Content and document management may, on the surface sound quite a dry topic and not the most important part of a business. But, it is in fact an important part of how the business functions, allowing them easier access to the information they already have, and need. By bringing a document management system on board, businesses can safely store and retrieve documents easily and in a matter of minutes.

It also makes the tracking, management and storage of their electronic documents and images of paper-based information significantly easier. Using this smart, RFID-based system helps businesses organize and track all digital or hard-copy documents that are all stored either on a centralized data storage cloud or in their filing system.

What it means

In short, a document management system gives businesses the facilities they need to track, manage, and eventually store their paperwork. With every item of documentation easy to search for and locatable within a matter of minutes, businesses also find it easier to securely store the documents via a centralized web-based cloud.

It can either take place in digital format, in which case digitized soft-copy versions of documents are created and stored in the centralized data cloud. This means that employees with the right access keys can log in, locate and access documents as and when they need.

Once the system is set up, businesses can store items such as documents, workflows, output systems and information retrieval systems on the cloud. This makes it easier to search for businesses to search quickly for documents, and to encourage collaboration.

Document management can also take place in hard-copy form, where there are no digitized versions of documents, but they are instead tracked via RFID tags. Although all documents are hard copies, they are still relatively easy to locate through the RFID signals they emit.

However it is used, document management systems are an excellent way for businesses to cut down on the amount of time they spend searching for documents. And because documents are stored online via a data cloud, different sites in different locations can access the same documents as and when they need.

Why businesses need DMS

The document management system essentially helps businesses control and organize those documents, in whichever shape and form they come in, making them easier to locate and access. All processes that take place in relation to those documents, including tracking, storing and controlling them, are governed by the DMS.

Their size and scope depends on what the business wants the system to do, whether it’s on a small scale basis, to a larger scale cross-company affair. It gives each business an electronic means of:

  • Storage Location;
  • Document Security;
  • Access Control;
  • Version Control;
  • Evidence of Audits;
  • Document check-in/check-out.

 

The numerous benefits of an effective RFID-based document management system include:

  • Easy file location : By simply inputting the parameters, such as file name or project number, files can easily be found in a matter of minutes, and accessed. This ensures that less time is wasted searching for items, and projects can be completed much quicker.

 

  • Access control : Every employee who requires access to the DMS is given access credentials so that only they can access the data cloud. This ensures that all data and information is kept safe, and only those with the correct credentials can access the most sensitive information. With these controls on board, all data is kept safe, with transfer occurring once the credentials have been verified.

 

  • Quicker access to information : It’s easier, not only to find specific documents relating to work based on parameters set out by the employee, but also for others to access the documents they need. Because everything is stored online in one central data cloud, even off-site employees can tap into documents if they have the right access data. This offers businesses greater scope to expand the way they work and ensure projects are completed much quicker.

 

  • Easy project progress monitoring : As a project moves along, employees and their management team can easily monitor how far the project has progressed. Managers can see where approvals are needed, or where changes have been made, as well as where input has not been given. Every step of the work process can be strictly monitored as the project progresses, allowing for the work chain to be improved as needed.

 

  • Preventing data loss : If a document is scanned and stored on the central cloud as soon as it is received by the company, there is less opportunity for those documents to be lost. As documents that need to be kept as a file can be stored as a digital file, data can be kept together whether they are in hard-copy or soft-copy form.

More up-to-date document management solutions give businesses the capabilities to write-protect storage space and documents. This is particularly useful when dealing with areas such as contracts, signed legal documents, tax auditing and financial reports.

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