Company registration, client information, payrolls, and content — there’s a document (or hundreds of them!) for everything. Dozens, if not hundreds, of new documents are created within a company every single week, each of which needs to be stored and managed efficiently.
When working with cross-functional teams, matters get even more challenging. Think of all the feedback cycles, approvals, revisions, access control, and versioning your company might have to deal with daily. Managing these efficiently can be a challenge, especially as companies grow and document volumes increase.
With the right document management tools, companies can create a single source of truth with up-to-date and accurate documents. This will not only remove the need to look for the information you need in multiple siloed systems but will also improve collaboration.
Let’s take a look at what document management systems are and how tools can help companies centralize, manage, and sort their documents.
What is a Document Management System?
Document management systems (DMS) are tools or platforms that help companies access, retrieve, and modify their documents easily. With all documents stored in one place, employees don’t have to run around looking for the correct version or even deal with email threads for edits and approvals that span over days. With a range of features and capabilities designed to simplify modern-day document management, document management systems improve organization, enhance collaboration, increase productivity, make processes more efficient, and help companies scale.
What Features Should You Look for in Document Management Systems?
There are several types of DMS, each of which is designed to address specific challenges within the document lifecycle. From cloud-based platforms to on-premise software, these tools enable companies to centralize information, simplify processes, and enhance collaboration. Advanced features like automated workflows, AI-powered search, and role-based access control ensure that your teams can collaborate efficiently while maintaining security and compliance.
Companies are now dealing with volumes of data and documents the likes of which they’ve never seen before. For this reason, it’s imperative that you have a DMS with features that can keep up with the needs of modern enterprises.
Here’s what you should look for:
Bulk Import: Since each department within a company now has hundreds or thousands of documents that they’re dealing with on a regular basis, you need a tool that will be able to centralize all this data without a tedious manual process. Tools with bulk import options are often equipped with powerful scanners to simplify centralization and cataloging. In most cases, these tools also integrate well with other content tools and applications, speeding up the process even more.
Advanced Filing: Modern document management systems come with the ability to accurately capture and store metadata which provides the structure and context necessary for document organization.
Collaboration: A DMS is incomplete without collaboration tools. Since the idea behind document management is to facilitate collaboration and teamwork without delays, it’s important to look for a tool that’s accessible from any browser or location, intuitive, and integrates well with other tools in your tech stack.
Search Features: Document management systems need to be equipped with search features that help employees find what they need without wasting any time. Based on the volume of documents your company is dealing with and how often these documents need to be retrieved, you should look for a tool like Intalio DMS that allows users to search for documents in a number of ways including full-text search, Boolean search, metadata-based search, and even the ability to search using advanced filters.
Ready to start centralizing your documents? Book a demo today to see how Intalio’s DMS can help with its advanced cataloging, search, and collaboration features.
Not yet ready to take the plunge? Check out our ROI calculator to see how much you can save by digitizing your document management.
