All You Need to Know about Document Management Systems

Businesses are always looking for a more efficient way to manage their data. For the today's manufacturer, there is a ton of data to manage. For some time, the best process was to fill up clanky file cabinets and pay people to oversee the process. This is no longer the case. With much of a company's groundwork being accomplished on computers, storing transactional and clerical data on digital systems only makes sense.

Introducing document management, a system that can file away all your organization's data and provide you with easy data retrieval without the irritation of relying on other people to physically get the data for you. If your company has been in operation for years, documents can go missing and create inefficiencies. With the integration of a Document Management System, your company will immediately move faster.

What is Document Management?

The Document Management system (DMS) is a structured repository for all of your organization's documents. It’s a simple concept that seems hard to implement, but with modern solutions, it’s easy for your organization to keep all of its important data in one secure location.

How It Works

Once you decide that a Document Management System is right for your organization's needs, you must address some logistical issues. The first is where you are going to store all your information. You will need to procure file storage space inside your location or in the cloud. Next you need to get all of your paper documents digitized. Utilizing either scan-to-storage or data imaging, the DMS you choose will capture a document as an image and file it away in a pre-defined location. 

When scanned, the images of the new documents are saved as PDF files, providing users a way to search the DMS for keywords and metadata found on that document. With a DMS you will never have to have another filing cabinet. All of your data is stored digitally and searchable through the DMS. 

What are the Advantages?

The advantages of a DMS are significant for manufacturers. Business moves fast and no large or small manufacturer can afford to deal with downtime. With a DMS, business moves faster. Some DMS solutions integrate with document signing applications offering built-in contract management. This keeps the supply chain constantly working for your business, and keeps it from working against it. 

A full list of advantages includes:

• Reduction in physical space required for storage
• Improved security with encryption
• Enhanced compliance with regulations
• Easy and fast retrieval of documents
• Remote retrieval for enhanced collaboration
• Easier redundancy for your organization's business continuity efforts

If you are a manufacturer that is searching for a way to centralize all of your documents in a reliable and secure document management system, call the experts at Macro Systems today at 703-359-9211.