Does Your Document Management Software Come With These 6 Fantastic Features?

Posted by brandon Harris on August 31st, 2019

In this age of digitalization, most businesses understand the importance of using an automated system to share, organize, and store their files. It is not only more practical, but also a more sustainable option as the use of paper reduces.

Paper-based documents have more storage costs, are difficult to manage physically, and are more time-consuming to organize than digital files. And of course, retrieving these paper files is an arduous effort amidst this fast-paced digital environment.

 On the other hand, digital files are easier to store [in drives] and easily retrievable through a single click. They help you stay up-to-date in this competitive business era. Most businesses organize them through a central system – document management software.    

This software is a practical solution to compile all the documents in one place. The software makes it easier to share, organize, retrieve and archive documents whenever and wherever the need arises. The software stores and manages files digitally so that you can save your time and operational costs to focus better on core operations.

Basic document management software will manage your files, but a good document management software program will do so much more. Read on to learn what about its key features.

1.     Storage Capacity

What makes a document management system great is its storage capacity and central system to access the documents easily. The digital system ensures that you don’t have to wait anymore for data to retrieve and you don’t have to worry about storage space.

A good system will have a single vault instead of several different vaults, which only makes it confusing to categorize and arrange files. A central system is more relevant for businesses as information in files is easily accessible, thus saving time.

2.     Security and Access

A notable feature of a document management system is role-based user permissions. This feature is to increase data and access security. While, paper-based documents are more time-taking and costly to store, they are often considered to be safer than document management systems that are always on the brink of getting hacked if even a single loose end is left.

Thus, to ensure a good and safe system for your business, it is vital that your software has role-based access control. Through this, the data is made accessible to only specific users who have something to do with the documents. They are also given access controls in which they approve of actions for viewing, sharing, editing, or retrieving the files.

3.     Search Function

Did you know that in an average-sized business organization, up to 7% of documents go missing in poor filing system! And to top that retrieval of those files takes up to 50% of the employees’ time! The whole purpose of having a digital system for businesses is so that they can save their time on storing and finding documents.

 This is why having a crisp search function in the software is vital. It allows workers to speed up the filing and retrieving process by more than a 100%. It becomes easier to streamline the process.

A good document management system will store files classified by certain keywords. The system will search those files by those keywords instead of finding or entering the complete name of the file, which may not always be memorized. Files in these systems are categorized in the system by keywords, so you can find any file in just a click.

4.     Bulk Upload

Not every document management system gives you the option to upload in bulk – only the best ones do.

When you upload each document one by one, it washes away the purpose of digitalization which is to save time. The bulk upload feature allows you to upload everything in a single click. This is a much more efficient as well as reliable way than manually filing things.

5.     Mobile-Friendly

The business world is highly competitive and fast-paced in today’s era. Everything is available in a single click in our phones. Business owners carry out several transactions on their smartphones every day. A document management system with a mobile-friendly application helps business owners to have access to their important documents at any time of the day.

They can upload, manage, and handle files at all times from anywhere around the world.

This feature helps those businessmen who want to work from home or those who travel for work. It is not feasible to carry a load of papers and files every time you travel as it questions the safety as well as becomes a hassle.

Mobile-friendly document management systems also make it easier to upload files from anywhere any time. This helps in saving time to upload and helps in sharing files on-the-go.

6.     Document Synchronization and Collaboration  

Another ideal feature in a document management system is the synchronization and collaboration of documents amongst users. This allows you to sync your documents online, while storing the originals in your system. It helps in coordinating with the team and updating them with the latest uploaded files. The uploaded documents from each department or team can sync with the other department or team.

The users that have access controls to the documents can collaborate and share files in a much easier way with this feature. It improves team collaboration as they can share and handle files sitting in two different areas.

The version control feature allows you to make changes in your documents and upload the newest versions. Whenever a change or edit is made in one document, all the users that have access are sent alerts about the newest uploaded version.  

In order to make the best use of a document management system, it should be synced with the workflow management software. In this way, the business managers can stay updated about which documents and files are related to which project. The workflow software can also show the members working on the same project how and which files have been uploaded.