The Paperless Corner: Document Management System And Its Evolution

Enterprise Content Management System (ECM) is a form of Content Management System. It is the capture, search, and networking of documents combined with:

1. Digital Archiving,

2. Document Management, and

3. Workflow.

It aims to provide solutions to problems that come with the way an organisation uses and preserve its internal information. An ECM, continuously, generates metadata as pieces of information are stored and retrieved which, over the years, have served as foundation for new ECM components such as more advanced and optimised filtering, routing, enterprise taxonomies and retention-rule decisions.

ECM solutions are usually in the form of intranet services to employees (B2E), and enterprise portals for:

• Business-to-business (B2B),

• Business-to-government (B2G),

• Government-to-business (G2B),

• and other business-type relationships.

Present day ECM technologies descend from early electronic document management system that ****were stand-alone technologies providing functionalities in one of the following four areas:

• Imaging,

• Workflow,

• Document Management, and

• Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM)

So, what is a document management system?

Document Management System

The movement for work environments to go paperless started in the 1980s with the development of systems by software vendors to manage paper-based documents. From these systems came subsequent versions that could manage electronic documents––files created on computers, and often stored on users' local file-systems. These type of systems have since been, appropriately, christened Electronic Document Management Systems.

Early EDM systems had limitations in the kind of file formats(mostly imaging file formats) they could handle but, eventually, they evolved to a point where they could manage almost any kind of file format.

They grew to encompass:

• Electronic Documents

• Collaboration Tools

• Security

• Workflow

• Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Tools

In addition to improving productivity, some of the benefits of implementing an electronic document management system for a business establishment includes, and not limited, to the following:

• Reduced Storage Space

• Enhanced Security

• Improved Regulatory Compliance

• Easier Document Retrieval

• Better Collaboration

• Better Backup and Disaster Recovery

Common capabilities provided by an EDM system are storage, versioning, metadata, security, indexing and retrieval. Understanding these components and how they integrate with each other is key to understanding the ECM ecosystem.

Components of a Document Management System

Capture

This is the use of scanners or multi-function printers to convert paper documents into images. In order for the information in the images to be searchable, optical character recognition (OCR) tools––software or hardware-integrated, are used to convert the digital images into machine readable texts. Optical mark recognition (OMR) software can be used to capture values of check-boxes or bubbles as an added functionality.

Document capture is not just the process of scanning paper documents––It also takes into account electronic documents. Let's say, an employee generates a PDF document from an MS-Word document, they might want to have these two electronic documents in a document management system for future reference.

The power of a document management system is in its ability to tie all documents together. In addition to the paper documents in file cabinets, there might still be large numbers of important electronic documents. These electronic documents are just as important as the paper files.

Data Validation

This is a way to check for issues with documents before they are imported into a document management system.

The data validation rules should be embedded in the upload form itself, rather than accomplished in a post-processing environment. This provides the user an interactive real-time experience. Often, data validation requires a database look-up.

Indexing

Document indexing is the process of associating information with a file or specific tag for future reference.

The primary purpose of indexing is to have the ability to quickly search for and retrieve information within scanned documents. It can also help improve office efficiencies by allowing employees to search for information without having to manually comb through boxes of files––a task that usually takes 30% - 40% of an average worker's day.

Some examples of data used for indexing includes:

• Phone numbers

• Customer numbers

• Addresses

• Dates

• First and last names

• Account numbers

• Invoice number

• Order number

• Keyword descriptors

Storage, Retrieval, Metadata, Search And Versioning

Document storage is the act of placing a document, typically a digital document, into a document management system (DMS). Often when a document is stored, it is marked with a set of metadata to tag it as a particular category or classification.

Document retrieval is the act of connecting a requester with the needed document or documents. Often the requester performs the search and retrieves the record, but in the case of specialised documents and management systems, a specialist might assist with the retrieval.

A document retrieval specialist is familiar with the document system and the labelling, tagging, and schema of the system.

Workflow

Workflows are building blocks of business processes. A workflow is an organised and repeatable pattern of business activities enabled by the systematic structuring of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. For example, the procurement process is made up of workflows for purchase requisition, purchase order, and invoice processing. Each of these individual workflows is made up of several tasks like creation, review, approval, and routing to the following process.

Security

Document security is very important in a document management system. Depending on the type of documents and the nature of a business, compliance requirements for certain documents can be quite complex.

Document management systems should have an access control functionality that allows an administrator to give access to documents based on type to only certain people or groups of people.

