What is a Document Manager?
A document manager or document management system (DMS) is a tool used to collect, organize, retrieve & share digital documents. A document manager allows you to digitize your document process, which reduces document handling costs & time. Most document management softwares like GLOBODOX are also capable of tracking document activity, controlling document versions & restricting unauthorized access to documents.
So which document management system should you select for your business? You list your requirements, finalize a budget & find a system that works best for you. While selecting a document management system, it is important to look at its features. Most document management systems provide an array of features, including document encryption, automated archiving & more. And there is a possibility that you might not need or not use some of these features. Hence it is important to select a document manager that satisfies your requirements. Below are certain factors you need to take into consideration while selecting an electronic document management system.
What features to look for in a document manager?
Interface
What separates the best document management software from the rest? User interface. Document management software needs to have a user-friendly & well-thought-out interface that improves in-app navigation & reduces learning time. Most document management software allows you to try the software before making a purchase, with a free trial. Use the free trial to test the interface’s functionality, and provide feedback to the service provider.
Mobile Support
In today’s fast-moving world, 24*7 accessibility & multi-device compatibility have become mandatory requirements for users. Select a document manager that provides a mobile interface or app supported by both Android & iOS service providers. Mobile support allows you to connect to the platform whenever you want & improves information accessibility across the entire organization.
Smart Import
If you handle a lot of documents on a daily basis, you know that manually importing every new file into a consolidated location can be a huge waste of time. Document managers are also used as document control software. Document control allows you to regulate & automate the movement of documents across the system. One aspect of document control is smart imports. Smart import automatically transfers new incoming documents from your computer drive into the document management system.
Built-in Scanning & Printing
A document manager’s built-in scanning & printing feature lets you share information on the go, regardless of where the document is physically stored. You can simply choose which document you want to print or scan, connect with a compatible printer/scanner & proceed with the action with a single click. Document managers also allow you to share virtual printouts as PDF files & email attachments, thereby reducing the wastage of paper.
Document Collaboration
Another point you need to consider before investing in a document manager is whether it allows multiple users to work on the same document. Some document managers retain the modified changes made by users as older versions. This ensures you can revert back to the older version if someone from the team made a mistake while editing a document. The system also saves the audit trail so you can track which user made changes to the document.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Optical Character Recognition or OCR is a critical feature for modern-day workplaces. OCR scans specified areas on documents to extract key information like client name, date, amount, etc. For example, if you want to extract the date & amount from 100 invoices, you can choose the areas which specify the date & amount on one invoice and OCR will repeat the process for the remaining invoices, thus reducing data extraction time.
Document Version Control
Wouldn’t it be amazing if your system automatically created a new version of an edited document & saved the old one for reference? That’s exactly the job of document version control. Document version control lets you choose which documents you would like to version, creates new versions once you edit the document & saves past versions in the document management system. This tool is especially useful for documents that require constant edits like legal arguments, project reports, pharmaceutical studies & more.
Workflow Automation
Workflow automation replicates and automates your entire document approval process within the document manager. Let’s say you need your manager & vice president’s approval on all management files. You would need to transfer each file via mail or share it on Google Drive, and if there is a delay at the manager’s end the vice president would have no clue as to why the file hasn’t reached his desk. Workflow automation helps you avoid such discrepancies by creating a seamless & transparent flow of the entire approval process. It also lets you pause, cancel or reassign tasks & notify users with a single click, making it easy for you to control the pending approval processes.
Security
A document manager provides plenty of security features that are a clear upgrade to basic document editing & storage apps like Microsoft Office & Google Suite. You should take into consideration which security features are important for you, and then select a document manager that provides said features. Some of the common security features provided by document managers are document encryption, two-factor authentication (2FA), access control, document tracking, security groups & more.
E-signature
One of the most widely used document management solutions provided by document managers is the ability to create & sign documents online, or what you also call e-signatures. E-signatures reduce document transfer & approval time and are legally binding in more than 15 countries including the US & UK. You have the option to create an e-signature or scan & use your written signature as an e-signature to avoid duplication, especially in bank statements.
Document Retention
A feature more specifically known for archives & records management, document retention protects important documents from getting edited or deleted. Document retention automatically transfers documents to the archive database on a selected date. Another aspect of document retention is document disposal. Document disposal helps clear the clutter of old unwanted documents to free up space. Similar to archiving, document disposal moves documents to the system recycle bin on a selected date.
Customer Support
Technically customer support isn’t a tool or feature, but it is a critical document management solution. Good customer service goes a long way in helping you understand the minute details of the document management software, and also helps during system updates & upgrades. Always go for a document manager which has a robust customer support system comprising a helpline, email support, in-app support & more.You can also read:
