Document Management Systems Require Planning

The migration away from paper records and the adoption of document management software is one of the biggest trends impacting the private sector today.

Instead of falling victim to cluttered and outdated filing systems, decision-makers can use document management solutions to make mission-critical archives more easily accessible and less difficult to locate, allowing an organization to save time and be more efficient.

Human resources is often one of the biggest paper-creating branches of a company, as the department is responsible for payroll records and written HR policies, such as health and safety measures to protect individuals from harm in the workplace.

While deploying a document management system will likely help HR departments keep better track of important papers, the solutions need to be well planned.

Planning ahead

By establishing a set of procedures to govern the use of virtual documents, businesses can ensure sensitive files do not fall into the wrong hands. Decision-makers should create a guideline regarding who has authority to access sensitive documents and who has the ability to mandate changes to these policies.

In doing so, businesses will be less likely to experience a data breach, and if they do, executives will be able to find who is directly responsible for the incident.

Since document management software is online, each and every employee is required to at least scroll through the usage and policy guidelines and acknowledge they have done so through a digital signature at the end of the page. This means that no one can claim they were not been informed of the policies and, as a result, everyone will be held accountable for their actions.

While web-based document management solutions can be extremely convenient and improve overall efficiency within a workplace, they are ultimately only available online. As such, they are more susceptible to outsiders than traditional filing systems that could be locked with a key.

Having a backup plan is an essential part of successful migration to digital records, as this allows companies to retrieve lost or corrupted files without experiencing excessive downtime. Failing to back up mission-critical resources is an all-too-common mistake and can have severe repercussions for organizations that fall victim to a natural or man-made disaster.

While investing in a document management system can prove to be advantageous for many companies, failing to plan ahead will likely end in problems down the line.