Integration

Some document management systems provide integration with other systems through Restful-APIs or similar mechanisms as a way of extending document management functionalities to reduce the need for users to continuously switch between multiple applications during the course of a task.

Collaboration

Collaboration should be a required functionality in an electronic document management system. Multiple users should be able to view and modify documents at the same time. A DMS with collaboration feature should also be able to capture history of contribution to a particular document. For example, it should always be clear what content was added, by who and at what time.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Usability

One of the most important elements of any software is usability. It could offer all the features in the world, but they won't do you any good if the system isn't user-friendly. Many document management systems offer free trials that allow you to test them before buying. If possible, allow your team to try out the software during the free trial period and ask them what they like and dislike about it.

Document Sharing and Collaboration

While the primary function of a document management system is to digitise and organise files, most modern software also allows users to share files with one another and collaborate on editing them. Some document management software allow users to edit a document simultaneously, while others rely on a check-in/checkout feature that guarantees only one user can work on a document at a time. Others offer both options.

Version Control

Version control, sometimes referred to as "versioning," is a critical feature of document management software that lets you keep track of changes to a document. The best document management software even maintains an archive of old versions, letting you see how documents have changed over time and revert to an old version if needed.

Image Scanning and OCR

Image scanning and optical character recognition are useful features for businesses that have a lot of paper records they would like to digitise. Scanning is the first step – turning a paper record into a digital file that can be imported into the software. OCR is a more advanced feature, but it's a must-have for streamlining large digitisation projects. OCR reads the text of an image and makes the content of the image searchable. The best document management systems use OCR to automatically fill out metadata and make it even easier to search for the document later.

Electronic Signatures

Document management software is often home to files that require a manager's signature, such as purchase orders. Many document management systems integrate with an e-signature tool, such as DocuSign, to allow electronic signatures. You can often send a document to a recipient with a request for their signature through the software.

Workflow Automation

Workflow automation features move tasks along automatically. Take the purchase order above as an example: You could set up a workflow automation so that once a purchase order is generated, it automatically goes to the appropriate manager for their signature. The manager will receive a notification, and when the task is complete, the next relevant team member (such as someone in the accounting department or the manager's supervisor) will be notified. If more action is necessary, you might be able to build that into the automated workflow as well. The best document management systems allow you to customise workflows to suit the way your teams work together.

User Permissions

An essential element of document management software is the ability for administrators to set individual user permissions. Permissions allow certain users to view or edit files, while others can be prevented from even seeing those documents in the system. Not only is this useful for efficiency purposes, it is also an important security measure. The best document management software allows administrators to set permissions by specific groups, as well as to change permissions on the fly if you need to make an exception while keeping the default permissions settings the same.

Mobile Functionality

In today's business environment, mobile device access is essential. Many document management systems have a dedicated mobile app. Others rely on web browsers or online portals. Make sure the mobile version of any document management software you are considering is truly mobile-friendly. Even if you personally don't use it on mobile devices, it is likely other members of your team will.

Not every document management system checks all these boxes, while others offer all of them and more. When choosing your document management software, consider which tools and features would be most useful to your business. It is important to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and usability; for instance, some systems can do it all but are a challenge to navigate (not to mention more expensive than simpler software).

Data Security

Data security is a vital part of any document management system. As an increasing number of businesses go digital, more customers are entrusting sensitive personal information to the companies they do business with. Your organisation is responsible for ensuring customer data is safe and protected from a breach. Look for document management services that offer encryption and compliance tools, auto-updates, data redundancy and backups.

SharePoint As A Document Management Solution

Microsoft SharePoint is a leader in the document management and collaboration space, and for good reasons. Its comprehensive slate of features includes the ability to establish content hubs or organise archives by teams. It allows you to create custom metadata fields across all files stored in the system, making it easy to tailor the way you organise your documents to your business's needs. It is especially convenient for businesses that already use other Microsoft products, such as Office 365.

SharePoint offers a flexible and scalable platform to organise and manage your documents and to collaborate on creation and editing. However, it is a sprawling system with a bit of a learning curve, so expect your team to require training and some time to become familiar with the system.

Microsoft has introduced SharePoint Syntex, its first product from Project Cortex that uses artificial intelligence to go through your company's data and gather insights that can be automated into processes. Microsoft describes Syntex as a "trainable AI" that processes three main types of content: digital images, structured or semi-structured forms, and unstructured documents.

Pricing

There are three plans available for Microsoft Sharepoint, each of which includes access to the cloud-based enterprise content management platform. Here's a close look at each pricing plan and the features it includes.

