Choosing the right DMS ~ Document Management

Easy to use but effective document management software can be very helpful in delivering huge benefits to all kinds of businesses-big or small. An online DMS can be a great way for organizations to start experiencing some of the benefits of a DMS but without having to make the initial investment often required for a DMS consultancy project. Before you choose an online DMS, there are certain criteria you must consider.

There are so many documents management software available in the market; it might be time consuming and tiring for you to choose the right one for your business. However it’s good to consider a few points before you decide on purchasing a DMS.

Requires zero financial commitment - a simple, monthly and transparent pricing model with a free trial

Requires zero consultancy and minimal or no training – self explanatory.

Requires zero capital investment & zero maintenance i.e. purely cloud-based - no servers and no server administrators

Each organisation is different and has different needs. So while you're learning about each system you may want to evaluate the product features in the light of your own organisation's needs in the following five areas.

1. Instant collaboration- The ability to centralize collaborative projects with a repository that can be accessed from any location without needing to install any software.

2. Storing and Archiving Methods - Who will be storing documents? Are the documents currently stored in a logical way? Or do you need to enforce some rules?

3. Indexing and Retrieval Tools - Some documents need to be accessed frequently and some virtually never. How do your users need to find documents? Think about the criteria used to find a document.

4. Distribution Tools - Do users need to collaborate on documents? Do you need version control and copies of previous versions? Is there a workflow process? Do users need to reject/approve documents?

5. Secure Data- Should all users be able to see all documents? Should all users be able to see the all the meta-data associated with the document? Do you need to manage your users in groups?

Having kept these important points in mind, you can grab the right kind of online document management software and say good bye to the traditional and cumbersome method of managing office paper.