Document Management Software

One of the differentiating tools between document storage and document management is version control.

Normally, if you create a document, e.g. in Word or Excel, you save it, reopen it, make changes and save it again, replacing the original. This would be simple document storage.

Version control is the process by which different drafts of a document are managed, with an audit trail of the different revisions. Whilst it is possible to monitor mark up and changes in Word documents, you can never be sure that there is not another out-of-date copy of the document lurking elsewhere, either on the server or locally on a PC.

It is possible to check out a document, loading it into its originating program e.g. a Word document, make changes and check it back into the system again. The previous version will be retained in the system, but the new version will always be the first one viewed.

This feature can be quite novel for users new to the concept – but clear guidance should be provided to users, although hard and fast rules may not be possible. People need to stop and think… the key question is “might I (or anyone else) need a prior version of this file once I save this version?” If the answer is “Yes”, then check in to the document management system.

A few examples:

If an Excel working paper is being created, there is probably little point saving it the document management system, going home tonight or out for lunch, then checking it out again tomorrow to carry on working on it. Repeat this several times over and suddenly you have 10, 20+ versions. If the file is quite large, say 1MB just for illustrative purposes, having 20 versions uses 20MB of storage. Whilst disk space is not hugely expensive anymore, it is an issue worth bearing in mind.

It would probably be more practicable to overwrite the original file every time it has been updated and then save to the document management software once it is finalized so there is just the one version.

Another practical use would be for annual client risk assessments, the consideration of which need to be documented. If a standard form is used in year 1, it is possible to check it out in year 2, sign and date it then checks it back in again. This keeps all the forms together in one place, instead of having lots of records over a period of years. It does make it very easy to demonstrate the risk assessments have been carried out in the event of a compliance/monitoring visit.

Another possible use would be for correspondence – a draft is saved; the reviewer can check it out and amend it as necessary before checking it back in prior to its distribution.

A document management system is a system used to track, manage and store documents and reduce paper. Docusoft is capable of keeping a record of the various versions created and modified by different users. While many other document management software only offer a client-server based system or cloud-based system; Docusoft lets you choose the best option you like be storing documents on your own self-managed server or our cloud solution that allows you to save documents on our cloud server and access them anywhere through various devices such as Desktops, laptops, mobiles or tablets.

Docusoft stores documents in their native file format (Microsoft Word or Excel, PDF) which helps to keep the formatting of the original document intact.

Solicitors’ offices used to be well known for the rows of books on the shelves and the voluminous file cabinets which housed client documents. Since the advent of the digital age, however, many firms have moved much of their paper online in the form of digital documents. While some documents will always be required to be kept in physical form, many lawyers today are finding they not only can have a paper-light office but that software provides much greater access than traditional physical files.

Traditionally when we speak of documents in a law practice we’re referring to pleadings, discovery documents, forms, and letters. Today, add email to that list. Email is not only the most common form of communication between parties in a legal matter but each email can be thought of as a document. So it should go without saying that managing documents and email is important to lawyers in every type of practice.

Docusoft takes this further by providing you the ability to automatically save emails in the system making the process furthermore seamless.

Storing files on personal computers and network drives is a good start towards achieving a structured digital filing system and can be used to store personal information, but managing the structure tends to depend to a great extent on personal preference and work style however in a profession environment where every user stores his own set of documents based on his own prefered structure the structure varies to a great extent and becomes difficult to access documents.

Having a structured filing system is crucial for faster accessibility of documents and smoother day-to-day operation of the organisation. This creates a need for central document repository and an organised filing system that can do this better than a Cloud Document Management System.

Cloud Document Management Software gives the advantage of providing a business with a central document repository shared between all its resources. Documents are made easily accessible and by avoiding duplications lesser space is needed to store them!

Storing documents on the cloud would make document management both convenient and secure and takes away a lot of pressure from your IT team as the data is stored and backed up on the Cloud by the Document Management provider and also reducing the upkeep cost and storage cost.

Using a Cloud document management systems instead of using own server to store documents improve document security from both types of threats deliberate and natural.

Have you ever considered how document handling and processing can impact your business and the effect this can have on an employee’s average working day?

If you’ve ever lost important documents, you will know how costly it is to recreate them or have them duplicated. Apart from the physical cost, it also takes unnecessary time and causes unwanted frustration. Do you collaborate on documents or create legal documents that have to be approved by a given deadline? The deadline is approaching fast and you’re wasting time collating and reviewing comments from colleagues! Do you send important documents by post to ensure they are delivered on time?

Here are some of the document management factors that can affect your business.

