Every company handles a wide variety of documents on a daily basis. Properly managing this constantly growing flow of information is key to ensuring the business runs smoothly. Document management software has therefore become an essential tool, as it allows companies to centralize and organize the company’s existing documentation. At the same time, they eliminate the need for physical storage space and significantly reduce the time spent searching for or sharing information. Here are five guidelines to help you make the most of the advantages these systems offer:
1. Define the objectives of your document management system
Before implementing a document management system, it’s essential to define your company’s specific needs in this area in order to choose the most suitable solution. It’s important to determine whether only basic functions are needed—such as storing, searching, or sharing files—or if additional features like editing, validating, or signing documents are also required.
2. Digitize all documentation
Although most documents today are handled directly in digital format, it’s likely that the company still stores important information in physical form. To ensure a truly complete and efficient centralization, it is essential to scan all existing paper documents and import them into the management system. This way, you also eliminate the risk of loss or damage associated with manually handling physical documents.
3. Categorize the files
The main purpose of a document management system is to provide quick and easy access to all company documentation, which makes proper file organization essential. To achieve this, you should set up a logical hierarchy of folders and subfolders that classifies documents by type, year, department, or project, among other parameters. Additionally, it is very useful to use metadata and tags—such as author, subject, keywords, creation and modification dates, etc.—to index the information and make it easier to find.
4. Set up access profiles
Company documents always come with varying levels of confidentiality—for example, corporate materials like the evacuation plan or the workplace harassment protocol are publicly accessible, while payslips or contracts are private. Therefore, each employee should have their access configured with a specific access profile to ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.. Similarly, it is also possible to protect documents and restrict the actions that can be performed on them—for example, by setting them as editable, downloadable, or read-only files.
5. Train users
To get the most out of any software, it’s essential to have a full understanding of its features, functionalities, and how to use it. Therefore, it’s necessary to provide staff with a comprehensive guide to the document management system, clearly, concisely, and thoroughly explaining how it works.
Grupo SPEC’s document management module, included in netTime One, can help you streamline the management of all your company’s data. If you need more information, get in touch with our customer service team.
