Wondering whether an electronic document management system (DMS) is right for your business? Learning the basics of a DMS and how it works may help you feel more comfortable with investing in a new document storage system. As a proud reseller of DocuWare, the pros at WiZiX Technology Group are happy to answer any questions you may have about document management software. Continue reading to learn the answers to questions like “how does a document management system work?” “what does it do?” and “why do I need one?”
What Does a Document Management System Do and How Does it Work?
Document management systems electronically capture documents and safely store them in a digital database. With a DMS, you can store and organize everything from scanned hard copies to emails. It also allows you to quickly find the documents you need and distribute them securely.
1: Capture Documents
An electronic document management system can capture documents from any source. For instance, a DMS can help your office go paperless by instantly uploading the file after you scan a document. A DMS can also capture documents from a variety of other digital applications, including email. Email management with a DMS includes storing messages and attachments so you don’t have to worry about losing track of important documents and information in your inbox.
2: Digitally Store Documents
With centralized access to document storage, your employees can upload, edit, and retrieve documents anywhere at any time. Storing documents in your DMS strengthens document security because you can control which documents other users can access by setting specific permissions. You can also track the changes others make to a document and restore it to a previous version if necessary.
3: Retrieve Documents
Thanks to document indexing, document retrieval from a DMS is quick and easy. A DMS indexes documents by their metadata, fields, and text to make them searchable. When it captures documents, your DMS will automatically add metadata such as the date or time a document was created and fill out certain fields of information.
You can make documents even easier to find by adding extra metadata such as relevant keywords and fields like client names and invoice numbers. While it’s still important to set guidelines on how employees should name files, a DMS will be able to retrieve a document even if someone mislabels it.
4: Distribute Documents
Sharing documents is an essential part of running a business. A DMS allows you to distribute documents through email or by sharing a link to let others access a file. You can password-protect certain files so that unauthorized users cannot access them, even if they receive a link or email attachment.
Why Should Your Business Use a Document Management System?
Making the transition from physical paper storage to an electronic document management system will save your business time, money, and office space. A DMS eliminates the need to invest in the file cabinets, folders, and large amounts of paper that take up so much room in the office and in your budget.
Electronic document management can also automate certain processes so that your employees can focus on essential tasks. Because a DMS streamlines document retrieval and sharing, it’s an affordable way to increase productivity.
A DMS also protects important and sensitive information. Stronger document security prevents any unauthorized access to documents, protecting your business from data breaches. Your DMS will also back up your data so that you can safely restore your documents in the event of hardware failure or accidents like floods.
Authorized DocuWare Reseller in California
Now that you understand how a document management system works and how it can benefit your business, it’s time to make the switch to digital storage. At WiZiX Technology Group in California, we proudly offer DocuWare. This highly secure, intuitive, cloud-based DMS protects your documents and streamlines your workflow. Call 866-846-1411 today to schedule a DocuWare demo.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (1/18/2022). Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels