Document Management Systems

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Transform your business with an easy to use digital document management system. Available for sole traders (one user), small businesses, multi-site SMEs to large corporates (unlimited users).

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What Others Ask

A few questions that other customers asked:

The Top 10 Questions Everyone Asks

What is a document management system?

A document management system (DMS) is a software application that enables a company to manage its information, business processes and transactions electronically.

A DMS allows users to store, create, retrieve, share and process electronic documents of all formats from any location. The concept for a DMS originates from the paper world where files were kept in filing cabinets and information was shared through sharing physical paper files.

Think of a filing cabinet as your computer’s hard drive and the file folders as electronic documents that exist on the internet. A DMS manages this communication much like an office assistant would retrieve physical files from storage to share with their co-workers.

What are the benefits of using a document management system?

A document management system allows for managers, executives or employees to create, access and organise electronic documents (file types include: Word, PowerPoint, PDF, Excel etc) quickly, therefore improving communication and efficiencies throughout a company.

The time spent searching for specific documents is reduced, which in turn, reduces any loss in productivity hours.

Documents are stored electronically which lowers paper use within a company, because all files are stored on EDMS servers instead of being printed out via traditional methods. This saves them from having to be physically filed. Any company which has historically operated this way – will know managing paper files is inconvenient, inefficient and costly.

Version control is another big benefit to using a document management system. All files created are given version control IDs, which makes it easy for users to distinguish between past and current versions of documents.

Furthermore, since EDMS saves all changes to an electronic file; any type of document can be annotated (added notes). These annotations allow users to share feedback on shared documents with colleagues without altering the original file. This all adds to ensuring proper version control for individual files is maintained.

What are the different types of document management systems?

There are three main server architectures for document management systems:

Web-based or cloud based document management systems allows mobile apps or browser-based access to files from any computer or mobile devices with an internet connection.

This is useful if employees have laptops, tablets or smartphones and they need to access company documents when they’re away from their desk.

Cloud based document management systems are now becoming popular because they can provide businesses with the latest document management technology at a much lower cost than traditional DMS software.

However, document management using cloud based solutions can become inefficient when there are many users, because it places limitations on how much data you can store within the cloud system depending on your cloud storage and monthly bandwidth limit.

On-premise document management systems require a server to be installed within a company’s internal network. This type of system has many benefits including the ability for organisations to store their data securely from other users on the network.

On-premise solutions allow secure file sharing internally which will speed up workflow since employees won’t have to email business files back and forth.

In addition, this type of content management architecture allows businesses to meet compliance requirements because they can securely control where confidential company information is stored, and who has access rights to this information.

The downside of this type of document management software is that there may be limitations on how much data you can store depending on your hardware. Enterprise content management solutions tend to offer unlimited storage capacity – so if you need a lot of storage space, then this may be the best document management solution for you.

Hybrid document management system is a combination of both cloud based and on-premise architectures where users can access documents and files from anywhere with an internet connection, but the document management software is installed on a server hosted within your own office network.

This type of architecture provides many benefits including:

• easy to use, web browser based interface
• the ability to store large volumes of data
• access files from anywhere securely, such as on mobile devices, without having to download the files first
• centralised version control which allows you to find the latest version of a document

However, this type of system isn’t as secure as an on-premise system, so confidential company information should not be stored on a hybrid DMS server unless the data is encrypted.

What is the best document management system for a small business?

A hybrid EDMS is best for small businesses because it combines the ease-of-use of cloud based document management software with the low cost of an on-premise server.

Hybrid document management systems are ideal for smaller companies because business processes are often very fluid and require flexibility to quickly adapt to changes in workflow or business process. This can can be easily achieved by uploading new document templates into the application.

For example, if you were transferring all your sales lead lists from your sales people into the document management software it would require each sales person to manually input data about their leads. By uploading a new sales template into a DMS, it will allow them to access the template through their web browser so they can quickly enter this data without having to manually input each lead.

This is where technology and document management software helps by automating tasks to make business processes more efficient when compared to using paper business documents or having electronic files scattered across different servers.

The flexibility of a hybrid electronic document management systems will ultimately save you time and money by quickly integrating new workflows without requiring costly software programming.

How does a DMS benefit businesses?

Document management systems, whether they are on-premises or cloud based applications will provide many benefits for your business including reducing costs, improving productivity and increasing revenue.

Businesses are also now implementing document management systems so they can remain competitive in their industry sector.

Here is how improving collaboration along with automating workflow in your business through document processing with a DMS can improve processes in your company:

Decrease overall operational costs – Documents which are stored in physical filing cabinets require people to physically access files which requires employees to find specific files necessary to perform their own work. This is time consuming and costly, so replacing paper filing cabinets with digital file cabinets will reduce operational costs.

Improve productivity – Employees can spend a lot of time archiving and retrieving documents which is not only costly, but it also affects the morale of employees who feel their time is being wasted when they’re doing tasks that could be automated.

