Electronic records management has come a long way since the advent of the computer. While being able to store and access documents on a computer was a huge advancement for document management, recent years have seen an incredible explosion in technologies that directly impact how document management works. Today’s document management systems are highly efficient and powerful, resulting in increased productivity, less wasted time and great cost savings for businesses in nearly any industry.
In this blog post, we’ve rounded up the top 5 advancements in the electronic records management industry that allow organizations across the world to efficiently store, create and manage their critical documents.
- The Cloud
Cloud document storage has been one of the most impactful changes in the electronic records management. Though digital document storage was an improvement, the fact remains that you must have enough physical space on hard drives and shared drives to store it. These drives must be kept accessible on your location, meaning they take up valuable room. With the advent of cloud storage, however, you’ll benefit from nearly limitless storage space for your documents, which are accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection.
- Accessibility
Today’s workforce is changing. More and more, organizations are embracing mobile or remote employees. The problem? These team members need secure, reliable access to the documents they require to perform their jobs. Advancements in electronic document management technology offer complete freedom for your mobile workers, allowing them to work with the files they need anywhere, anytime as if they were in your physical office location.
- Collaboration
So, you’re able to access your documents from anywhere via the cloud, which is great, but leads to version control issues. How do you ensure that all parties are working off of the most recent version of a document? The latest in electronic records management software includes full-features version control and tracking, as well as collaborative capabilities. Employees can collaborate in real-time on the same document, allowing for increased productivity and fewer errors.
- Indexing Capabilities
Long gone are the days of searching through filing cabinets to find the document you need. Document indexing software means that you can eliminate hours of wasted time and make finding the files you need as simple as a web search. If you’re searching for a new document management system, look for one that provides comprehensive indexing, tagging and metadata capabilities.
- Security
One of the greatest advantages when it comes to electronic records management is improved security. Today’s document management systems provide a high level of security in two ways: access control and encryption. A good document management system will allow you to quickly set up rule-based security measures for certain documents, ensuring that only authorized team members have access to particular documents. Plus, your cloud-based document storage solution can provide you with an array of the latest security features, such as encryption, firewalls, antivirus software and more to ensure your confidential information is protected from hackers.
