In today’s business world, data is king. The way a company stores, protects, and organizes its data affects productivity and cost. There are many benefits of a document management system, including:
- Reduced storage and labor costs
- Better compliance
- Increased security
- Improved workflow and collaboration
- Enhanced mobility
Here are 5 factors to consider when choosing a document management system:
1. Business Size
Electronic management systems are critical for large companies, but they also provide plenty of perks for small and midsize businesses. For small businesses in particular, cloud-based storage can be a boon for mobile productivity, because it allows files to be accessed from anywhere. Midsize and large companies may prefer a self-hosted document management system that keeps all documents on in-house servers.
2. Current Document Workflow
Your new document management system must integrate easily into your existing programs, and it should offer a variety of ways to capture and enter documents from any application. The bottom line: the proposed document management system should work to fit your business needs, not the other way around.
3. Compliance and Security Needs
Financial document management, along with health care and legal document management, require certain retention, backup, and security measures to comply with federal regulations. All businesses, no matter their industry, will want to choose a system that allows you to password-protect documents and set up employee access permissions.
4. Budget
The cost of an electronic document management system may vary. For cloud-based systems, users typically pay a monthly fee per user. Self-hosted systems require upfront costs for software, license fees for users, software update fees, and sometimes an installation fee.
5. IT Infrastructure
Your current IT infrastructure will dictate whether you should choose a self-hosted or a cloud-based document management system. If your server doesn’t have enough storage space for all of your documents or if you don’t have a quality backup system in place, a cloud-based system may be the best option.
Pacific Office Automation offers custom solutions that address specific document management and workflow needs. We work with customers to create sophisticated, yet user-friendly search tools. Plus, we make the process of switching to an electronic records management system seamless so as not to disrupt your business. Contact us today for a free workflow analysis.