Documents constitute an inherent element of each enterprise’s functioning. Efficient management of the flow thereof ensures an increase in the company’s productivity, allows saving time and money and accelerating making decisions which are core for each business. Many contemporary enterprises have already been actively using the electronic flow of documents, the service of which with the highest quality is guaranteed by the Document Management System (DMS).
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Even several years ago all documents were stored in a paper form. Therefore, companies had to ensure having space for organizing archives, appointing employees responsible for document management and ensure funds necessary to maintain this whole structure. The traditional flow of documents was not a solution free from other, crucial flaws.
Storing the whole company’s documentation in a physical form and handing it over from hand to hand was primarily related to high risk of losing documents, accidental destruction thereof or obtaining access to confidential data by unauthorized persons. Furthermore, moving around often very complex resources and searching for letters necessary at a given time was also a hindrance, as it required time and distracted employees from other activities more important from the point of view of the enterprise’s development.
Due to all of these inconveniences, nowadays, more and more enterprises decide to resign from the traditional model of managing the flow of documents and replace it with its modern, electronic counterpart. The electronic flow of documents does, in fact, eliminate virtually all problems related to the classic flow of documents by taking management of the company and documentation collected therein to a completely new, higher level.
Document Management System for efficient management of the flow of documents
The electronic flow of documents is executed via special IT systems (Document Management System) especially developed for digital service of the company’s archives. All documents generated by the enterprise and incoming documents have a digital copy. It minimises the risk of losing or destroying valuable letters, digital counterparts of which are properly secured against accidental deletion, whereas, the integrity of the digital archive is ensured by regularly conducted data backups.
Furthermore, Document Management System allows efficient management of the access to resources by giving users relevant authorisations and controlling the access to particular files. Thus, the access to documents is received only by authorised persons, which allows eliminating the problem of confidential data leakage and obtaining access to documents by all employees. Moreover, an important advantage of DMS systems comprises ensuring efficient flow of information and files among employees, departments and branches of the company, which accelerates making decisions and has a positive impact on the liquidity of the enterprise’s operations.
What is more, the implementation of Document Management System in a company allows enforcing measures fully compliant with procedures and policies binding in a company. Thus, employees no longer have to waste time wondering what to do with a given document and whom it should be forwarded, since the flow guides them throughout the whole process and allows giving the proper course to the given document at once. Therefore, Document Management System allows eliminating the phenomena of wasting time, delays, omissions and the risk of making a mistake by giving the document an improper course.
Document Management System – how to select the best solution available on the market?
As can be seen, Document Management Systems offer numerous benefits to companies and their employees. However, it is possible only on the condition of using modern software developed in terms of functionalities, which will be able to respond to all needs of the company related to document flow management. A good and prospective document management system should be a solution based on modern technologies (including business process automation or AI elements), offer high functionality and security standards and give the possibility of audit of the flow of documents in the whole organization.
Its great advantage will be not only quick development and servicing new process scenarios, but also efficient introduction of modifications, which will allow the company to adjust implemented flows of documents to own, current needs. While searching for the solution, which will allow efficient change management and quick development of tailored, highly functional solutions it is worth paying attention in particular to low-code platforms which can be used by users understanding the workflow process and mechanism, yet, not having the programming skills. Implementation of such a solution will additionally allow the company to become independent from specific developer teams and efficiently implement all necessary changes and modifications in the scope of electronic management of document flow and automation of processes related to processing documents in a company.