SharePoint Online Plan 1: For $5 a month per user (with an annual commitment), SharePoint offers your team access to Microsoft OneDrive with 1TB of storage. It also includes document management tools, secure file sharing, file sync for offline viewing and editing, co-authoring, team sites, communication sites, and 24/7 phone and web support.

SharePoint Online Plan 2: For $10 a month per user (with an annual commitment), SharePoint improves upon its first pricing tier to include unlimited cloud storage, improved search functionality and higher security for sensitive data. It also has an "in-place hold" toll that prevents the editing or deletion of important files.

Office 365 E3: For $20 a month per user, SharePoint provides access to the full suite of Microsoft Office 365 products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access. It also includes access to services like Exchange, Skype for Business, Teams, Yammer and Delve. With this plan, your team will receive custom email domain addresses, unlimited email storage and online video conferencing. It also includes 24/7 phone and web support. SharePoint offers easily one of the most cost-effective pricing plans in our review. Especially at the Office 365 E3 tier, you can implement all the most popular Microsoft products for a relatively low cost. While SharePoint is competitively priced software at any level, it is the Office 365 E3 tier that packs the most bang for your buck.

Features

Microsoft SharePoint includes a lot of features that are not core to document management software. While many of these features are useful, we reviewed the document management features of SharePoint more extensively than the rest of the platform. These are the key document management tools available in SharePoint.

Sites

Sites are a unique feature in SharePoint. Every site you create has an independent document library, helping you to keep unrelated files separate. Sites come in two varieties: team sites and communication sites. Team sites are primarily used for co-authoring and traditional document management. Communication sites are geared toward collaboration on a presentation to the larger team.

Sites can be configured to each team's needs, allowing customisability of everything from the metadata fields required for files to the actual design of the site. This flexibility allows all teams in your business to maintain an independent workflow that works best for them.

Co-Authoring

A useful tool in SharePoint is the ability to co-author documents. This allows you to edit documents alongside your team members in real time, while providing clear visibility into who is active in the document and what they are editing.

Check-in and Checkout

SharePoint features a check-in and checkout feature for when co-authoring is not ideal. A checked-out document cannot be edited simultaneously until the user who checked it out decides to check it back in with their revisions. This is useful when important changes need to be made or the document needs to be reviewed as is without any other users dropping in to make edits.

Versioning

The versioning tool (sometimes called version control) tracks both minor and major changes to documents and keeps an archive of older versions. This feature allows you to see how a document has changed over its lifetime and, if necessary, revert to previous versions of the document.

Audit Log

The audit log in SharePoint keeps tabs on the actions users take in the system and when they performed those actions. This is especially important when you use the co-authoring tool to track changes to shared documents – and it's essential for businesses in highly regulated industries, which often need to present an audit log to a government agency to certify their compliance with data security requirements.

File Sync

Through OneDrive, SharePoint files can be synced between local hard drives and the cloud. This allows offline users to make edits to their local copies, which will be uploaded to the shared cloud version of the document the next time they have internet access. To automatically sync files, you simply need to save a document (or drag and drop it) to a designated synced folder; SharePoint will do the rest.

User Permission Settings

Naturally, it is important to prevent unauthorised users from deleting, editing or even viewing certain documents. Administrators can set user permissions down to the individual in SharePoint. These permissions determine which sites a user can access, which documents they can view, which documents they can edit and more.

Team Policies

SharePoint goes a step beyond user permissions with its ability for you to set policies governing your documents. For instance, you can require certain tags on documents that include sensitive elements, such as ongoing legal action, protected client information or financial details. SharePoint also includes automatic policies to meet the requirements of certain laws and regulations, such as HIPAA.

In addition to these features, Microsoft SharePoint offers one of the largest libraries of available integrations we saw in a document management system. This means SharePoint can likely connect with any other software you use for your key business operations. For example, any invoices you store in SharePoint could work in tandem with your accounting software to keep your records up to date without the added effort.

Conclusion

Document management software is an increasingly critical part of any business in the digital era. Instead of rows of filing cabinets, document management systems create an electronic archive that any permissioned user can access and edit. Document management software can help you organize your digital documents and digitize your existing paper records with ease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded businesses to change how they operate in order to maintain business continuity. Remote work environments have accentuated the friction caused by paper and handwritten signature processes.

For businesses and, especially, government organisations, now is the time to invest in an electronic document management for a foundation that will help streamline their workflows and scale their business-critical processes.