organises documents throughout an organisation. It incorporates document and content capture, workflow, document repositories, COLD/ERM, and output systems, and information retrieval systems. Also the processes used to track, store and control documents.
Document management is one of the precursor technologies to content management. It provides some of the most basic functionality to content management, imposing controls and management capabilities. Some features in document management:
Check-in/Check-out and locking – to coordinate the simultaneous editing of a document so one person’s changes don’t overwrite another’s
Version control – so tabs can be kept on how the current document came to be, and how it differs from the versions that came before
Roll-back – to ‘activate’ a prior version in case of an error or premature release
Audit trail – to permit the reconstruction of who did what to a document during the course of its life in the system
Annotation and stamps
Document management systems today range in size and scope from small, standalone system to large scale enterprise-wide configurations serving a global audience. Many document management systems provide a means to incorporate standard physical document filing practices electronically. These include:
Storage location
Security and access control
Version control
Audit trailsCheck-in/
Check-out and document lockdown
Benefits of a DMS:
Reduced storage space - The cost of commercial property is increasing and therefore so is the expensive to store paper documents. A document management system reduces the need for filing cabinets and boxes/storage full of documents is crucial for any company trying to free up any office space. Documents that need to be kept as hard copies can often be stored in less expensive locations, such as an offsite warehouse. Whereas day to day documents can be uploaded to the DMS (document management system) decluttering the office.
Security - Keeping sensitive information in a document management system, helps to ensure that information is kept safe. Irreversible harm can come to a business if vital or otherwise sensitive data falls into the wrong hands. Document management systems allows you to protect confidential business information through a variety of ways, including the use of permission settings that only allow authorised users to access certain documents. These systems have an audit trail of who has viewed a document, when it was accessed, and how it may have been modified. Managed documents are highly traceable and can be tagged to allow for automated alert. In the case of disasters like fires or flooding, cloud based DMS ensures your business-critical data are kept intact, not destroyed like paper documents.
Access anytime, Anywhere - Most document management systems allow for access no matter what device an individual is using or where the individual is, which can become useful when collaborating on projects with team members who are on the go or located remotely. This can be important for companies with a large, mobile client base who want frequent and immediate updates on their information. It is also useful for companies who have a large workforce across the country or the globe, offering them access to data no matter what time zone they may find themselves in.
Better Collaboration - With Document Management systems, information sharing and collaboration can be a lot easier. Allows individuals that may be thousands of miles apart to collaborate seamlessly and simultaneously. Documents captured from different sources can be accessed from multiple locations. Electronic imaging makes sharing documents via email or the internet possible, however this is not as secure. DMS provide greater visibility to business processes and can allow for better workflow monitoring. Authorised access by external users can be allowed and monitored. Version control allows for older versions of the same document to be recovered if needed. This feature is important if several parties work on the same document and there are changes made to a document that were not authorised or meant to happen.
One of our most popular document management systems is FileDirector.
FileDirector:
What is FileDirector?
A virtual filing system for all of your documents – departmental or company wide
A workflow and approval solution that is easy and fast to set up
A paper-less office enabler – scan, classify, index and share
A document management system with compliance and security built-in
An intelligent scanning system – OCR and Barcode can speed up capture
Network software for documents for a department or whole company
Easy to use, fast to deploy, robust and reliable
Infinitely customisable and easy to integrate
FileDirector is a system that can be deployed in a micro-business, a department or company-wide to centralise the access and control of all documents. Tagging documents on the way in to the system means they can be retrieved in seconds when you need them.
FileDirector is easy to use. It makes it easy to add and index a document with integration of Microsoft Office applications, the Windows desktop and built-in scanning. You can have unlimited hot folders receiving files from your MFP or advanced data capture solutions like ABBYY FlexiCapture. Documents can be viewed in a sophisticated windows program or any web browser on any platform.
FileDirector has an optional Process Management module that opens up unlimited possibilities for creating customised document related work-flows; invoice approvals, customer complains, new recruits, etc. if there is a paper-trail and your current systems is costing time and creating problems, the process management module is affordable and quick to deploy.
Features:
Built-in control of ISIS and TWAIN scanners
Windows client or web browser access
Integration with the windows desktop and MS office apps
Audit trains, version control, and document control and document history
‘Print’ documents in from any application like Sage
Create custom document exception reports
Key benefits:
Centralise important business information
Secure your documents and share only with approved users
Capture information from scanned documents
Create custom approval workflows
Make documents accessible to customers
Please contact us or call us on 01785 785 650 to chat to one of our experts