Posts Tagged ‘best document management’

Steve Breault, Vircosoft Founder / CEO

Document management software (DMS) is a computer- based application that captures, process, does document indexing, stores the file, aids easy retrieval, and distributes or even disposes of the document. This document which could be in any form is automatically stored online by the business document management software and it is protected from unauthorised access by the most sophisticated firewall security system.

DMS eliminates obstacles and reduces cost of doing business: The adoption of business document management software in a business removes most of the costs and obstacles associated with and created by the use of paper and file cabinets. The intensive labor costs due to paper duplication procedures, the effects of slow distribution of documents, the problem of misplaced originals and the near difficulty of retrieving files from off-site file cabinets are all completely eliminated when the document management software is adapted into a business set-up.

Experienced management experts have said that the methods of reducing or cutting business labor costs include the application of technology and by streamlining the processes of a business. When labour intensive jobs like manual document filings are replaced with technology, labour costs reduces considerably.

It is true that computers and the appropriate computer software applications can easily automate most normal tasks and eliminate errors. Good computer-based software ensures a hassle free, impartial, and orderly manner of meeting specific needs without any element of confusion. Electronic document management software has been declared to have a better accuracy of filing documents than the manual approach to filing documents.

DMS automates document filing and lowers labor costs: From experience, document filing is much of a chore. You have to always decide how to file a document, where to file the document, the location and the right sequence for the document. Besides, while filing the document you have to consider the ease of locating it when it is needed again. The labor costs involved in doing all these manual filing and retriever processes can add-up so quickly so that electronic filing is the way to go.

Let us assume that it takes an average of five minutes for an employee who earns $20 per hour to search for and locate a needed document in a file cabinet, retrieve the information needed from the document, replace it and walk back to her seat. If she needed to take the file with her to get more information, we should expect that the time taken would be longer than five minutes!

If this employee handles not more than five files a day, this translates to about 108 hours spent a year filing documents. In monetary terms, this translates to about $2,166 a year at $20 per hour. If the number of files handled per day increases to ten, the labor cost becomes $4,333 for just one employee who does document filing in your business organization. That labor costs could have been eliminated if computer based business management system is deployed where every employee that needs a file would get it on the computer within seconds without having to even stand up from their chairs.

This system of filing also eliminates the costs of recreating lost documents and it makes business operation effective and efficient.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Steve Breault, Vircosoft Founder / CEO

In times past, businesses relied heavily on paper document filing systems and file cabinets to file and also to retrieve their documents when they choose to. However, times have changed and file cabinets are quickly becoming obsolete giving way to electronic business document management with the application of document management software. 

There are many benefits associated with the use of electronic business document management over the old fashioned paper documentation systems which use the file cabinets.  File cabinet document filing system requires more and more physical space with increase in the quantity of paper documents available for filing while electronic system requires just the bits and bytes of your computer and the electronic filing software for filing your business documents after scanning which will not compete with your employees for space.

The world is gradually going green in factually all things and lovers of the environmentally green concepts have argued in defence of the preservation of trees from which tens of thousands of sheets of papers were made for writing, office and contract documentation purposes. Think of it, when sheets of papers are discarded they turn into methane gas by chemical means which when burnt makes the environment unsafe for human habitation. However, by making use of the document management software process to file your business documents, you would through your business help to protect the forests and also help to protect the environment and keep it safe for human habitation.

The process of accessing and retrieving your data is another very important benefit of electronic business document management. It is much easier when compared to working with and filling paper documents. When more than one employee needs to work with a paper document, there is always the need to make copies of that document for easy accessibility by every employee concerned but with the use of document management software, the need to make copies becomes eliminated as employees authorised to have access to any document stored online can do so at any point in time and at the same time in different locations real time.

The security of your business documents are better guaranteed with electronic storage of files as most common business document management software available make use of the most reliable firewall technology security systems to protect your documents at all times and yet you are allowed the ease of access any time without any encumbrance from the security features since you and any other employees authorised by you will be given free access. In fact, your employees may also be restricted to the level of access you want them to have to your business documents once they have been scanned and stored with the aid of the document management software.

