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Key Questions and Insights to Ask Before Your Next DMS Move 

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Paper-intense documentation hassles have shifted the world towards digital options. However, digitizing the process couldn’t mimic the convenience of accessing a quick document lying in your work desk, which is much easier and less complicated. This sprouted the need for an effective document management system in an organization to not lose out on the benefits on the other side.

A well-implemented DMS not only serves as the backbone of an organization’s knowledge but also offers advanced search capabilities; making the right move in setting it up forms the foundation step towards effective management. But with numerous DMS options in the market, how does one navigate the move toward the right DMS?

In this blog, we will decode them. Here, we will explore the challenges and solutions in document management, key questions, and insights to bear in mind before choosing a DMS for your business. 

Document Management Challenges and Solutions 

Every business maintains a document management system to track their business operations, but it also comes with its own challenges growing with changing times. Here are some of the common challenges and solutions in document management systems.  

Complexity in Document Retrieval  

One of the major challenges organizations confront in document management is fetching specific files quickly and accurately. As the volume of documents increases, locating critical information becomes more difficult, affecting operational efficiency.  

To address the complexity of document retrieval, organizations must develop an intuitive file management approach that uses effective metadata tagging, search algorithms, and user-friendly interfaces. 

Did you know that organizations can now auto-tag documents in their existing SharePoint Library with no code?  

High Document Process Cycle Time 

One major challenge in document management is the high document process cycle time. It is referred to as the total time taken to manage a document from beginning its creation to its final disposal.  Any delays in document process cycle time will have a detrimental effect on operational effectiveness, affecting responsiveness and timely decision-making.  
 
To Fix this challenge, a comprehensive approach integrating sophisticated document management technology, best practices, and improved workflows is required to speed up document processing and improve overall organizational agility. 

Scalability 

Every entrepreneur’s goal is growth. Over time, growth results in a significant amount of information being saved on the radar. This creates a pressing need for a robust DMS strategy and scalability to accommodate the inflow of documents. An explicit consideration of the DMS’s ability to scale effectively becomes crucial to support the future. Inadequate scalability can result in performance bottlenecks, system slowdowns, and deterioration in responsiveness.  

Legacy document management may struggle to handle the data proliferation, hindering smooth operations. Furthermore, the task includes integrating emerging technology and adapting various document formats, which can also reduce systems’ scalability. 

To address this challenge, businesses must proactively evaluate their needs and invest in a scalable DMS that can change with time without compromising functionality. As data volumes increase, a scalable and flexible document management system will be needed to manage, organize, and retrieve records effortlessly. 

Did you know SharePoint grows with you, making document management a breeze at any scale? 

Integration Challenges 

Documents seep in from multiple sources and demand access controls on top of them, ensuring safety and compliance standards. Organizations seeking effective document access control face difficulty integrating seamlessly with existing applications. Incompatibility issues can result in data silos, which impede the seamless flow of information among departments. 

Measures such as careful investigation, determining compatibility issues, and implementing middleware or bespoke integrations can fix this challenge. A well-integrated system guarantees data integrity, improves communication, and creates a more unified digital infrastructure within the organization. 

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Key Questions to consider before your Document Management system implementation 

Here are some essential questions you must ask your strategy and planning team before making your DMS move. 

Does It Have Robust Security Measures? 

As the digital revolution grows, we are more likely to see cyber-attacks becoming more common. One major factor businesses must consider in safeguarding their data from cyber threats is implementing strong security measures on online platforms where files are stored.  

Organizations must evaluate services and determine whether the DMS services offer robust security features such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, and access restriction. 

Similarly, security profiles should have fine-grained control over document access and editing rights. If you choose an on-premises solution, you should consider establishing rigorous security protocols in-house.  

If your business is considering opting for a cloud-based solution, you should ask your cloud service provider about the security standards. Can your business get a dedicated service or is it on resource sharing or a virtual private server? What about data center security, redundancy, and backup? Are files encrypted when in transit?  

No time or understanding about what to ask? Companies like Microsoft made it easy by offering in-built security practices.  SharePoint document management adds an extra layer of security, enabling multiple-factor authentication. Organizations can use it as both an on-premise and cloud solution to control who can access, share, or edit specific documents’ data, ensuring that sensitive information is protected.  

Is It Compatible with the other? 

One sign of effective document management is that it seamlessly integrates and remains compatible with the organization’s existing systems and applications. Any roadblocks or bottlenecks might hamper the operations and affect productivity. When considering a DMS move, ask your team: Can your new DMS integrate with the company’s applications? Does it support integration with other LoB systems, too? Can you easily pass work on the regularly used platform into DMS? How extensible can the software be from department to department? Can it integrate with your most used everyday applications like Microsoft teams? 

What About Workflow and Automation Processes? 

Most document management systems in the market can perform operations such as storing, accessing, and editing documents. Ask the service provider: What else can the software do besides store, accessing, and retrieving documents? What kind of automation can it perform? Does the system keep up with industry regulations? How easy is creating a rules-based process that safeguards your specific business workflow, complete with authority levels, access privileges, approvals, notifications, and reports?  

Some document management software can make adapting workflow and checkpoints time-consuming and costly. With SharePoint DMS, creating effective workflow and automation is easy; it eliminates human intervention and manages automated workflows seamlessly.  

How Easy Can It Be to Set Up and Use? 

Not all knowledge workers have good hands with technology. The DMS software should be user-friendly and easy to navigate. Any ambiguity might lead to ignorance and inadequate use of the service. Consider asking: Will the DMS setup and operation require a substantial investment of time and resources? How much of your existing team’s time is involved in the process?  

Also, ask if it is simple for the organization to utilize after it’s set up. To what extent is the solution intuitive? Will employees be able to adapt to it with minimal effort? It is most obvious that solutions with a steep learning curve don’t get fully utilized. It could be more chaotic if only a few departments of the organization use the new solution while the rest continue to do things the old way.  

What Will It Cost to Implement? 

Consider both the pricing scheme and the overall cost of ownership when evaluating costs. Consider asking these: 

  • How much does the solution cost? 
  • What other expenses are involved? 
  • Will you require external experts to guide you through the implementation process? 
  • How soon can I notice operational benefits from the DMS? 
  • Will there be a cost to put it up and deploy it? 
  • Is there an ongoing maintenance fee, or will I need to pay for service upgrades? 
  • Are there several pricing tiers, and how will they affect costs as we scale and grow? 

How Good Is Their Support? 

Having a document management system solely does not help if it does not work as you expected. Your document system provider must accommodate your support when transitioning into the new system. 

Will they assist in clearing queries? What level of support and assistance will they provide? Will it scale with the organization’s growth? What’s on their product roadmap in that regard? Are they working on the tool right now? Will it keep getting better? 
 
We hope the above questions help you narrow your list of potential DMS solutions to best fit your needs. If you are looking for a document management service that caters to all the above-listed services. We are here to relieve you of flooded documents and silos.  

At Saxon, we provide document management services that seamlessly integrate with your business applications, eliminating the risk of missing files and enhanced security. We are a trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner helping you unlock potential SharePoint features and supporting you from the beginning to the end of the process. Get in touch with us today. 

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