The 5 "w's" Of Document Management Systems
Document management systems are one of the most popular types of computer programs currently utilized in modern business and manufacturing environments. In an era often termed the "Information Age," a document management system provides much needed control over an ever-expanding array of data, words, spreadsheets and statistics.
1) What are Document Management Systems?
Document management systems are simply computer programs (i.e, software) that manage and control documentation. "Documentation," though defined somewhat differently by separate program developers, often refers to any file type (including spreadsheets, presentation files and even graphics). Document management systems are essentially information controllers, information storage keepers, information protectors-- and finally--portals for communication between individuals and entire organizations. These last communicative features are an especially valuable characteristic of many document management computer programs as they allow the rapid segue of recorded information to be controlled and organized from virtually anywhere across the globe.
2) Who Uses Document Management Systems?
As hinted earlier, all types of businesses and manufacturing environments utilize document management systems. Legal and medical offices use the technology to improve customer service and to comply with HIPAA regulations. Hospitals utilize the technology to comply with JCAHO standards and automotive manufacturing environments utilize the technology to manage APQP and PPAP related documentation. Don't forget pharmaceutical, aerospace, biologics or biotechnology companies. All of these companies are becoming increasingly automated and increasingly more adept at managing their document management systems.
3) What Are Document Management Systems Used For?
Document management systems are used for a variety of functions. Primary functions include the creation of a collaborative virtual environment where users from around the world can collaborate together as essential documentation is created and edited simultaneously. This feature is often improved with another feature: version control. Version control provides the necessary functionality that automates the tracking of documentation and the tracking of subsequent changes as a document is routed to multiple users. Version control often makes use of meta-data for the creation of audit trails and for quick search and retrieval of all documentation. Document management systems are also commonly used to trigger escalations for high-priority products or to trigger training tasks related to various document updates, etc. A document management system also acts as the classic—yet virtual—documentation vaults, protecting essential records from both virtual and physical dangers.
4) Why Use Document Management Systems?
Companies that are not currently using document management systems might consider the following rationale for DMS implementation within their own business environment.
• Save Money – Document management systems often pay for themselves in 6 months to a year
• Greater Efficiencies – Document management systems eliminate the need for most paper-based copies and eliminate the need of manual office-to-office routing, escalations and the pains of manual document collaboration endeavors
• Compliance – If your company needs to comply with government regulations or wants to become accredited with specific national or international standards, a document management system is often the tool that helps obtain and maintain compliance or accreditation
• Peace of Mind – Legally, for most industries, it's simply best-practice to maintain and protect sensitive documentation
5) When Did Document Management Systems Become Popular?
Document management systems have become more popular with the every-advancing popularity of the Internet and increasing opportunity for inexpensive forms of online communication and online business conglomerates. Document management systems have also become more popular as faith in the protective powers of well-built computer software broadens and the need to comply with increasing national and international regulations and standards increases almost daily.
How Do Companies Utilize Their Document Management Systems Creatively?
Many companies often think of document management systems as "stiff" systems with little flexibility or no creative "impulse." In today's world of increasingly flexible computer programming users should demand more from their document management systems. Whether a company desires an off-the-shelf (compatible) model, a fully configurable model or something in between, users need to demand functionality that can be utilized creatively. Document management systems that can automate training and be integrated with a company's ERP, CRM, MES and/or PDM applications manifest true creativity in the every-changing evolution of document management systems.
Marci Crane is the Lifeline Publications Editor for MasterControl, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT. To learn more about document management systems for modern business and manufacturing environments, please feel free to contact a MasterControl representative.
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" type="text" />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" type="text" />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" type="text" />
Questions and Answers
There are new document management software laws which business need to know to make sure they are meeting all requirements of the document manager software. This article provides the most important information about how to meet these requirements.
We take a close look at the problems of information management, benefits of using advanced technologies in the low-budget document management system, as well as system selection criteria to meet personal and professional needs of information workers
Document management service providers not only offer a smooth solution to paperless office by focusing on security and accessibility but also manage life cycle of critical documents. With the help of imaging and scanning solutions, the service controls and monitors inventory of data and information.
Enterprise Document Management (EDM) is a strategy for the organization of a paper and electronic documents for easy retrieval in case of a compliance audit or subpoena overlooked.
DMS software stands for Data Management System software. This program is create to help the user manage a large amount of data that would otherwise be uncontrollable. A well managed DMS Software can handle variety of different files ranging from text document to image files. Today, necessity for DMS software has increase to much.
There are many reasons why businesses should consider providing their customers with a toll free number. They are cost effective for both the business and the consumer, they will help to extend the reach of the business, and they can even provide a single point of contact for consumers so that they can be guaranteed a consistent experience with every call.
The above article offers an insight into the working of web based SMS software and the components required to build them.
Video calling is a technological advancement that has made communication way easier for many people. In this way, you get to speak with a person from a hundred or so miles away through the Internet.
Mobile has made the switch from a voice- and messaging-centric technology to become a predominantly data channel. It's happened so fast that wireless networks are barely able to keep up, and growth will continue to compound for the foreseeable future. Wireless carriers & mobile operators are employing a variety of tools to help their networks handle data more efficiently and quickly, but none is as significant as the transition to fourth-generation technology, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE).
Estonia has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic and modern free market economies. Its flat tax system and tax exemption rules for undistributed company profits have attracted vast amounts of foreign investment capital. The requirement to balance the country's annual budget is written into the constitution which means that the national debt is a mere 6% of GDP.
Document management systems are often audited by third-parties auditors or even the internal auditors of a given corporation. Document management system audits are important as they determine what actions a company must pursue to have a status of “validity” as they utilize their document management system. As your company prepares for a DMS audit here’s a few things you might consider:
Within regulated environments, the publishing of a document involves various processes. These processes include but are not limited to proofreading, public review, approval and printing. Most document management systems can implement any of these steps to a given document but not all document management systems are created equal.
The workflow in document management systems may be a manual process or it may be designed by the user and subsequently automated. The workflow is one of the most important and one of the most problematic aspects of document control.
For regulated industries across the globe, government laws and guidance documents have been designed to regulate specified industry documentation and quality processes. These regulations have the goal of public safety and information transparency in mind but regulations often prove to be financial and administrative burdens for many companies.
Discuss this Article