Many employees use email for collaboration. Just think about the number of attachments that will be duplicated and the confusion this may cause if the final version needs to be traced! Find ways of electronically managing documents to reduce duplication and provide tools that will allow employees to annotate and review these annotations.

On average, nearly 10% of business documents may be lost, misplaced or misfiled. Discover if there are more efficient ways of filing the documents securely.

Searching for documents but not finding them wastes a considerable amount of employee time and may be cited as a the key factor that can account for lost organisational productivity. Discover if there are more efficient ways of filing the documents and searching for these documents and information when needed.

Employees can spend a notable amount of time getting documents signed or documents approved. Research tools that allow workflow approval and offer digital signatures.

Many professionals need to be able to collate information from many different types of documents and then present these in another. Think about how much time is spent finding this information, how documents are collated and how a new document can be created.

The cost to send a parcel by post in the UK starts at £7.25. Review what types of documents you are sending to customers and the costs involved to send them. Do you know how much time is spent by employees on these document related tasks?

Businesses operate in a competitive, client-oriented world and must be able to respond accurately and quickly to future business requirements. There was a time when everything was documented in books. Over time, these books became sheets of paper stored in folders. And then the folders and documents moved to file actually. Now we have electronic documents and electronic storage.

Document and information management and administration is something that can easily be undervalued. With the increasing number of regulatory laws and business regulations, it is surely important business of any size, in any sector, offers their employees a structured secure system to manage business documents: a Document Management System.

The value of a reliable DMS

Companies that implement an electronic document management solution use an organized filing structure to help them manage the storage process. Additional metadata such as project names, the purpose of the document, date of creation and expiration, etc. are all stored in the system and as a result, records and documents are securely stored but easy to locate, access and track.

An organization with multiple offices locations can share a single system and central point of access to pool company knowledge, provide secure central access to business information and manage the protection of this important business data.

Together with the protection of data, it is also important to protect an employee’s interaction with this data. Document and activity audit trails can offer this additional employee security.

The use of a flexible DMS

A document management system that offers customization, points of integration, ease of use and a good feature set, can easily be used to provide a DMS solution in many different business sectors. Below are just a few examples of how a DMS can provide much-needed business benefits.

Healthcare organizations

Providing a Central Document Repository is important to the healthcare industry sector. From care homes to dental practices, any different type of document may need to be stored, securely protecting patient data but still providing simple and fast access to medical and administrative staff.

Legal institutions

Legal practices appreciate the security and availability of documents provided by a DMS. One key feature is that access to the system is strictly controlled and activity logged. These features not only protect documents but also ease the burdens of compliance.

The ease at which users can search reduces administrative costs and helps keep fees in check. With thousands of documents to manage features for advanced keyword search and optical character recognition functionality proves highly valuable.

Charitable organizations

A document management software will provide a high level of security and makes it simple to restrict and permit users to access stored data.

Charitable documents often contain confidential information, so a DMS can allow individual documents not to be opened or copied but still, allow it to be previewed without showing personal or private details. The ability to standardize documents or create templates helps automate and personalize the creation and distribution of documents present an opportunity to reduce costs.

Why choose a DMS?

Businesses look continually for that competitive edge. And with today’s digital economy, where so many products and services are being commoditized and process automated, any initiative to deliver improvements in any core business processes must be viewed as offering a slight business advantage.

Managing documents and information has long been seen by enterprise businesses as a way to improve processes and add to that competitive edge. And today, small and medium-sized business owners now view information and document management as more than just an administrative task. With each passing day and the plethora of documents and information a business creates, the profile of this critical management duty is raised and its importance highlighted. With so many regulations to comply with and data to protect, the importance of secure document and information management is a topic to which more and more small and medium-sized organizations must devote more time. It is also as important to consider how this once pure administrative task can provide some business advantages.

A document management system is a software solution that provides businesses with a system to manage and control every aspect of electronic files and documents; from scanning paper documents and combining these with existing soft documents, to store them in a secure central repository, that is accessible to users at any time, from anywhere. A DMS will include many features and tools that allow users to search, review and process their documents. The business benefits are many, here are just a few:

Reduce Acquisition Time and Storage Needs.

A DMS will have options to allow users to manually and or automatically acquire electronic documents and index them. Some will also offer A.I. features to train the system to store document information systematically. With customizable indexing and integration with other document creation tools, a DMS can quickly become the foundation of a businesses’ information management strategy. Allowing user to reduce the time to index and help reduce storage requirements.

