Every business journey generates plenty of paperwork. All types and sizes of businesses need an organizational system to manage the sheer volume of documents that inevitably pile up, meaning some form of document management is required.
That said, implementing an effective document management solution (DMS) comes with its own challenges and potential pitfalls. It’s not a simple process to organize information effectively and keep track of it. What works for one business might fall short for another. And businesses change over time, making document management an ongoing process rather than a once-off solution. So, your DMS needs dedication and planning to avoid hiccups.
This article looks at the most common problems with document management solutions, and how to avoid or manage them.
Smart Document Management
As a sector worth $6.23 billion globally in 2023, it’s clear that there’s a need for document management in the world of business. However, the size of the industry also shows how daunted many businesses feel when implementing such a strategy, since so many prefer to leave things to the professionals.
Today’s collaborative and fast paced business world means there are constantly expanding resources needing to be shared and catalogued, along with many ways of doing so. Whatever form of organization you implement will present its own challenges, but if you know what to look out for, you’re already on a good footing.
Lack of Centralization
It’s difficult to organize and keep track of documents and files when they’re scattered across drives, locations, and even the world. Crucial information might be difficult to access when an urgent need arises, and multiple document versions can be a nightmare in a collaborative environment.
Your solution doesn’t have to be a centralized physical location for all documents. Consider cloud storage, for example. However, a single and secure point of access will reduce stress for you and your employees. Centralized storage makes for easier indexing and organization, providing a consistency and structure that makes referencing and searching a cinch.
Inconsistent Organization
If you have thousands of documents, they’ll need to be properly organized and indexed properly to be easily findable and useful. If documents are improperly indexed, or lack sufficient metadata, then searching through them becomes time consuming.
Another serious organizational problem is the use of different filing systems in different parts of the business. Multiple categorization methods become a productivity nightmare and an unending source of stress. So, when implementing a document management strategy, ensure that all levels and departments are cataloguing their files in a consistent and robust way.
Physical Limitations
Hard copy documents may be important in some cases, but most of the time the boxes of files in a backroom can easily be digitized. Physical document storage can be useful, but the documents are not always easily accessible to all. For remote workers or employees in different countries, hunting down documents becomes unnecessarily time consuming or nigh impossible.
Even if your physical documents are well catalogued and stored in a temperature-controlled warehouse, there’s always the risk of natural disaster, the ravages of time, and some files just getting lost in the chaos. So, it’s a good idea to digitize as many documents as possible, or at least create reliable electronic backups.
Failure to Factor in Scalability
Document management solutions need to be developed not just for today, but for the future, too. As your organization grows, so will the volume of data you need to keep track of. A robust DMS should be flexible enough to handle these changes and adapt to a change in scale if necessary.
Security Concerns
Business documents contain a wealth of sensitive and confidential information. Should this data fall into the wrong hands, the results can be disastrous. Whether they’re in physical or digital form, all documents are at risk of data breaches, theft, and acts of corporate espionage.
So, it’s important to implement security measures and access controls to prevent intentional and unintentional compromise of your data. For electronic storage, ensure proper encryption protocols are in place, along with password protection. Make sure any physical documents are stored in well-secured areas. Also, keep access logs and audit them regularly to ensure you know who is accessing your files.
Failure to Backup
It might be tempting to think that digitized documents are no longer at risk of loss or corruption, but in truth, hardware failure and cyberattacks can easily corrupt or destroy thousands of gigabytes of valuable data in an instant.
All data, not just documents, should be regularly backed up to an external source, be that in the cloud or on the servers of a document management specialist. For long term document management, consider an automatic backup strategy to leave less to chance and to minimize the risk of human error.
Lack of Regulatory Compliance
Your business documents are important not just to your business but also to your employees, clients, and government officials. For audits and public protection, your document management solution needs to be in line with certain regulatory standards, like GDPR and HIPAA.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in massive fines and possible lawsuits. However, a professional document management service provider in your area will know the standards with which your business needs to comply and the necessary procedures to follow.
Not Training Your Employees
Your employees will need to navigate any new or existing document management solution. If your staff doesn’t know how to properly access the necessary files, then even the most efficient systems won’t prevent the consequent hit to productivity. Lack of proper training can also lead to files becoming lost or corrupted through human error.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to educate all relevant parties about your DMS. Proper training is vital when implementing new systems, and changes to management strategy may be necessary too.
Avoid the Document Management Headaches
A great way to avoid many of the problems and difficulties with document management is to use an expert who makes it their business to be the best. If you’re in the Sacramento area, that’s Buckmaster. We have 65 years of experience in the industry, with extensive experience in electronic DMS solutions, including compliance, cloud storage, and digital conversion. Contact us today.