What is document management?
Document management is a system or process for capturing, tracking, and storing electronic documents such as PDFs, word processing files, and digital images of paper-based content. It involves controlling and coordinating all processes involved in the flow of paper and electronic documents to ensure secure and efficient access for authorized personnel.
In basic terms, document management is how a company organizes, stores, tracks, and manages its documents in either paper or electronic format. Modern document management systems rely on computer or cloud software to store and manage electronic documents.
What do modern workplaces require for a document management system?
Modern workplaces require a document management system to streamline document processes, save time and money, and enhance efficiency. Paper storage may require significant physical space, while a document management platform can integrate disparate documents for greater control, access, and process efficiency.
It offers advantages regarding information retrieval, security, governance, and lower cost of operations. Additionally, proper records management is becoming a legal imperative. An efficient document management system allows authorized personnel and customers to easily access documents in an electronic format, enhancing productivity by shifting focus from searching for hard-to-find documents to solving problems at hand.
What are the key components of a document management system
- Document capture: Processing paper documents through scanning to enable storage in electronic format
- Storage: Storing documents in a central repository for later retrieval
- Metadata: Storing documents along with metadata, such as the date of storage and the identity of the person storing the document
- Indexing: Tracking electronic documents stored in the system, making the retrieval process faster, more efficient, and more accurate
- Retrieval: Regulating permissions and access to each document, allowing users to access documents by identifying unique identifiers
- Versioning: Checking documents in or out of the system, giving users access to current or previous versions
- Searching: Allowing users to find specific documents and folders using template attributes or via a full-text search
- Sharing or distribution: Enabling regulated sharing and distribution of documents, sections of documents, folders, or the entire account with authorized persons
- Security: Ensuring documents are stored in a safe and secure central repository
- Backup: Keeping documents safely stored in a secure cloud or local backup to prevent data loss
