A look at the key features document management solutions.
Last week, we discussed documents management solutions in general, briefly delving into their functions and how they can help businesses integrate, organise, manage and retrieve all their digital and paper documents in a secure environment with ease.
We also looked briefly at KYOCERA’s flagship document management solutions, that is, Laserfiche and Cloud SmartFax.
In this follow-up post, we outline the key features to consider when selecting a document management solution for your business.
Ease of use
Ease of use is crucial for any business planning to purchase a document solution. The solution must provide graphical user-friendly interfaces that make it easy to achieve quantified objectives with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a quantified context of use.
Self-hosted or cloud-hosted
Before buying a document management solution, it is important to understand the difference between self-hosted and cloud-hosted solutions, as this will have cost implications for your business.
For example, unlike cloud hosting where you pay a monthly fee for each user, self-hosting attracts a one-time cost that is based, in part, on the number of users. There is an initial fee for the solution and a licence fee for each user. In addition, some service providers charge an installation fee.
File cabinet structure and Search capabilities
As the volume of documents within an organisation increases, it becomes harder to quickly find documents on demand. As a result, having a solution with a virtual file cabinet structure and keyword-based search capabilities will go a long way in improving productivity and efficiency for staff members.
Collaboration tools
Any document management solution without collaboration tools is not complete. Collaboration is the bedrock of effective teamwork across functional boundaries, time zones or even beyond organisational borders and is becoming an ever more critical determinant of success.
It is therefore very important to ensure that the document solution provides such functionalities to enable seamless document sharing between staff and various departments.
Security measures
Security is a crucial component in every software application that enables document sharing among its users. Document management solutions must provide security mechanisms that restrict access to certain sensitive and confidential documents.
The solution must also have the capability to monitor the use of information and keep track of when changes are made to a document.
Integration
Integration is key in document solutions. The ability to integrate with third-party applications like ERP, CRM and GIS helps to save time and resources by combining the information and functionality from other business proprietary applications.
Workflow abilities
Workflow automation is another time saving feature to look out for in document solutions. Staff members are more productive when performing simple activities such as file renaming and emailing document changes. This is made possible by its rule-based workflow functionalities.
Improve production efficiency, achieve a better working environment and reduce environmental impact
A look at the woodworking industry and how businesses can run sustainable operations, without having a negative impact on the environment.
What to consider when choosing dust collectors for your industrial plant
In this article we look at some factors to consider when purchasing dustt collectors for your industrial setup.
Understanding the 3 fundamental activities of an Office Automation System (OAS)
A brief discussion about office automation systems and the 3 fundamental activities that are involved.