It is sure that the need to file business documents will always remain with us though methods of filing or managing information may change. It is then necessary to endeavour to go with the evolving trend in information management and the way to go when it comes to electronic document filing is the use of the business document management software.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Decisions in any business are based on organizational knowledge. In today’s business environment, this knowledge rests not only with some top executives of an organization, but also with the databases and documents that an enterprise maintains. It’s the speed and accuracy with which information can be retrieved that the success of a business largely depends. Digital document management has made it possible to create and store information, and organize it for easy retrieval.

There are generally two types of documents that any organization handles, one that is produced by the organization and second, received from the outside. Most of this documentation in the form of financial statements and monthly or yearly reports come in handy for analysts to formulate future goals and assess current status of the business. Critical information is also received from the outside in the form of invoices, suggestions from clients or customers, letters of complaint and so on. This data comes in several formats, both electronic and paper.

Document capture forms an important part of recording every piece of information received by your organization. If you do not convert paper documents to digital format, it cannot be included in your analysis. This can be of great importance when making critical business decisions. Though scanning a document converts it into an image, it’s of no value without the corresponding metadata which makes it searchable and retrievable. Document management software provides a unique solution to this problem, as every data from a paper document can be captured and stored on the computer.

Document capture can be defined as a process that converts paper information into electronic format, which can then be processed and stored using various technologies. Some important components of the document capture process are:

Scanning or document capture: When a document is scanned it produces an image on the screen of the computer which can be stored on the computer like any other file. Several factors must be considered when choosing a scanner depending on requirement and average number of documents likely to be processed every day. For instance, size, quality of paper, volume is some factors that you must keep in mind. Scanners are extremely handy and can process a variety of documents, from business cards to engineering drawings.

Automatic document feeder: Optimum use of document management software can be made only if you have automatic document feeder. This device feeds paper automatically into the scanner and speeds up the process significantly. The device is quite useful for processing bulk documents such as invoices and forms.

Speed and accuracy: Speed with which documents are processed by document management software decides the quality of the document. Ideally, a standard sized scanner can process anywhere between 6 to 200 pages per minute. However, considering optimal performance, a processing speed of 20-30 pages per minute should suffice for everyday use.

Image cleanup: Most scanners come with enhanced technology to apply cleanup techniques to increase accuracy of data. Contrast adjustment, noise removal, rebuilding broken characters and cropping borders are some of the cleanup techniques used in scanners. This helps in capturing all the information in the original document without compromising on its accuracy.

Data extraction: As in the case of paper documents, digital document management too requires extraction, storage and appropriate indexing of useful information. Document management software normally has an indexing system which organizes documents in form that can be easily searched and retrieved when needed. As such, accurate extraction and storage of information is one of the most important features of any document capture solution.

A digital document management system must perform various tasks to make the scanned data readable and useful for the organization. As each type of document needs to be processed in a different manner, the document management software must be customizable to meet these requirements. New technology has provided a great tool in the form of document management systems to maximize productivity and increase profitability, and is one of the best investments that you can make for your business.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Every organization strives to grow in terms of profit, revenue, consumer base and geographic or global presence. However, an organization can achieve its business goals only if the growth is managed carefully. For instance, a company growing at a fast rate may not be able to handle increased workload or capital costs successfully. Modern technology such as automatic data capture incorporated using optical character recognition is aimed at helping small, medium and large companies increase productivity and profitability.

The very first image scanner was developed and built in 1957. Earlier image scanners consisted of a single photo detector along with a rotating drum. Image scanners have undergone a variety of changes in terms of their size, quality and speed. With technological advancements image scanners now come in compact format and can be easily placed on your desktop. Apart from this, modern image scanners can be easily integrated with document management software to capture and store data automatically.