Automating document management systems with DMS software will enhance business process workflows and increase overall productivity because employees will spend more time on other important tasks – so they’ll enjoy coming to work and have more employee satisfaction.

Increase revenue – An efficient document management system using DMS software reduces the amount of manual tasks in your workflow which means you save money which you can then reinvest back into your company. This will generate additional revenue so you can expand your business and increase revenue.

Document management software is being used by many different types of businesses including: government agencies, legal firms, financial institutions, healthcare providers, educational and manufacturing organisations to name a few.

With increasing pressure to become more sustainable and to meet compliance requirements – implementing a DMS is necessary for certain industries where regulations are extremely strict.

What do I need to look out for when buying a Document Management System?

Businesses will need to consider three main factors when buying a document management system including time, budget and integration capabilities.

Time – It’s important to consider the amount of time required by employees to learn how to use the document management software. This is where pre-sales support should help determine what the best document solution is and if the system matches the current business workflows.

Budget – There are many different types of document management systems on the market today ranging in price from free up to tens of thousands of pounds/dollars. Companies should consider their affordable budget based on their needs and their industry sector. If a business wants to benefit from the latest features of document management software, they will need to purchase modules which typically range in price per user. A company can easily calculate how much each module will cost based on the number of employees expected to use the software.

If you would like a free quote on document management systems – use our free service here.

Integration – Document management systems should integrate with existing enterprise applications such as email servers, multi-functional office scanning devices (photocopiers), network storage systems and other office automation tools so that they can control documents throughout the entire workflow process. When choosing a document management system for your business, you will ideally want it to be built using “open coding standards” – this will provide connectivity with other business-critical applications.

Before committing any resource into implementing an electronic document management system, you should learn more about the different software solutions available by arranging a free trial. That way you can test the best document management software for you.

How to choose a Document Management System?

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when choosing a document management system for your business. These include the cost, security and setup time required.

Security – If you’re using your document management system in a highly sensitive environment such as healthcare or finance, you will want to ensure that users can’t bypass any access controls.

Setup time – Companies will need to consider the length of time it takes to install and configure a document management system. You don’t want your workflows disrupted or delayed when installing your new DMS otherwise you may lose customers who are waiting for documents.

Price – The cost of an electronic document management system will vary depending on the number of features and modules available. You should consider your budget based on the size and type of business you have before making a purchase.

Other factors to consider when choosing a DMS:

• Does the document management system provide anytime, anywhere access?
• Can it be used to share digital files with anyone in your business or industry?
• Can you comply with regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes Oxley in addition to security and data loss prevention concerns?
• How can employees process workflow processes while travelling, at home and even at work using only one tool that’s easy to use with less training required?
• What types of software does this application integrate with so that you don’t need to waste valuable time installing additional software tools on each desktop computer, laptop and mobile device?
• Can you be sure that your document management system will outlive any hardware investments in the future so that it doesn’t become obsolete in a few years?
• If it is cloud based, where are the online files stored i.e. servers in North America – will it meet UK GDPR compliance?
• What type of format are the files stored in (TIFF, PDF, JPEG etc.)?
• Can it scan paper documents into an electronic form using any photocopier or scanner that supports WIA?
• What other features does it provide including search options, check-in/checkout processes and version control so that everyone in your office knows which version is the latest?
• What speed of internet connection is required for it to operate effectively?

Common Questions About Document Management Software

Is SharePoint a document management system?

Although SharePoint is often described as a document management system, it has many more features that are not associated with this type of software.

SharePoint can be used to control permissions, check-in/checkout processes, search through files and versions but it also offers other features such as project management, staff directory functionality and your own company’s intranet.

What happens when the office internet connection goes down?

If you’re using a cloud based document management solution or if information is stored on local DMS servers in your office, all workflows will be disrupted when there’s an internet connection outage – as staff will not be able to access the cloud.

What happens if I lose connectivity remotely?

If people are working remotely or travelling, they should be able use the document management system offline so that they don’t waste time waiting for documents and files to re-sync automatically when they return online.

Is document management system suitable for small businesses?

Although many people assume this type of document management software is only suitable for large corporations, even small businesses with just a few staff members can benefit from data storage security and version control. These systems ensure that content won’t be lost in case of hardware failure or human error – such as when an employee accidentally deletes files.

What are the best document management systems?

There are many solutions available and we recommend that you search the recommended document management software suppliers on our database here. They will talk you through the various document management platforms to discover which software provides the best features, functionality and customer support

What is the cost of a document management system?

It depends on the features that are required and how many people need to access the EDMS. There is a vast difference between a records management system, a file sharing system, a content management system and an enterprise content management platform with fully integrated file collaboration, user tracking, signature management and document control.

Many cloud-based systems offer a one month free trial to help you decide if it meets your needs before paying for software support and updates.

The cost of local DMS is often lower than online services because there’s no monthly fee and companies can choose to pay upfront or implement cheaper spread payments each year, every six months or quarterly depending on their budget.

Use our free service to speak with document management suppliers near you – they will happily talk you through the various solutions, provide a free quote and arrange a demonstration.