Document management and the small business


Small business owners understand the importance of proper document management and record security. Everything from the standard forms they use every day to employee records and vendor correspondences need to be organized to facilitate an efficient use of employees time as well as today鈥檚 standards of security and privacy protection. Almost all companies today employ some type of document management software system to help them manage their documents. Some with off the shelf packages Cheap Adidas Ultra Boost Triple Black , some that require customization to tailor the software to a unique business and some are now turning to electronic document management in the cloud.


The importance of document management has always been of great concern and great expense to companies. Filing documents in file folders and organizing them in file cabinets that can be locked in file rooms with access only by those with the proper permissions. The security in this type of scenario is lackluster at best. Files need to be pulled daily to be worked on and then re-filed and secured. This has been an extremely time and resource consuming task with human error creating additional costs to companies annually.


Electronic document management or electronic content management systems (ECM) streamline this process. File cabinets and folders are being replaced with document scanners and hard drive space. Electronic content management systems typically referred to as just document management systems provide employees and clients the ability to easily access forms and information instantly. Many of the new systems allow document viewing commenting and editing as well as version control and collaboration right within the system.


Staying up with the trends can help steer companies to the best practices for their business. Many companies today are moving to a 鈥渃loud based鈥?document management system. These are great for both small and large businesses but have a particularly effective model for small business owners. They have a very low cost of entry and are easily scale able. Cloud based document management also has the benefit of not requiring an in house IT department. Catastrophe protection is inherent in these systems and they do not require nightly backups or concerns about hardware glitches.


Consider how the following benefits of an electronic document management system would help your company.


路 Files are organized the same across your organization by all employees


路 File sharing and collaboration is now secure with roll based permissions allowing for document level restrictions and access as well as document level controls. ie View only, Edit, Download, etc.


路 Instant notifications of the arrival of new documents or versions.


路 Instant access to documents. No more time wasted trying to find files or documents.


路 The ability to create virtual groups or departments to share files or information.


路 Access from anywhere at any time.


路 Document collaboration with version control tracking your latest documents


路 Document commenting


路 Assigning tasks to documents and sharing calendars.


With so many options in the market how does a business owner choose the proper solution that will fit their needs? No two businesses are the same. Each business has its own culture and way of doing business. However, when it comes to document management the easier it is to get up to speed and learn a system yourself the faster and more efficiently your employees will learn to use and embrace the software. Where some companies think they can get away with a very basic document management system just to store documents they are missing the boat on the power and additional money making opportunities of today鈥檚 software solutions.


Many companies are sold on the fact that they need to buy and customize specific solutions to meet their specific business needs. Companies spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy a solution that will requ