As your business grows, the number and types of documents handled by your company will also increase. Imagine a situation where your office receives thousands of invoices and remittances per month. Even if the entire system of documentation is computerized, there may be instances where managing data can become problematic. For example, a customer paying multiple invoices with one check can complicate document processing. In fact, this would involve manual entering of the amounts against each invoice. One small error can lead to repeat work, wasting precious time and effort. This will also reflect on the productivity of your company and seriously hamper its growth prospect.

Document management software coupled with technologies such as optical character recognition (OCR) helps simplify document processing. OCR software is an artificial intelligence system able to recognize, scan and store sequences of characters or lines. The characters are scanned, checked against a database and relevant information is stored for later use or forwarded for further processing. Automatic data capture using OCR and other such technologies can be of tremendous help to organizations that receive large number of documents on daily basis.

Every office has a document management system in some crude form or other. For instance, there may be some naming convention in place so a particular type of document or information can be easily searched in the computer. Similarly, your computer systems may have different folders for different types of documents, aimed at easy search and retrieval. However, how many times has an employee accidentally deleted a folder or forgotten where a certain information has been stored. It may also happen that a document has been stored in the wrong folder, resulting in unnecessary search or recreation of the document. Document management software greatly reduces such errors by automating the entire data processing system.

A document management system can be programmed for automatic data capture to scan and store data in certain format and location. The data is indexed so it can be easily retrieved whenever required. Such a system usually has a document feeder that feeds paper documents into the scanner. The document scanner then captures required information and stores it on the computer in a systematic manner. This stored data can be easily backed up reducing the time wasted in searching or recreating deleted or lost information.

Both information and time is of great importance in the success of any organization. Document management software provides a combination of different solutions with the sole aim of leveraging the process of document creation and retrieval. Such a system helps provide accurate information in a timely manner, thus increases productivity and helps manage growth effectively.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

In today’s dynamic business environment, the need for technology to increase productivity and profitability cannot be emphasized enough. When computers were first introduced as a means to automate various business processes, technology was seen as something that would streamline the workflow and reduce or completely remove the need for paper. The dream of paperless office is yet to be realized by many businesses throughout the world. However, document management software comes as a solution that can clear up cluttered offices and create a better working environment.

Searching for important documents is one of the most time-consuming activities that employees carry out, no matter what the organization or type of business. Ample amount of research and surveys have shown that an organization with a strength of about 1000 workers wastes close to $2.5-$3 million per year simply searching for documents that do not exist or recreating lost documents. Professionals spend more than 50% of their time searching for information, both on computer and paper files. On an average, $20 is spent per document, for searching as well as recreating. Whether your business is large or small, you can imagine the impact this can have on your ROI.

Document management software is one solution that can benefit your business tremendously. In fact, most organizations use business document management in some crude form or the other. For instance, many professionals try to organize the data on their computer by saving it in different folders. So they may have different folders named Invoices, Images, Audio Clips, Presentations, Order Form, and so on, created with a view to manage document better. Though such a system may work well for one person or even for a team with 10-15 people, it becomes difficult to maintain when there are many departments involved.

Although going from paper to an electronic system for recordkeeping is a step in the right direction, complete automation cannot be achieved unless every paper in the office has been converted in the digital format. With the data capture facility available in document management software, you can convert every file in your office into an electronic file and simply do away with the filing cabinets. Once everything is on your computer, not only is your office less cluttered, electronic records are also easier to manage. You need not rummage through a file cabinet looking for files anymore. Simply type in the keywords for your files and it will be retrieved by the document management system.

Apart from being easy to manage, electronic data is also easy to update, modify, share and distribute. This can be achieved by setting up a centralized document management system for your entire office. Once your office is connected through a network, it will be easier to streamline the flow of information between various sections. For instance, a document goes through several phases during its life cycle, from creation to storage or deletion. With thousands of documents to handle every day, business document management system helps organize and simplify the process.

