What is Document Management?

Posted by: Christopher Smith | Posted on: February 1st, 2012 | 0 Comments

Document management is one of the least sexy yet most vital aspects of information management in the digital era. Because there are so many different ways of posting and accessing information online, from in-house software to applications to crudely scanned PDFs, developing a comprehensive and consistent document management practice can be extremely challenging for any organization.

There are several tools currently on the market designed for document management, including the “best business entity data” management services from Avox. However, each of these tools is often as limited by what vendors are capable of providing as it is by the actual needs of the organization buying the tool. In recent years, vendors like OPIN have been working with organizations to try and develop software that is based on “document management best practices” that are also specific to a particular organization. This custom designed software is an intuitive blend of industry-wide standards and company-specific policies.

When an organization attempts to evaluate document management tools, it should consider the need to both identify business processes while determining the best delivery model. In other words, a document management system that works for an export company may not work as well for a manufacturing company because of the specific way employees interact with the software. An export company may need several remote entry points in order to accommodate a sprawling syndicate of offices; a manufacturing company may have one principal warehouse, making the multiple-point delivery model cumbersome and inefficient. Companies should also make sure that their systems are designed to handle certain primary document types. Documents developed in the Microsoft Suite are ubiquitous, but what about documents developed in a specialized accounting suite particular to a manufacturing company? The document management tool will need to be able to accept multiple types of documents and create consistent filing systems that make sense to the system’s users.

In many senses, an organization that does not understand what types of documents it receives and generates on a regular basis will not be able to choose a fitting document management system. There is no way an outside vendor can design a suitable management system without specific information about how the company works. Organizations must be prepared to spend time detailing their processes in order to receive the greatest benefit from document management tools.

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