To maximize the benefits of your digital documents, you must invest in a document management solution. This will streamline all of your capabilities related to your digital files. One of the most poignant benefits of a good document management solution is enhanced collaboration. Let's take a look at how document management enhances your employees' ability to work together with people both inside and outside of your organization.
Efficient document sharing
Without a document management solution, the most efficient way to share a document is via email. However, it has three drawbacks that will inevitably interfere with your document sharing endeavors. File size restrictions, for example, can make it impossible for some email servers to share even a reasonably sized image. There are also efficiency concerns, because you have to create a new conversation every time you need to share a document. Also, since every shared document becomes a part of a conversation thread, it can easily be lost, deleted or accidentally wrongfully distributed.
A solid document management solution will prevent all of those document sharing issues. This is because the distribution will be within a self-contained network. File size will never be a concern and documents will never get mixed up with conversations.
Centralized storage for enhanced communication
When you are in email communication with multiple people, there is no guarantee that everyone will continually hit the "reply all" button. If this step is missed even once, then a critical link in the chain of communication will be broken. The same issue will occur if a member of your team simply isn't around at the time.
Effective document management provides centralized storage for everything, including communications. This allows you to communicate both internally and externally without any concerns for sudden hindrances in a critical stream of communication. If someone isn't available, your document management system will automatically move communications forward in the most logical manner possible.
Instantaneous document editing
Everyone involved with a collaborative project doesn't have to be in the same room to make updates to a document. A document management system allows everyone with authorized access to rapidly make changes to a document. When these changes occur, everyone involved will be immediately updated, and the editor will be credited with the changes.
Easy note making
If there is a specific element of a document you want to discuss, it can be difficult to convey your message via prose alone. Even a single misstatement can cause a misunderstanding that will inevitably lead to poor results. A document management system makes it easy to make notes on documents individually and in groups.
Faster document approval rates
It can be frustrating when nothing more than a document needs to be approved in order to move forward with a business activity. Until you get official approval, your entire process will be stalled. If the person who is authorized to approve the document is unavailable for any reason, then this holdup will be indefinite.
When you have a document management system in place this is never a problem. This is because when a document needs official approval, it will be instantaneously pushed to an authorized individual. If that person is on vacation, for example, they can get a notification via their mobile device and approve a document with a couple of clicks. You can also instruct your document management solution to notify you when someone is completely unavailable to approve a document, so that you can take alternative steps.
How efficient is your company's collaboration?
With the power of a document management solution at your fingertips, your company's collaborative abilities will be extremely effective.
