What is Document Management Software?

Did you know UK workers spend approximately four and a half hours duplicating work each week?

This amounts to 227 hours a year spent on already completed work. All because of a lack of clarity and insufficient Document Management.

Too many businesses find it hard to access and keep track of information due to slow chaotic processes. Especially if they rely on physical documentation.

Not only that, poor Document Management can lead to further challenges around:

• Data compliance. If you can’t keep track of your information you could face legal issues around data retention and confidentiality.
• Document security. A lack of control over your information makes you less able to prevent unauthorised access. It also means any data backup may be incomplete, which can affect your disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Cost-effectiveness. Between high physical storage costs and time-consuming processes, you are likely spending more than you need to on document management.

If this all sounds disturbingly familiar, don’t worry. We have the solution for you - Document Management software.

What is Document Management Software?

Document Management software provides quick and easy access to the information you need to achieve your business goals. It provides an efficient information flow that helps your business maintain peak performance.

4 benefits of Document Management Software

We’ve got 25 years of experience in Document Management, which bring key benefits to our clients.

1. Better productivity and collaboration

Document Management enables your team to work better together and achieve more by streamlining your processes. It provides fast access to relevant information, no matter what device your employees are working on. This means your teams are more reactive and flexible - a necessity in competitive, fast-paced markets.

Your teams can work together in real-time, simultaneously. They can track changes, assign tasks, and easily share documents internally or with external third parties.

What’s more, the best Document Management systems have native integrations, which enable you to seamlessly integrate with any third-party software.

Here’s a real-world example of how Document Management software can enable better collaboration and productivity.

When a member of staff announces their pregnancy, the NHS has to carry out regular risk assessments. With Document Management, NHS trust teams can streamline this process. It’s a collaborative process where the Occupational Health Team can ensure they provide the correct advice, while keeping the line manager and the employee involved. And they do this without losing documents or experiencing delays due to information being stuck in someone's inbox.

Document Management enables you to streamline processes within any department in your business. Especially when combined with Apogee’s Scanning Solutions, Digital Records Management, and Digital Mailroom service.

All this helps increase productivity and leads to happier more engaged employees as they can get on with more value-generating tasks.

2. Increased efficiency, fewer overheads

Manual and paper-based processes are inefficient, expensive and inaccessible.

With the process automation capabilities of  Document Management and easy document capture and archiving, you’ll make significant efficiencies in your daily activities. Not only that, if you scan and store your documentation digitally you can also make savings in physical records storage and maintenance.

This increased accuracy, visibility, and traceability of information enables you to do better work without spending a long time searching for the information you need.

3. Security and compliance by default

Eighty-six per cent of UK organisations experienced a cyber attack in 2020/21. So, security needs to be top of mind for any business.

With the best Document Management software, you get a secure digital repository that focuses on privacy by design. In fact, it enables GDPR compliance by default.

In addition to this default compliance, key security features include:

• Comprehensive access management. Only authorised users can access your system. You can provide permissions to individuals based on the principle of least privilege to ensure people can access what they need, and not more.
• Anti-tampering measures. The best Document Management systems use security signatures to detect and prevent tampering, is regularly tested for vulnerabilities and aligns with secure coding standards.
• Disaster recovery. You can ensure business continuity with automatic, regular backups, meaning you can access your vital data no matter what.

All of this enables information to flow freely, yet securely, throughout your organisation.

4. Real-time analytics

You can also monitor key business analytics, allowing you to make better, data-based decisions. A Document Management system can provide information on things like invoice processing times or sales reports. There are two methods of reporting available to Document Management users:

• SQL reporting. If you want highly customised and detailed reporting for long-term storage, the SQL reporting module provides ultimate flexibility and freedom. It lets you create unique, branded reports that fit your every need.
• Microsoft Power BI integration. Although not as customisable as the SQL module, this integration lets you create real-time interactive dashboards. It’s simple to configure and provides instant access to data no matter where you are.

For your documents, nothing beats Document Management

In a fast-paced information economy, knowledge is power. But, without easy access, you’ll fall at the first hurdle. With Document Management software, you’ll have all the information you need to be a success, right at your fingertips.

So, if you want to stop wasting time due to inefficient document management, get in touch today.