The average office employee wastes 18 minutes looking for a single document. Pull up the calculator on your phone and tally up how much that equals after one month of searching for just two documents per day. We’ll wait.
36 minutes wasted per day over 20 works days equals 12 hours per month!
You’d be crazy not to invest in a solution that recovered that time. But we have great news: document management systems (DMSs) do much more than simplify file storage and collaboration, they also save costs on paper, office space, physical equipment, and security expenditures.
There are plenty of options when shopping for a DMS solution, which means you’ll need to do a bit of research. These helpful tips will help you narrow down the choices:
Prioritize vendors with industry experience
Some businesses have document management needs that are straightforward and generic enough for a cookie-cutter DMS. However, those in healthcare, education, or other niche industries need specialised solutions to achieve maximum ROI. Consider crossing any vendor off your list that doesn’t have experience supporting businesses in your industry.
Evidence of this could come in the form of case studies or as an agenda item in a face-to-face meeting. Whatever you do, avoid one-size-fits all solutions like the plague.
Look for flexible solutions
Every day, app sprawl becomes more of an issue. In fact, a recent study found that the average business uses at least four separate apps just for communication. That means your DMS needs to play nice with the unique set of apps and platforms your company uses.
In practice, that means your DMS should streamline basic administrative tasks. For example, if a purchase order comes in as a PDF attached to an Outlook email, transferring it to the right people via your DMS should be seamless and in many cases, automated. Unfortunately, that’s not possible with systems that lack the appropriate integrations.
Demand top-notch collaboration features
Back when managing documents meant moving them from desk to desk to filing cabinet, only so much collaboration was possible. Thanks to the cloud, the possibilities today are practically endless. Apps like Valo Intranet combine employee calendars, team storage drives, and company communication channels to make collaborating on documents as simple as possible.
If you’re considering a DMS that doesn’t make it easy for employees to work on a document, you might as well sign up for Dropbox. Why not opt for a solution that automates workflows, centralises document notifications, and protects files based on employee roles?
Don’t write off convenient and personal support
One of the most underrated benefits of a cloud-based DMS is remote support. In fact, your IT team shouldn’t need to worry about troubleshooting day-to-day problems...if you pick the right vendor.
With an off-the-shelf DMS solution, getting answers to a support request could mean sitting on hold for hours or waiting days for an email response. By contrast, working with a local provider that has designed and deployed your solution will mean you’re never far from ongoing and responsive support.
Never skimp on data security
As boring as an HR folder full of employee records might sound, it’s a gold mine for hackers. Your DMS will be jam-packed full of sensitive and confidential information, which means it must be able to encrypt folders, files, and even specific sections of your documents. Compromising on this front could end up costing you much more than you saved by going paperless.
From the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to Australia’s Privacy Act 1988, information management and governance has become a primary concern for businesses of all sizes and across all industries. Ask potential DMS vendors if they offer security assessments and be wary of any that don’t.
Although this may sound like a long list of demands, there’s at least one vendor that can match them all. Total Calibration provides local and personalised DMS solutions to organisations from Darlington to Paddington and up to Edgecliff. If you’d like to hear our plan for transforming your office into a lean, efficient operation — contact us today.
