2009 23 Dec

What To Look For In A Document Management System.

A document management system, (DMS) sometimes referred to as a File Management System, aids you to manage the storage/recovery /approval/versioning of your commercial documents. A document is defined as data, stored on paper, as a scanned image, or electronically, that may be subject to amendment. Document Management applies particularly to the management of business documents and images throughout their life span. Sometimes files are stored for years and frequently they can be deleted after a short time run. Find a DMS that is customizable to your specific requirements, is easy to use and affordable. Since there are multiple Document Management Systems obtainable today, you will need to make sure they have the specifications that are unique to your needs. To help you determine what to look for in a document management system, you can create your search by looking for some of the qualities listed below.

Given that most people nowadays are using Microsoft Word, look for a DMS that is based on an alike environment. It will be much easier to learn and to navigate.

A number of Document Management Systems are only accessible by an authorized personnel, and this is a “must” feature. Can you imagine if 10 people were allowed to manipulate corporate data? Does nightmare ring a bell?
Find a web based DMS that possesses a “document search” feature that allows you to search online to locate, retrieve and revise your documents in real-time.
Depending on how many times you will need to manipulate your data, you may find that a DMS that uses a “pay-per-use” methodology is good for you. For most applications, this pricing scheme will be your most cost efficient.
A DMS should let users to edit existing files that are in the system or make new documents.

If using a web based DMS, find a company that uses robust servers that can store all your data in a secure environment so only authenticated individuals have access to the system.

Administrators will need to have the capability to set the user-level access on a per-user level.

A DMS must be able to keep track of all the versions of a document and time stamp the history of any changes that are made.

Important features of a DMS is the ability to associate (link) files to a certain page/pages within a website and have the ability to delete single or multiple content records, i.e. HTML, PDF, Image and Text.

The document management system, surprisingly not used by most companies yet, are fast becoming an crucial component of a company’s contingency or disaster planning efforts. Weather can cause any one of a sequence of disasters such as floods, fires or electrical failures that can wipe out any business papers that are not protected by a DMS. Try to imagine if a fire destroyed absolutely all of your commercial documents. Even back up tapes can be incinerated, but using a web based DMS will eliminate that obstacle to continuing with your business.