Commercial property costs are increasing and so is the expense to store paper documents. A on-premise software-based Navigator-document management solution (DMS) that can reduce the need for file cabinets, boxes and storage bins is a valuable asset to any enterprise, freeing up precious office space. Documents that have to be kept as hard copies can often be stored in less expensive locations, such as an offsite warehouse or vault
Sharing of information and discussion on business topic over email leads heavier internal email traffic. DMS provides Document specific Discussion board, Task management and commenting leads relief in daily email reading and replying. DMS reduces stress of tracking and searching comments related to specific business activity
Document security is vital to many enterprises, whether it is Physical paper or electronic document. Navigator – DMS provides better control over sensitive documents. Access to documents can be controlled at the folder level for different groups or individuals. Also, a DMS leaves an audit trail of who has viewed a document, when it was accessed, and how it may have been modified. Managed documents are highly traceable and can be tagged to allow for automated alerts
Searching for and retrieving documents can be very time consuming – and we all know time is money. Navigator – DMS, specific for your enterprise, can be a powerful, time saving tool. Depending on the solution implemented, a DMS can retrieve files by a word or phrase in a document – full text search, or DMS can apply index categories to a document or folder. DMS also gives the opportunity to access documents remotely. As long as there is Internet connection, documents can be accessed from virtually anywhere
With Navigator – DMS, information sharing and collaboration can be a lot easier. Documents captured from different sources can be accessed from multiple locations. Electronic imaging makes sharing documents over a network via email or the Internet possible. DMS provides greater visibility to business processes and can allow for better workflow monitoring. DMS also offers Version Control, which allows for older versions of the same document to be recovered if needed. This feature is important if several employees work on the same document and there are changes made to a document that were not authorized or meant to happen
Compliance requirements for certain documents can be quite complex. Non-conformance can lead to fines, revoked licenses, and in some cases criminal liability. DMS reduces the risk of non-compliance. Records retention schedules, for example, can be automated, and new documents can be more easily classified and stored
Any document management solution should include a data backup and disaster recovery plan. With digital archiving as a backup, paper documents are protected from fire and flood and other disasters. With a DMS, documents are highly traceable and can be tracked within a range of criteria.
Also, because imaged documents are centrally stored they cannot be lost or misplaced after viewing. Documents are less likely to be misfiled, and if so they are easier to locate with cross-indexing. Documents can be digitized and archived at their point of entry into the system