What are the key features of an effective document management system?

Businesses today face more problems than they have in the past. Organizations in almost every industry grapple with how to best approach the workday as technology has such a big impact on just about every area of modern-day business. By introducing document management software into your organisation, you may eliminate one of the most significant consequences that contemporary technology has had on business operations: the extinction of paper documents.

Paper is inconvenient, wasteful, and insecure, and it has no place in the future of business. While some businesses believe they do not need to transition away from paper, the need of getting started has never been greater. It can be tough to know how to make the shift from paper to digital documents. There's no better way to get things started than with a well-thought-out document management system.

What is the definition of a document management system?

To put it another way, a "document management system" is software that allows you to store and manage electronic documents. While this is the most fundamental function of any document management system, systems that are built with functionality in mind usually include a number of other capabilities. Document management systems are available in a variety of sizes and formats. Some are stand-alone, which means they were created with the express goal of assisting users with file and document management. Others are part of a larger package that includes a variety of other business-related tools, including calendars, messaging, blogging, wikis, and case management, to mention a few. These suites, also known as social business software, social intranet software, or collaboration tools, are great for enterprises seeking for a single vehicle to handle day-to-day operations, and Communifire fits right in.

When looking for a document management system, look at the features and make sure it meets the following criteria:

1. Access to the cloud. - Almost everything in business nowadays takes place online. Cloud access is required because employees must be able to upload and download documents at any time and from any location. Despite the fact that online-based document management systems are gradually becoming the industry norm, there are still a few solutions available that don't have a web interface. These alternatives should be avoided.
2. Intelligent Organisation - Managing a large number of documents can rapidly become a challenge. This is especially true for businesses that are just getting started. The larger a company becomes, the more probable there will be an increasing number of documents to organise. When picking a document management system, one of the most crucial elements to consider is organisational structure. Categorization, labelling, and rating will assist you in rapidly locating the files you require.
3. User Interface that is attractive - Because your employees will be using your document management system on a daily basis, you'll want to make sure it has a pleasing user interface. This is the first thing you and your team see when you log in, and it's one of the most crucial pieces of the jigsaw. No one will want to switch to your document management system if it is difficult to use.
4. Search Feature Should Be Robust - Finding certain documents and files as your knowledge base grows can become increasingly difficult. Your team needs to be able to search through all of your content, but many document management solutions don't have this feature. A powerful search engine that can accurately search your company's knowledge base will come in handy on a frequent basis, saving you and your team a lot of time in the long run.
5. Version Control - Because uploaded documents are always changing, every business should have a document management system that allows for modifications and multiple versions of files. Everyone has been in a circumstance where they couldn't go back to a previous paper... When unjustifiable errors are committed, it is frequently necessary to start over. When you submit a document, the best document management systems save every version, allowing you to travel back in time and save a document that would otherwise be useless.
6. Permission - It might be tough to keep a social community in check when you have a large crew. Permissions are essential in this case since they allow you to pick who has the power to remove or edit files and documents, as well as who does not. Administrators can define individual permissions for each employee in the best document management systems, allowing them to maintain control and prevent essential papers from being altered.
7. Universally Accepted Format - Anyone who has followed the evolution of technology over the last few decades is aware that file formats are continually evolving. Although standard extensions like as.pdf and.docx currently dominate the professional sector, this does not indicate that other commonly used file formats do not exist, and that new file formats will continue to emerge in the future. The more document management formats your system can handle, the better. This will ensure that you don't have any problems in the future.
8. Quick Updates - Because the nature of manual material is constantly changing, it's critical that updates be made as fast and easily as feasible. You get super-fast delta updates with the Document Management System, which means that only the elements that have changed are downloaded, rather than the whole handbook. This means your pilots will spend less time waiting for essential revisions to download. It saves your company a lot of money on data storage and makes updating information easy, especially in faraway places. 
9. Multimedia Content - When you're 25,000 feet in the air, you never know what your staff might require. That's why Document Management System’s offline viewers can readily accommodate a wide range of multimedia content, including animations, music, and video (such as a new airfield briefing).

In today's competitive business climate, disregarding the capabilities and benefits that come with deploying a well-designed document management system is nothing short of foolish. Set the paper aside; now is the time to move on to the next step. And we, at WEP, are here to serve you best.