Documents help every enterprise follow a record of its transactions like payments, banking, orders, suppliers, and so on. Any busy enterprise will produce large volumes of documents daily. The documents need to be circulated across different departments for approval, execution, filing, and so on.
With each department producing a set of documents daily, it can be difficult to manage them and save time. The solution is to create a digital workspace and integrate it with a document management system to create a smooth and seamless flow of documents.
An example of a daily business process in a digital workspace
Looking at an example of how several documents involving a single transaction can be produced in a single day, let us consider a client who wants to buy. The sales team will market and if the client is convinced, he will place an order.
The sales team will forward the order to the sales manager for approval. A request is sent to the store department to process the order and another copy to the accounts to invoice. The dispatch team will prepare a dispatch note or delivery note.
If someone has questions about the order, he needs to check with the sales team, follow further with the stores, then the delivery team, and finally, the accounts. If one person was unavailable that day, the whole process would stop, meaning the client will get angry and probably quit.
This is where the DMS (Document Management System) comes in to support the workplace and help solve many common startup mistakes. Instead of having five different paperwork produced in each department and then five different files to store the paperwork, the DMS becomes the central storage and management centre. It will also help you have and manage multiple document formats such as when you try to do a PDF to JSON conversion and don’t want to waste time opening various tabs.
An authorized person in each department gets a password to the e-file system, which stores all files in one place yet according to departments. Above that, the system stores the files in their original format, which can be MS Word, Excel, video, email, paper, etc.
DMS and optimization of workflows
Internally, departments are interconnected in that they rely on each other for a smooth flow of work. If an invoice needs to be paid, it’s received by the front office and delivered to the accounts department. The invoice remains physically with an individual and if the person who’s required to execute is away, the invoice will remain on the desk until the person responsible returns. This delays a whole process and calls for immediate change.
With the implementation of DMS, the invoice will be received and uploaded in a digital file directly into the right department. The department can immediately place the invoice into the account of the person concerned.
The officer or manager will not need to report to the office to sign the invoice. From a remote place, they can sign it digitally and return it for further action. On the other hand, if the supplier calls to follow up on the invoice, anyone with access to the system can check in the system and give a timely answer about how many steps remain until the payment.
Before the DMS, the person needed to physically walk into the office responsible and verbally ask or make a call or send an email and wait for a response.
Smart working
As more organizations embrace DMS, paperwork and traditional ways of filing are becoming less. Different departments can produce hundreds of documents without having to move to the printer or another department.
Another authorized personnel can edit a produced document electronically without having to print it again or retrieve it from a physical file. In the past, documents could be misplaced, causing problems in the entire system.
Companies are now working smart with increased efficiency, responsibility, and accountability. The CEO can follow what’s happening within the departments from the comfort of his office or even remotely.
Benefits of DMS
The greatest benefit of DMS is the storage of files in a centralized place. Access to the cabinets is 24/7, regardless of where you are. Files can be stored in any format. For hard copies, they can be scanned and transferred to the digital cabinet.
Most DMS today are compatible with other software and businesses can integrate them with another system for more effective productivity. DMS increases transparency across all departments and all documents get protection from fire, water damage, or rodents. They are easily accessible and readily retrievable.
The bottom line
Many new and established businesses have embraced DMS because of its easy management procedures. Different departments can easily produce documents, store them, and share them with different workers. The system has helped make the digital workspace better in terms of productivity, transparency, work speed, and execution. From manufacturers to retailers, educational institutions, health providers, and legal systems, the document management system has made work easy across all business fields. Instead of printing multiple documents to execute a single transaction, DMS helps save all the papers, ink, electricity, and manpower.
About the Author:
Justin is a marketing specialist and blogger from Leicester, UK. When not working and rooting for Leicester FC, he likes to discuss new trends in digital marketing and share his own ideas with readers on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at essay writing service and bestessays.com.
