5 Quick Tips For Buying A Document Management System!

The increased digitization of our offices means we can no longer afford to stick to traditional metal cabinets for filing documents. After all, all our files have become digital, why shouldn’t their storage be the same?

This is why businesses in the modern world are shifting to online document management systems (DMS)!

These systems provide an electronic framework that helps you store, organize, and quickly search for documents; as well as keep track of any changes made to these documents by users on the network.

However, it is important to keep in mind that not all DMS are created equal, and you need to know what to look for before you rush to buy one.

Here are 5 quick tips for selecting a document management system that will help you maximize your workflow and drastically reduce the office’s paper needs:

1.     Keep Your Organizational Needs In Mind

Start the process by assessing your own organization’s document management needs. You can’t buy the right tool until and unless you know what you’re trying to fix and why it needs fixing.

Consult with the office staff and ask them to list down some of the filing-related problems they face in their day-to-day tasks.

Also, keep in mind that the DMS is ideally going to be integrating closely with some of the software applications your employees use. You’ll want a system that works well with a wide variety of apps.

2.     Pick The Right Vendor

There are plenty of DMS providers in the market who offer “One size fits all” solutions at unbelievably low prices. Stay away from these! 

You want a reputable vendor with several years of client-testified product and service credibility! They should offer solutions that are flexible and can be tailored to suit your business’ structure.

Prepare a list of questions and issues you want addressed, and discuss these in detail with all the potential providers. Compare their responses and prices, and make an informed decision.

3.     Look For A Simple User Interface

Your document management system is going to be used by employees from a wide variety of technical backgrounds, so make sure its UI is easy to understand and operate.

Ideally, training the staff shouldn’t take more than 2-3 hours. If they feel like they have to constantly refer to the user manual even after extensive training, the DMS has failed its goal of increasing workflow and productivity.

4.     Focus On Offsite Collaboration

With more and more organizations opting to outsource their tasks to offsite workers, a modern DMS needs to provide seamless collaboration between these users and the main network.

Look for a provider that offers cloud access. Once documents are on the cloud, they’re accessible from anywhere in the world using a simple username and password.

5.      Prioritize The Organization’s Security

Data breaches are the biggest threat to businesses in the modern world. The global cost of cyber-attacks is set to reach $2 trillion by 2019, and your first priority must always be to protect your network’s security.

A good document management system will include rigorous security protocols designed to protect the entire network against attacks.

Ask your vendor how often they update their software with patches, whether you’ll be notified of these patches, and how they’ve handled breach incidents in the past. This will give you a clearer idea of how secure your data is going to be.