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What is a document management system for
To deal with these enormous amounts of information, organizations are turning to document management systems, thanks to which it is possible to manage documentation in a much more efficient way. It's not just about having a centralized repository in which to store information, but about coordinating and controlling everything that affects each of the documents, from their creation or reception to their location and the access they have to it.
The document management system must cover the entire life cycle of documents, preserving and guarding them, allowing them to be retrieved and exchanged when needed. To this end, a solution of these characteristics defines and establishes the automation of a series of tasks and workflows that, while ensuring compliance with current legislation (document conservation, privacy, GDPR...) help information flow throughout the organization, eliminating watertight departments and improving operational efficiency.
Features of an efficient document manager
For a document management system to preserve documents with guarantees of authenticity, integrity and reliability, allowing access for as long as necessary, it must have very specific functions:
· Cataloging of documentation. It's essential to be able to organize, search and retrieve information more quickly. For this purpose, documents are catalogued using categories, subcategories and metadata, streamlining the search engine results and being able to find the same document using different criteria for this purpose.
· Integration capacity. The same document can be used by different departments, for different purposes and through a wide variety of applications. For this reason, integration with third-party solutions is crucial: in addition to allowing information to flow throughout the organization, it will avoid duplication and provide more reliable data in less time.
· Version control. Documents don't have to be static or shielded from change, and that's why version control is required. In many cases, this is collaborative information whose elaboration involves a group of people. Being able to keep the traceability of that document, preserving the history of changes and its authorship enriches the final result. In this way, it is possible to return to a previous version in the event of an error and prevent the editing of one companion from being made on top of a previous one of another.
· Security. Although it is true that not all documents have the same critical nature and, therefore, their filtration does not endanger the organization in equal measure, security must be part of the DNA of any document management system. Security policies must be defined both to protect documents from attacks from outside the organization and from potential internal risks. This shielding should be accompanied by access control and, of course, by making backup copies to ensure business continuity in the event of a disaster.
· Artificial Intelligence (AI). The incorporation of AI technology in document management systems has meant a qualitative leap in information management, giving rise to what has been called Content Intelligence. Automatically, the system is capable of performing certain tasks, from scanning files to find specific data to classifying documents by completing metadata fields unattended.
· Scalability. The choice of a document management system should not be based on current needs, but on future needs. Deciding on a solution that is not capable of scaling and coping with the exponential growth of information that the company will surely have to face could be fatal.
· Cloud solutions. Nowadays, to bet on a document management system that is not in the cloud is to lose a very valuable competitive advantage. The pandemic has been responsible for demonstrating this, since those companies that could access their information remotely have been agile when it comes to deploying teleworking strategies, while those who relied on local infrastructure to access their documents have experienced a paralysis or slowdown in their businesses.
Main advantages of a document management system
· Information shielding. In a context such as the current one, in which security breaches and cases of Ransomware, a document management system helps to minimize the risks associated with computer attacks. Thanks to its additional layer of access control, it is possible to ensure that the correct information is accessed and shared by the right person for the customer, employee or authorized provider.
· More accessible information. Not finding a document that is needed in time or, what is worse, losing it can result in substantial losses to the organization, not only economic, but also reputational. A document management system makes it easy to access information at the click of a button.
· Increased efficiency. One of the benefits that are most quickly perceived after implementing a system of these characteristics is the greater agility with which you work. Automating the way in which the organization's documents are managed establishes new, more dynamic workflows and contributes to the generation of greater added value.
· Reduction of redundancies. A document management system avoids two types of duplication: on the one hand, that of the data/document itself thanks to its classification methodology; and, on the other, that of certain tasks. Metadata libraries eliminate any type of confusion, preventing the same document that serves different departments from having 'parallel lives'.
Document management in the digital company
The advantages of a document management system in a digital company are more obvious, with benefits such as the automation of processes that are even more evident. Through the use of RPA technologies (Robotic Process Automation), tasks such as document capture can be performed unattended, freeing up staff resources and reducing the risk of errors.
Addressing the digitization of information with the support of a document management system makes it possible to face the current data boom, with unlimited storage capacity without associated high physical infrastructure costs (warehouses, security, air conditioning...). When digitalization is carried out, in addition, betting on a model Cloud costs are drastically cut, both in document management and in software maintenance itself.
In addition, digitalization brings about a very significant reduction in the use of paper, with what this means for the environment. At the same time, it opens the door to a whole range of new functionalities, especially linked to collaborative environments in which co-authorship, transparency and regulatory compliance are no problem.
Why Adea
Adea has the necessary experience and technology to cover the entire document lifecycle of any organization, from the intelligent entry of any physical or digital document, thanks to its Adea Capture Hub module, to the other phases and uses that a document undergoes.
Modules such as Adea Content Hub or Hyperautomation Hub make a difference in document management thanks to the use of AI technologies and Low-code that simplify integration with third-party software and make the most of the automation of complex tasks. All this with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your document management will grow at the same rate as your business needs, without being left behind.
