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eCeltic
1) Acquire a digital-imaging system.
Finding the right digital-imaging system is its own article, but it suffices to say, until you have a way to turn your existing paper documents into digital documents, none of the document management systems out there is going to be useful. Keep in mind many document management systems have interfaces to connect to document scanners, so you may be looking to acquire only the hardware.
2) Know WHY you need a document management system.
There are many reasons that a document management system might be right for you. Maybe you're drowning in paper. Maybe you need to alter your workflow to meet the requirements of legislation regarding record keeping, such as HIPPA or Sarbanes-Oxley. Maybe you're going for your ISO-9000/9001 certification. Each circumstance is best suited by different document management software.
3) Know what problems you're trying to solve.
This is related to, but more detailed than Step 2. Determine the business problems you're trying to improve or streamline, and write them down. Good answers include "We're tying to cut costs associated with paperwork," "We need better remote access," or "We're trying to improve security," among others.
4) Gather information.
You need to be familiar with the types of documents your business use, how they're created, labeled, filed, retrieved, and used going forward. Also useful is an accurate estimate of how many documents your business creates (i.e. will need to input into the DMS) each day. Include existing electronic documents such as PDFs, spreadsheets, and e-mails.
5) Decide who will host the software.
There are two options: you can host it yourself (client-server DMS), or you can have the document management software's vendor host it for you (ASP DMS). The benefit of a client-server DMS is it's more familiar and gives you more control, but it also requires more expertise. The cost is generally a large up-front sum. An ASP DMS is hosted by IT experts who know their craft and have many layers of security and backups that virtually guarantee file security, and they have a monthly fee. Sometimes the solutions you like can be purchased either way.
6) Examine ease of use.
It doesn't matter how technically sound or impressive a document management system's stats are, if the employees can't learn it easily, they won't use it. Insist on bringing a low-level employee to a live demonstration or free trial of the DMS, and ask them to use it. If they find it intuitive and easy, you have a winner. You ideally want to strike a good balance between a simple interface and the ability to complete common tasks with minimal clicking and typing.
7) Examine security granularity.
You want a DMS that has security that can be set on the document or document type, folder, computer, and system-wide levels. Some advanced document management systems can even set security for specific sections of documents. If the DMS you're looking at only has computer- or folder-level security options, it's probably not going to be the right solution.
8) Can the system conform to your changing needs?
Different systems have very different ways in which they can be scaled and customized. Look at the potential directions your business might take over the next few years, and make sure that the system you have can adapt and grow with you.
9) Does it have appropriate workflow functions?
Document management systems can implement workflow rules, approval processes, and document-routing procedures. The ability to automate workflow properly for your business is the feature that will increase your employee's efficiency the most. It's not worth giving up security or customization to have, but if you can find a DMS with advanced workflow options, take it...
Source: document-management.bestmanagementarticles.com
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