Improved Safety, Security and Access Control

Safeguarding your data, and ensuring regulations that affect both business and personal data should be addressed by a DMS. It is important that a system provides the means to not only secure the digital files it stores, but also the data related to these files. A Secure Document Management system will also provide tools to secure access to the system, offering preferences that define policies about who and how a user can access the system, the documents, and information it stores and how this can be shared with others. An important feature that systems should also offer is document and activity audit trails. These are particularly important where evidence may be required for compliance with regulatory standards.

Document Control and Workflow

The control of working documents and how these are shared with colleagues will also be addressed by a DMS. Features for versioning, locking files and archiving will need to be included. Combine these document control features with workflow features that allow documents to be sent to colleagues and co-workers, for action or for their information, and for these processes to be tracked and updated, will help deliver improvements of efficiency in these workflow and document control processes.

About Docusoft

There are several reasons why organisations should resort to managing documents electronically.

From the business point of view, the main reasons are to achieve savings in terms of costs and time, better productivity and increased efficiency. With more and more laws favoring transparency and better management of information, achieving legal compliance has become a major reason to use electronic document management.

In this blog post, we will look at 3 ways managing documents electronically helps you comply with the law.

1) Quickly and easily access documents

Document management system offers you the ability to organise your files systematically in a variety of ways. Depending upon which solution you choose, you can organize your documents into folders, by document types, assign tags, link related documents to one another, or even organise them project-wise or client-wise. Searching documents can be by using various criteria or simply by their text content – much as you would search using an Internet search engine. These capabilities help you find files faster when you need to provide information to anybody such as clients, customers or government agencies and therefore helps team be more productive.

2) Restrict access to documents

New business laws being passed concerning information security relates to access to sensitive customer data. Customers share personal information like their home address, date of birth, National Insurance number etc. through forms, letters and other documents. They place their trust in your hands and the government expects you to safeguard access to that information. Document management software enables you to choose who you want to share documents with and who you want to restrict documents from. You can assign various role based privileges to the users. Some solutions even offer the ability to encrypt documents. All this ensures that no unauthorized person can access documents and other records pertaining to your customers and other stakeholders. Certain employees therefore may not have access to all documents. They can manage their roles better and can focus exclusively on their tasks.

3) Maintain a log of user actions performed using the software program

Technology is constantly evolving and in turn, helping us all to focus on becoming paper free. The paperless office can provide many benefits to a business and can improve office management practices. With the systematic storage of business documents and information, the document management application is used to manage and store email communications, conversion of paper documents and other digital files, indexing them in a methodical fashion so they can be retrieved quickly. A document management software will also provide automated workflows to route files around the business and include features to allow documents to be processed. These systems improve information security and deliver cost savings by helping to free businesses of paper-based costs. Here are some of the key advantages of any paperless office.

Advantages of a Paperless Environment

Save Time, Effort and Money

A document management system will not only help cut paper costs but it will also reduce document storage costs. It can save money by reducing time spent interacting with paper; go paper-free with a DMS to reduce the time spent filing, copying, organizing and retrieving paper documents. Streamline your office processes and make it easy for staff to focus on productive tasks.

Making Information Accessible to all Team Members Fast

If your company depends on a paper-based filing system you’ll understand the effort and time spent managing and using these physical document systems. So, make it easy and use a DMS to authorize access to information and documents, to everyone simultaneously, from a single central document repository.

Help Save the Planet

secureportal What are Accountants looking for?

Accountants have traditionally been highly dependent on paper. And they are becoming increasingly aware of the high costs of managing paper-based files and the limitations associated with the processing inefficiencies. In addition, email has become the communication tool of choice and it is extremely inefficient to print off all emails to keep a client file up to date. Practice Management, Tax Software, and Accounting Systems are utilized to generate client documents and in many cases duplicate documents are created for filing purposes. And there are numerous documents stored on network drives which need access and filing too. This all adds up to having to support a variety of documents in various locations, with inherent duplication, security, access, and inefficiency issues.

Accountants are now looking at solutions to increase their productivity and efficiency by reducing their dependence on the paper store and by maintaining a single storage environment for all client information in all formats. In addition, information needs to be available both locally and remotely, and access to the information needs to be provided when visiting clients.

How can we help?

The Docusoft DMS is an ICAEW accredited document management solution that will manage all your paper, emails, and all other documents in a single environment.

