Cumbersome paper Document Management System (DMS) is not preferred anymore. There are various valid reasons for ditching the paper documents – the high cost of maintenance, poor management of documents, wastage of time, and storage issues; among others. Organizations have been searching for reliable online file management system software to make their work easy and structured. Today, there is a wide range of options available for adopting DMS.
Which one is suitable for your organization?
Well, you need to perform an in-depth analysis before purchasing online file management system. Here, we have listed the factors that should be considered when installing the online file document system. In addition to factors, we will also have a look at the benefits associated with the file management system.
Scanning
The foremost step in the DMS is scanning of the documents. There are huge numbers of documents that have to be uploaded in electronic format. You need a scanner for this purpose. Although scanner is not a periphery of a DMS, most of the companies provide scanning solutions for greater convenience.
You can get scanning devices at a reasonable price along with a DMS. If you already have a scanner, make sure it is compatible with the DMS. There are multifunctional printers that are efficient, fast and easy. If you already own these, you don’t need to buy a scanner.
File Formats and Metadata
It starts with a scanner, and then it deals with file formats of the scanned images. A perfect online file management system will support all the major formats like .docx and PDF.
– In the past, when Microsoft altered the document extension from .doc to .docx, most of the DMS were rendered useless. A DMS must be compatible with the file formats.
– Today the providers always look forward to upgrading their technology so that they can support new formats of documents.
– When the scanned images are retrieved, they need de-spotting and final touch ups before they are finally uploaded. This could be done with the DMS software.
– Moreover, after final touches, assigning metadata is equally important. Metadata is required to identify the contents of a document. When searching a file or performing an audit, metadata plays a key role in tracking the file.
Number of Users
The employees of an organization may vary from single person to more than a thousand. When purchasing DMS software, the number of users supported by the DMS must be known. The number of users working on DMS is different from users with access to DMS. Generally, the access is unlimited, and the number of users who can log into the account is limited. The number of users that needs to work in DMS should be known. Otherwise, it will create problems in the future.
Storage
As mentioned earlier, the number of employees may vary in different organizations. Similarly, workload also varies. Storage space plays a major role when uploading the documents in DMS. It depends on the retention time of the documents. Retention time is the period for which the organization stores the documents. You need more space with more retention time. On the other hand, if the retention time is less, you need lesser space.
Moreover, you can manage the storage space by deleting the documents that are no longer required. This way, you can manage storage space on online file management system. There has to be a periodic review of the files stored. This will identify the files that should be saved or deleted.
Data Structure
The naming of files needs to be done after the final documents are uploaded. You scanned and processed the files. Now files should be named according to their content. All the related data will be stored in folders. Folders will be stored in drawers and drawers will be placed in cabinets. So, the data is stored in a hierarchy. This is called the structured data. In online file management systems, structure plays an important role in locating the files. Moreover, the data structure is useful when there are different departments in an organization.
Security
Every online file management system is always under constant threat from hackers. Data theft is the most common crime in organizations. The threat is from both the external and internal sources. Internal threat is from the employees working in the organization. For this, user permissions should be set up for the users. The activities should continuously be monitored. Data encryption is equally important when it is in use or lying dormant. Most of the online file management systems provide these features to ensure the security for their client’s documents.
Another aspect of security is the data backup. It’s possible that a server gets corrupt and all data is lost. If there is no backup, you cannot restore it. For this, you need to have a backup of your data. Consider this feature when deploying a DMS.
Cost
You want all the features in your DMS. But, you need to consider the costing of these services as well. Out of all these features, choose the features relevant for your organization. Then, you can purchase the DMS that suits your requirements. The cost of the DMS depends on upon the security level, storage space, user logins, etc. Customize all of it according to your need and invest accordingly.
Updates & Support
Technology is ever changing. You don’t want to buy an online file management system that does not provide regular updates. If the software is not upgraded, it will be prone to threats from hackers. Your data will be at risk, and there could be a security breach. Therefore, consider a DMS provider that provides regular updates for the software with the evolving technology.
Support is equally important to solve your queries. Dedicated and honest support is the requirement of all the organizations. When we say honest support, it means to support that does not lead you astray. You need to make sure that support is available during your working hours because you don’t want any lags in the process during peak business time.
The Basics of Online File Management System Deployment
• Documents are scanned and the primary copy is uploaded in the DMS
• The documents are processed and saved in appropriate formats
• Necessary metadata is added to the documents, and the file names are given
• The files are sorted in folders for proper hierarchy
via Anushka Chakrabarti |
Anushka Chakrabarti is an avid blogger of Docup, a company that does document management for individuals, tax professionals, and businesses of all sizes. She loves technology, especially cloud technology. She writes on cloud based apps and works in the online cloud file storage company.
