Documents are a part of every business. The bigger the business, the greater the complexity and the quantity of the documentation. A few decades back, people could only wish for paperless offices. Now, companies can use the computing resources to dispose of the paper-based documents. However, only big companies were able to afford the technological solutions before. Small businesses could not spend such large amounts on systems just for handling records.
Modern technological developments have made it possible even for mid-range and small-scale businesses to implement such solutions. Today, a document management system (DMS) is essential for every business that wants to increase its efficiency and productivity. Let us look at some of the benefits you will reap if you decide to use a document management system.
DIRECT BENEFITS
No storage issues: In today’s world, every square-foot of space counts. So you would not want file cabinets taking up the precious space in your office. However, as your paper work builds up, you will require more space for these cabinets. This can troublesome for any business that wants to grow. The perfect answer for this problem is a document management system. With a DMS, you can store all your documents in a disk no larger than a few square inches.
Easier handling: Searching through a huge pile of files and paper can be extremely annoying at times. What is more problematic is that if a particular file or paper is being used, someone else who requires it cannot access it. A DMS makes such a task extremely simple. You can access any document you want to without even leaving your workstation. In addition, the same file can be viewed by multiple people without disrupting your work.
Better search options: Using a DMS, you can greatly reduce the time it takes for searching documents. A good DMS allows you to search for electronic documents based on the text inside them, something that is not possible with your paper-based documents. It also allows you to sort the documents under various categories, something that would require you to make multiple copies when dealing with paper.
Sharing is easy: When dealing with paper documents and microfilms, sharing can be quite a tedious task. With a DMS, you can simply share copies of the electronic documents with clients or colleagues through emails or a network. This saves a lot of money, which would otherwise have been spent on copying and postage. You should also remember that sharing takes place instantly through DMS, which is not the case when you send a document through postal services.
Reduced security concerns: A DMS offers greater control over your documents. It allows you to customize settings so that only selected people can view certain files. Traditional file cabinets, however, provide the same level of security for all the documents stored within them. Also, a DMS allows you to track the people who have viewed and changed a file. It also gives you details about the date and time when the changes were made.
Disaster management and lost files: Hard copies are prone to damage because of fire, floods and other natural disasters. DMS is a great way to secure the data against such natural calamities, as it allows you to backup your data easily.
INDIRECT BENEFITS
Apart from those listed above, there are several other benefits of using a DMS. Firstly, the return on investment (ROI) is great. The software and the data storage options might seem a bit expensive in the beginning, but you can see the financial benefits of using a DMS in less than a year.
Switching to a computerized system makes it a lot easier for you to distribute information to customers and also reduces your response time significantly. In today’s competitive business environment, using a DMS is essential if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