Records or data or information is no longer needed just for internal functioning of an organization. It has now become one of the critical and strategic aspects of a business. Most businesses today are required to share their progress and change in business dealings with various parties including shareholders, clients and customers. With a professional document management system, correct information is available at the right time and your business is definitely headed for success.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Document management has evolved in the past few decades, from records being maintained on registers to the Relational Database Management System and document management software. Information technology has changed the way businesses function today. Most government organizations and industry sectors like engineering, construction, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and banks already have a document management system in place. However, in today’s business environment, every type of organization requires a document management system, no matter what its size or function.

Even if you own a small or mid-sized business, maintenance of different types of records and documents must be of utmost importance. If you are frequently facing problems such as loss of documents, misplaced reports or accidental deletion of records, you definitely require professional document management software. A document management system is not just a software with fancy features. It is a combination of different technologies brought together to provide a sophisticated and comprehensive document management solution. Some technologies used in electronic document management system are:

Automatic data capture or digital imaging: The digital imaging systems in the form of scanners, form recognition packages and character readers convert paper documents into digital documents. Such a system enables employees to capture, store, search, retrieve and share any type of document stored systematically in a digital format. Automatic data capture saves data in two formats, image or PDF which cannot be modified and text format which can be edited. Both formats may be required at some point in time. For example, image format is ideal for invoices coming from outside, as these will not be modified at any stage during processing and archival.

Workflow: Document management software with workflow systems are aimed at automating the business process. Such a system allows a business to define, manage and control the way information moves through various departments or processes. This enables a business to maintain strict quality control, improve customer service and concentrate on business objectives.

Optical storage: Storage in the form of an optical jukebox has become extremely popular in the recent years. It serves as a great option to online storage and enables storage of large volumes of data. So such a system works best for large volumes of video, images or audio files, say in real estate, medical or construction business.

Groupware systems: Groupware systems support more than two users performing the same set of tasks. Such a system provides an interface that can be shared with other users. Some features of groupware systems include bulletin boards, electronic schedulers and discussion databases, all of which can be incorporated into document management software.

Electronic publishing and sharing: Every type of data can be electronically published on a CD or DVD. Apart from this, data can also be shared or distributed via intranet or the World Wide Web through email.

Automatic data capture, storage, automatic indexing, version control, maintenance, security, automatic retention and deletion, are some of the basic features offered by document management software. The type or version of software you choose would depend on the type of business you have. If you have a small business, then document management software with basic functions such as metadata capture, security, version control and storage would suffice. However, for a mid-sized or large business, you may require additional functions such as automatic conversion, free-text search, large storage capacity, networking, and so on.

Apart from being compatible with your existing system of document management, the software you choose must enable you to follow government standards for electronic document management. For instance, public records such as company policy should be easily accessible, whereas confidential documents must have adequate security and access control. With the right type of document management solution you will certainly be able to take care of administrative, technical and legal requirements related to document management.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Records management has gained importance in the past few years, especially in view of regulatory compliance introduced by the government. Legal, financial and government organizations are always required to maintain proper records by virtue of their role and task, and have been known to be meticulous with information management. On the other hand, general recordkeeping with corporate and other private entities was not standardized, which is why regulatory norms such as HIPAA have been formulated. In view of this, document management software is something your organization will surely require at some point in time.

Computer systems and digital document management came as something that ‘can be’ used rather than ‘should be’ used. However, with the regulatory compliance issues, recordkeeping and information management requirements have changed. For instance, as per different regulations, any type of information should be accessible, classified appropriately and easily retrievable, whenever needed. Apart from this, no part of any information should be modified without prior permission or authorization. Some ways in which document management can help in recordkeeping are:

Capture records: Records may be in different formats such as documents, blueprints, audio files, photographs, databases and maps. The automatic data capture feature of document management software scans and registers a record using a unique ID along with the time and date when the document was added into the system. Along with this it also captures metadata details such as author, purpose of creation, source and so on.