The Docusoft DMS is a comprehensive solution for capturing, managing and processing documents. This core software includes a wide range of integration options, email management, extensive paper capture options, integration with MS-Office for document filing, file capture and import options, extensive search and retrieval, an fast document viewer, and a whole host of other functions to improve efficiency and productivity. Users can fully customize the filing structures to meet specific requirements which also enable access controls to be applied. The Docusoft DMS is a secure document store where no information can be accidentally deleted, also included is a comprehensive audit trail to maintain compliance. The secure Docusoft Portal and the Docusoft PDF Merge tools are just two of the added value products provided to deliver enhanced document processing and delivery capabilities.

The benefits of Docusoft

Security

Controlled access to files and folders

All documents are in one location

Backup and recovery is easily managed

All activity is audited

Regulatory compliance is enhanced

Accessibility

Access to files by a variety of indexing fields

Filing/indexing is consistent

Secure, shared access to every document

Search by content using OCRd

Access to all information in any electronic format

Storage

Reduce storage

Release office space

Hard copy filing is reduced if not eliminated

Save money

Efficiency

Eliminate lost time manually searching for files

Increase response time to client requests

Manage and enhance business processes

Increase productivity

Welcome To Docusoft

There are many ways of improving efficiencies and productivity – just step away from the day to activities (or get someone to do it for you) and see how things are actually being done and think – “could this be done differently? ”

One area which detracts from both efficiency and productivity is shuffling papers around or looking for paperwork that was filed somewhere safely!

Implementing a document management system can improve efficiencies in the working practice and provide a better working environment.

1. Get rid of the Filing Boxes – Scan and Store Electronically

Creating paper based files can lead eventually to storage issues – off site facilities may be required. It can also be very time consuming to locate documents and even the files themselves. It is quick and easy to scan documents, index them for fast retrieval and store them digitally. The paper can then be shredded. No costly files, filing boxes or storage space required.

2. Don’t Create Paper Documents in the First Place

If someone has a printed document there is an inbuilt requirement to file it away safely. A change of mindset is required to save the electronic version without committing it to paper.

When multiple versions of the same paper document are being circulated how do you know or decide which is the latest version? Good

electronic document management system

allow different versions of the same electronic document to be maintained so that the most current is always visible first.

3. Systemise the Electronic Filing and the Workflows

Ensure everyone in the business knows what is required and how, when and where to save electronic files. Everyone should also work the same way e.g. filing emails should be in their native format and not printed to PDF and saved in that format.

The use of drop down boxes to attach electronic tags is much better than relying on specific text which can be mistyped.

Workflow is an essential element of any

document management system

. There is little point filing a document received and no one knowing that it is in the system or that someone needs to act upon it and deal with it. Sending an email to let someone know a document needs their attention is not a workflow!

4. Locate Documents Quickly and Easily

Key to any document management system is the ability to get information out quickly. In a paper based system it is likely that a telephone call would need to be returned as it would have been necessary to locate the physical file somewhere in the building. With a document management system it should be possible to call up the relevant document whilst the client is on the phone. When appropriate tags have been applied, it is possible inside a document management system to filter the search by a tag making it far quicker to retrieve specific documents – something it is not easy to do in a paper based file.

5. Save Files of all Formats

The document management system will enable filing, not just of scanned documents, but of all types in their native format. So, be it Word, Excel, Outlook emails, PDF files …… all can be saved for easy retrieval. Not only that, a combined file of all types can be created (as a zip file) so that all documents relating to an assignment can be kept together in one neat electronic file if necessary.

Document management

There are several reasons why organizations should resort to managing documents electronically.

From the business point of view, the main reasons are to achieve savings in terms of costs and time, better productivity and increased efficiency. With more and more laws favoring transparency and better management of information, achieving legal compliance has become a major reason to use electronic document management

.

In this blog post, we will look at 3 ways managing documents electronically helps you comply with the law.

1) Quickly and easily access documents

Document management system offers you the ability to organize your files systematically in a variety of ways. Depending upon which solution you choose, you can organize your documents into folders, by document types, assign tags, link related documents to one another, or even organize them project-wise or client-wise. Searching documents can be by using various criteria or simply by their text content – much as you would search using an Internet search engine. These capabilities help you find files faster when you need to provide information to anybody such as clients, customers or government agencies and therefore helps the team be more productive.

2) Restrict access to documents

New business laws being passed concerning information security relates to access to sensitive customer data. Customers share personal information like their home address, date of birth, National Insurance number, etc. through forms, letters, and other documents. They place their trust in your hands and the government expects you to safeguard access to that information.

Document management software enables you to choose who you want to share documents with and who you want to restrict documents from. You can assign various role-based privileges to the users. Some solutions even offer the ability to encrypt documents. All this ensures that no unauthorized person can access documents and other records pertaining to your customers and other stakeholders. Certain employees, therefore, may not have access to all documents. They can manage their roles better and can focus exclusively on their tasks.

