Running a business isn’t a walk in the park, and you cannot afford to be disorganized. This means you will have to put systems in place to maintain organization. Documents constitute a significant aspect of a business’s operations, especially regarding legal and financial information and transactions.
And without a proper document management system, things could get disorganized quite quickly. Research has shown several benefits of a system, including enhanced security, streamlined routines, and improved business workflow and efficiencies. Here are some ways to improve your document management system and improve overall operations.
1. Move some processes online
While having a paper trail of critical data might be reassuring, it’s worthwhile to consider digitizing some of your operations.
Contracts, for instance, require a large amount of filing space. Unsurprisingly, several firms have streamlined their contract administration using specialist business software. With a little research, you may find several trustworthy and affordable options regardless of the size of your business or industry.
2. Create a standardized file system
It’s time to create your own file system after sorting out the documents to retain and where to keep them. It is essential to simplify things for easy access by your team members. Although there are several ways to organize your data, it is best to put them in particular folders.
For example, you can create folders for finance, marketing, clients, IT, and others applicable to your business. The goal is to have some uniformity in your naming format. If possible, you can use color code to organize your data.
3. Update your software
If you are using a document management solution, it is recommended to always update it. Otherwise, consider replacing it with an entirely new application. The majority of document management solutions perform comparable functions. However, some may boast more advanced features for making document management easier.
For instance, a virtual mailbox and address service can help with mail scanning, processing, and document management. This is why it is essential to consider your business needs when searching for a business document management solution. Once you’ve decided, it’s critical to notify your employees of the upcoming changes and take steps to introduce them to the program.
4. Train your teams
Educating and training your team on how to properly utilize the system is best if you want to benefit from the enhanced productivity offered by a document management system. While providing your working teams with a cheat sheet to utilize the DMS is good, take steps to properly educate your personnel.
Explain why the team can’t continue using the old system and the need to embrace the new one. You can also mention common problems in the old system to highlight the importance of adopting the new one. Also, ensure everybody is on the same page as you.
5. Audit your document management system
You may have completed the most challenging aspect of developing and using a document management system for your business. However, this doesn’t suggest that there is no room for improvement.
Creating an auditing and accountability plan will allow you to track your policy adherence. It is common for employees to be ignorant of some security concerns associated with technological tools’ ease. Fortunately, regular auditing of the document management system can help reduce the risk of unanticipated security breaches.
6. Regular decluttering
You cannot talk about organization without mentioning the relevance of decluttering your workplace. Stashing physical and electronic data can harm your business, especially when you don’t have a good labeling system.
Identifying your important documents, those in use and those you no longer need is essential. Also, archive your important business files and dispose of the ones you don’t need anymore instead of piling them up.
However, it is best to shred files that may seem useless but have vital information to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. You can do this once each month to improve your document management.
7. Encourage collaboration in the workplace
This may be the last but not the least important tip for improving business document management. Constantly support and encourage effective team communication. If a team member is unsure how to use a specific DMS function, they should feel safe to approach other team members or supervisors for support.
Besides, problems in document management are frequently the result of a misunderstanding. If you notice that too many team members do not understand aspects of the system, it may be time to retrain.
Regardless of the approach, comprehensive document management will allow you to control your document handling. You’ll also be able to lower paper use and work smarter without consuming more resources and time.