Audit requirements: Companies are often required to maintain a record of flow of information through different departments. A digital document management system helps keep track of all the processes pertaining to a document. These may include creation, modification, updation, access and distribution of documents. For instance, at any point you can check who accessed which document and with whom was it shared.

Security and control: The main purpose of recordkeeping is that the information should be available whenever needed, making security a top priority. Apart from this, many establishments also look for solutions to problems such as loss of documents, accidental deletion and so on. With document management software you can monitor and control access to various records. For instance, you can have privacy settings such that documents are available on to those departments that need them, while others can only view and read them.

Automate retention and destruction of records: Not all records will be required for long term usage and some may be deleted after a certain period of time. With document management software you can automate the process of storing important records and deleting redundant ones. For instance, once a file has been converted into a new format, those in older formats will not be required anymore and can be deleted.

Store and preserve records: Risk management is one of the most important aspects of recordkeeping. With document management software you can easily backup all types of data for long term use. Apart from this, you can also migrate records to a newer system of hardware and software whenever needed, without loss of critical information.

Records are maintained by different establishments for various purposes ranging from administration and technical reporting to organizational policy. Most businesses require information management for functional purpose such as evidence of work done. A well-organized document management system will surely enable and support your organization’s vision and mission.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Quick decision making, increase in amount of data, gaining competitive edge over others and need for risk management are some of the factors influencing businesses to adopt document management systems for day-to-day functioning. Apart from this, increasing need to cut costs and optimizing productivity are some of the challenges that businesses face today. Though most companies and organizations today have switched to digital document management, many are yet to utilize this technology to its full potential.

Some methods such as taking backup on CDs and DVDs, using RDBMS and web-based sharing of documents do work to a limited extent. However, document management software presents a more integrated and holistic approach towards information management. Features such as automatic data capture, indexing, easy search and quick retrieval make document management systems an integrated solution.

Streamlining critical operations and increasing efficiency is vital for a business to grow. Some important functions that document management software must perform are:

· Use automatic data capture tool to import documents into the system

· Store and archive data for use when required

· Index documents for easy and quick retrieval

· Provide tools to distribute and share documents at different levels

· Provide tools to protect documents from unauthorized access

The main aim of document management software for your organization should be to simplify business processes and consequently increase efficiency. Along with this, it should help expedite different procedures, promote greater collaboration within departments or organizations and facilitate compliance with filing norms.

Various surveys and research has shown that, on an average a worker spends approximately 12 minutes in processing a document such as a form or an invoice. Out of these, 9 minutes are spent in looking for related data such as previous records or reports. An office makes approximately 20 copies of a document per day, loses at least 1 document out of 20 and spends close to $250 in searching, reordering or recreating a file. Statistics plainly state that precious time is spent in searching and recreating documents, which can otherwise be utilized to review business goals, increase productivity and concentrate on customer satisfaction. Document management software can help your business in several ways such as:

Save time: Document management system helps you answer critical issues immediately by providing required information instantly. Search and retrieval tools help locate documents quickly, thus decreasing processing time. Along with this, the storage and archival features have completely eliminated the issue of lost documents, thus saving time spent on searching and recreating documents.

Cut costs: With everything saved in a digital format, there is no longer need for filing cabinets. Apart from this, most documents can be shared or distributed over a network, thus reducing the cost of printing documents.

Minimize errors: A document management system works with minimum human intervention, thus decreasing common filing mistakes. The automatic data capture features scans and files document in a user-specified windows folder, eliminating any mistakes that may be caused when filing documents.

Increase collaboration: The system is available centrally and is integrated such that documents can be retrieved by anyone who may require it. This helps organizations work in a coordinated manner. For instance, one department need not wait for another to provide any information as all they need is available through document management system.

With rapidly-changing technology, your clients expect quick solutions to their problems and instant access to any information they want. People today are quick to change their service provider even if smallest of problems are not resolved within a given timeframe. It’s needless to say that your business can only compete with its counterparts when you employ the latest tools and assure customer satisfaction.