3) Maintain a log of user actions performed using the software program

There are many reasons why a company may decide to manage electronic information and go paperless – to make documents easier to locate and share, to free up valuable space in your office or to save a few trees. Whatever your reasons, there are many benefits to going paperless. In this, we’ll discuss the following benefits of using

document management software to create a paperless office: improved security, a central document repository, cost savings, process consistency and integration with other business solutions.

Security

Even a locked file box is vulnerable to being broken into by someone with prying eyes. Your paper documents are not safe from those who really want to see them. In a paperless office, you can add several levels of security to keep unauthorized persons from seeing sensitive material.

The best document management software allows you to set individual and role-based security at the folder and file levels. This means that you can give different people different access to folders and documents based on their roles within the company. For example, you may want to give a manager read, write, modify and delete permissions on a specific file while giving his or her direct report only the read permission. Users without any assigned permissions on the file can’t access it at all.

A good security system also includes a tracking history so you can see when the document was last accessed and who has been accessing it. Placing security on folders and documents also can help your firm meet established business compliance requirements.

Central Document Repository

In a paper-heavy office, your documents can be spread out in several different filing boxes in several different rooms. This can make it very hard and time-consuming to find the documents you need. A central document repository in a document management system is a database that can be accessed by multiple people from any location. When all of your files are stored in a central location, important information can be retrieved and shared much more easily, provided those accessing the database have the proper permissions to view the files. In addition, storing all of your files in an electronic database helps you free up valuable office space.

Cost Savings

Have you ever calculated how much time it takes to rifle through a multitude of filing boxes to find specific documents? Suppose it takes an employee making £20 an hour ten minutes to walk to a records room, find a particular document in a file box, make a copy of the file, deliver the copy to the intended recipient, re-file the original document and return to his desk. If he has to perform that function only six times a day, that’s an hour of lost productivity per day – or about £5,200 per year in wages.

Document management software lets your employees stay more productive by including powerful search features that let them find and distribute important documents almost instantaneously. In addition, document management systems help you eliminate the costs associated with lost documents such as the time it takes to recreate a document that has been destroyed or misplaced.

Process Consistency

Many companies need to comply with legislation that requires specific procedures and processes in record keeping.

There is no document management software that enforces industry standards and compliance. However, these programs can help you establish strict guidelines and processes to ensure compliance in the case of an audit.

Integration

Much of the document management software available integrates with other business applications such as those available in Microsoft Office to provide seamless business processes. This makes it easier for you to integrate document management with the programs you already use to conduct your business. Integrating your document management software saves time and helps with efficiency and productivity.

When looking for a document management system for your office, make sure it addresses your needs and that it is not too complicated for your employees to use. The goal is to remain as productive as possible and to make the transition to a paperless office as painless as possible.

Speak to us at Docusoft. We can do all this and so much more – see how we can improve your working life!

Choosing the right Document Management can be challenging. You need to think about your company’s objectives carefully and how a DMS solution can help meet these aims.

Implementing a DMS solution will deliver value to an organization. However, the challenge is selecting which solution will provide the best value and which is the right DMS vendor to work with?

In order to implement the best DMS solution for your firm, it is also essential to consider future organizational change and if the features available in the DMS solutions you are looking at are versatile enough and offer a level of future proofing that is acceptable for your organization’s planned growth.

When choosing a DMS to consider the following points:

The Server:

Where will the DMS be installed? Can you install it on an existing server or will you have to purchase a new one? Can the DMS be hosted at a datacentre and connected to remotely

Structure:

When looking for the right DMS, check you can customize it to offer some replication of your current filing structure. Making it easier for users to adopt a new system by adding familiarity will allow them to understand intuitively how documents are organized. What is going to be filed and how will it be referenced? In general, there are three ways that documents are organized: by company/client, by project, and by subject matter.

Permissions:

How you can customize a DMS to authorize users to access the system. Understand how you set custom permissions for users to access folders, sections, and documents. You need to know what they can see and what they can do within the system.

Versioning:

In a corporate environment, where a number of people may need to work on the same document, being able to review the different versions of the documents is important. Find a DMS that allows you to keep track of who accesses a document and the changes that are made.

Search capability:

The search capability is one of the most important features of document management system . Investigate the search features and ensure these include, search of companies and contacts, full-text searches, visual previews, and filing structures. The right DMS will offer easy to use powerful search and display features.

File sharing: