With our increased reliance on digital documents, choosing the best document management system to meet your needs can have a positive impact on your office workflows. 

Think about the amount of paperwork you deal with every day— there are contracts, invoices, reports, spreadsheets, employment applications and records, insurance policies, and financial statements. Nobody wants to sift through massive paper archives or messy shared drives at work. 

So, having a great document management system (DMS) can do a lot to make life easier for your employees. 

A document management system is an automated, cloud-based solution that allows you capture, store, retrieve, and distribute digital documents. The software is built with the modern workplace in mind in that it makes the management of digital documents faster and more efficient. 

That being said, finding the perfect document management system is no easy task. In fact, you’d be forgiven for finding the entire experience a little daunting, especially if you aren’t entirely sure of what to keep top of mind. This guide is designed to help you assess the various options available and determine what features will be really useful for your business 

Must-have document management system features

Scanning

Getting all your paper into electronic format is the first big step toward digital workflows. A good DMS easily scans documents and converts them into PDF copies that are automatically imported into the central hub. Ideally, the solution should be able to queue up multiple documents, as opposed to having to feed each page separately, which will save your business considerable time. 

Device compatibility

It goes without saying that cross-device functionality will either make or break your experience with the DMS. Today the most common scenario is for employees to work on a range of devices, so it’s worth considering a DMS that is compatible with desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. This way, your staff can access documents from anywhere at any time. They will also be able to respond more quickly to changing events. 

Search function

A search feature is one of the most important aspects of a DMS. When you have lots of content saved in the system, it can be very difficult for users to find what they’re looking for. With a powerful search function, users looking for a specific document don’t have to click their way through the system, but can quickly access the file from the search results.

Collaboration and integration

Collaboration and integration are a must if you want your DMS to achieve effective teamwork in the workplace. With features such as real-time editing, file-sharing, integrations with other plugins, and permission controls, the DMS can bring employees from different departments together in one central location to work collaboratively and achieve common goals.

Increasing productivity

Even if the DMS has useful functionalities and features, if it is difficult to navigate, the chances of it being successful are greatly reduced. The ideal DMS is easy to understand, navigate, and operate. It should help the users do their jobs better than before and not get in the way of completing a task.

Security

Another box a good DMS should tick is security. The system will contain lots of private and sensitive information that needs to be protected as well as it can be. A DMS that offers document encryption and user privileges will prevent people from accessing restricted data, unless given permission by you. 

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Final word

At the end of the day, any document management system will help you better organise and manage your electronic records, but taking the extra time to understand what shapes a good DMS can pay off big time in the long run. By taking these factors into consideration when choosing a DMS solution, you can find the perfect fit for your needs.