Making the move from paper to digital file storage is a smart one, and many companies have migrated to digital storage over the past few years. It’s worth the document scanning, the cataloging, and the storing to know that your files are secure in a digital format and easier to access than when they’re on paper. Or are they?
Many companies assume that moving their paper files to a digital format will make them simple to access, but especially on company shared drives and individual knowledge worker computers, information gets lost. Even with strict filing policies, documents get buried under more and more folders until they’re downright impossible to find. That’s why document management offers such value to companies: it controls, secures, and organizes your files for easy access.
The Problems of Unstructured Data
Most companies house data on computers across their organization, and typically those files are controlled by many individuals. These people often have their own loose filing systems, while some have none at all. What happens when that person moves on to a new job or retires, or when their computer suddenly dies irreparably? All of that information is lost—or at best, transferred over inadequately.
Digital filing systems often become landfills for lost and unstructured data, compounding instead of fixing the issues of paper filing. Digitizing documents alone doesn’t fix the issues created by paper filing; there must be structure, cataloging, indexing, and security.
The Document Management Software Difference
Document management fixes the problems of digital document storage, making files easy to access and totally secure.
- No more lost documents: With indexing and full document search capabilities, you’ll never lose a file again.
- Version reconciliation: Instead of worrying about whether you’re accessing the latest version of a document, you can see a full history of a current document and be sure you’re viewing the most recent edit.
- Enhanced security: Documents saved in your document management system won’t be lost when a computer goes kaput, or an employee retires. You can rest assured documents are safe both from internal and external threats.
For more information about document management, contact us today.