How Can Document Indexing Improve Business Efficiency

Posted by Kevin D'Arcy on Jun 14, 2017 11:00:00 AM

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Indexing is not a new concept, but document indexing has become popular with the rise of digital documentation. Document indexing efficiency is a result of taking an old concept and applying it to new technology. It is the process of adding tags or associations to documentation, making them easier to find during searches. You can add keywords like invoice, vendor, and department name.

Document indexing efficiency is one of the biggest reasons why companies ultimately decide to go digital. Regardless of the type of index established, the amount of time required to find relevant documentation will be significantly decreased.

Simplified Searching

One of the biggest time drains for any company is trying to locate files. It can be difficult to find a file, or there may be several versions of a single file. That means more time lost trying to figure out which is the current version.

The biggest document indexing efficiency is in its simplification of this process. With some thought going into the documents being added to the system, these problems are minimized or entirely eliminated.

An Index Based on Your Needs

There are several different types of indexes:

  • Field-based
  • Full-text
  • Hybrid of the two

Field-based indexing requires careful planning as each file will need to be tagged to identify what it is about, how it can be used, and the terms that best identify the contents. If your documents are images or other unsearchable file types, this is your only real options.

If your documents are searchable documents (not images or other unsearchable file times), you can setup full-document indexes. You can also create This enables employees to find all documents that use the keyword within the text. For the greatest document indexing efficiency, this method is usually recommended.

Most companies end up with a hybrid of these two. For the best results, careful planning is required to ensure that these two indexing types work seamlessly.

With Planning Comes Significant Time Saving

Planning for the index implementation is essential to get the best results. Companies need to coordinate between departments and locations to ensure that everyone has a chance to provide input.

The end result is document indexing efficiency at its best. There will already be an established set of terms and search criteria, and the departments will have that information. It will be easy to create a quick-reference guide and how-to file for new employees. This means that people can start making the most of the new system almost as soon as it is rolled out to everyone.

Better Document Management

Instead of dropping files into the system and forgetting about them, every new document will get a short analysis before it is added to the system. By taking the time to consider the file’s contents, file management is significantly improved because people have to think about the best place to store the file.

If a document spans several different departments or topics, it can be filed in one, but be searchable for the rest. This reduces duplication and the ensuing problem of not knowing which is the most recent version of a file. If a report or document is updated, you just need to update the one file, and anyone who needs to access it can find it through the simple index search. 

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