Steve Breault “DocMeister”

Offices do not waste paper, they always and in all ways keep papers, papers bearing documents since time immemorial, keeping them with the intention of archiving them and letting them rot in piles and piles of boxes or steel cabinets. Most offices are like this, they keep documents that are long obsolete, and those papers which are no longer needed are being kept to be part of the company’s history. Many of the offices act like these papers and documents are still needed and can be helpful when they need them, but judging that some of these documents are already ten years old, or the most recent being two years old, they are already called rubbish.

But what if these papers really do contain some things that are important? Do you really need to keep them in dust-gathering vaults and cabinets where they can rot and be brittle even for reading purposes? Today’s technology dictates that these papers can already be thrown away and we can start anew with document keeping.

One of the best document management systems that is in line with today’s need for document keeping is the digital document imaging of today. A digital document imaging will be able keep your documents in store for you while being used as well. A world-class document management system is being provided to you by Vircosoft. They can provide the best document management system that is available, and with using this document management system, an office or company will be able to use the documents, old and new, for safe keeping. With this digital document imaging, we are able to keep our records and dig them up from the archive when you want to or when the need arises.

This digital document imaging is paperless, which means, everything is retrievable. You can retrieve everything, from accounts to memoranda, and other significant documents that are in safe keeping. Other records can be kept as well, but there is no use for piles and piles of cabinets for these paper documents that keep these records. In fact, there’s only one need for this to be retrieved, a computer that is able to run the software and keep all the valuables inside it. The files can be arranged by chronological order, or by the order you want. Each is retrieved by the file names you have given them and the records are arranged as you have made them appear on your list. Very easily retrieved, and very easily kept, this is what makes this new technology more convenient for keeping.Retrieve is simple software you can use, one that makes use of interface to get the records. Retrieve is designed to give users a fast way to discover and find old information and can be indexed by the VFiler. Retrieve is free for every purchase of the VFiler.

If you want other digital document software by Vircosoft, you might want check on their website for further understanding of their software.

Steve Breault, CEO

Version control is also known as revision control, source control or the software configuration management (SCM). It usually comes as a feature to software management, or software development. It is when you make software document files and many people may have the right to track it, and even make changes to the document that you have. In most cases, the version control can contain codes, they may be numbers, or alphabets that can help you track the way the document has been changed.

In a certain company, many of our employees get to have a copy of a document that is shared by the whole company, from the proposals to the managers who will approve, some documents such as the one mentioned, a proposal, will have to pass through several more people for reviews and opinions. In many cases, these documents will of course require a version control. The version control, as needed by a company to forego with the approval of a document, must be tracked. One of the features of the best document management systems in the world must be version control.

This version control is created to track the sharing of the document, as well as the changes that is incorporated in the document by people who have something to deal with the document. This way, changes to a document or revisions thereof will be highly monitored, and be taken consideration by parties dealing with it. Many of our papers in the office need duplicate copies, one to pass through the higher management positions, and for those who are in the department concerned with the document’s status. Multiple copies are shared, and though some may want to edit it or revise it, others may want to have the document as is. In the case of printed documents, it is usually in the paper itself where scribbling for a revision may be placed. After the document has passed through a lot of people concerned to it, all the revisions will eventually be made into one judgment, an approval or otherwise.

Through version control, there will be no need for a printed copy, each person that has something to deal with the document is given a copy of the file and his share of thoughts regarding the paper will also be saved and shared to many. There is digital document imaging to go with the document, and this can only be done through a version control. This is where Vircosoft is expert. Vircosoft is a company that provides your needs for document imaging software, open source document management software, and if you want to start saving the earth, you can check on their service for providing you a start on paperless office.

Automatically saving copies of changes in a certain document also means documenting thoughts in a certain company. This is helpful in order to facilitate fast approval, and to hasten good coordination among the group. Vircosoft, with its mission to provide a better documenting office, is one to check out. Their service will provide you with blissful understanding of a paperless office, or better yet, start on an office using document imaging software to maximize time and working ability.