How Do You Set Up A Document Management System?

2022-10-21 14:35:14

Did you know that 97 per cent of businesses have minimal or no digital documentation processes?

Team members struggle to keep track of essential items without proper document management. Without comprehensive, streamlined processes, your company could lose valuable time and money. However, if your organisation moves quickly, implementing suitable systems will help increase overall productivity.

Luckily, our guide is here to help you get started. Read on to learn everything you need to know to create a file management system of your own.

Consider Your Current Structure

The first step you'll need to take when creating a new structure is to conduct an audit of your current one. You should prioritise documents and potential pitfalls that need fixing, and you can also ask yourself a few questions:

• What are your company's primary communication channels?
• How many records do you turn around per day?
• How quickly do those files accumulate?
• How many employees do you have?

If you have a large team, you can select one or two departments with which to begin. As you gain momentum, the process will become much easier to implement throughout the rest of your company.

 

Who's Taking Charge?

From this point onwards, you'll need to nominate one person or a small team to see things through until the very end, which helps ensure consideration of every single document in the organisational process during development.

Your team should consist of individuals from different rankings and departments (executive, administration, specialities, etc.). They'll then be able to act as a liaison between that team and the team they represent. Allocating resources helps speed things along, but it will also ensure that each group has the representation they need.

Individual members can identify their team documents for saving and deletion and how their department processes documents as a whole.

 

Consider Digitisation

Next, consider how your current processes can carry into the future. It's best to research a few different document management solutions your company might use and then work to see how easily you could transition into one. If you find the answer is that it'd be next to impossible, you'll have a goal to work towards throughout this process.

 

Identify Your Documents

Now the team can identify each document to determine where you should store them. That means starting with a sweep of every single document the company has. Check every office, cupboard, desk, and area where previously documents might've been stored improperly.

This inventory can include different things such as:

• Reference materials
• Personal papers
• Duplicate copies
• Client forms and information
• Other records.

This process will help your team determine which resources they'll have adequate room for and which ones might need more. They'll also help determine which documents your organisation needs easy access to for daily use and which ones can be stored away for later.

 

Focus on Safety and Security

Once you have everything together, you'll need to move on to security and compliance protocols. Security and compliance include all details from a document storage location to access control specifics.

Remember, each industry has regulation procedures determining storage; thus, building processes that meet these compliance protocols is essential. It could mean facing legal issues and hefty fines if you don't.

 

Train and Educate

Once your team has implemented its systems, you'll have to train your staff on new procedures and protocols. Here, a team comes in handy as a dedicated person should be responsible for training each department. They'll also be able to answer questions and resolve problems or address other pitfalls during this transition process.

Transition is difficult for any business, which is why it's so important to place a heavy focus on education from the very beginning. Conducting these educating activities will benefit the transition and ensure smooth functionality as your organisation moves through the process.

 

Don't Forget Support and Re-evaluation

It's essential to think about the long-term. Once these systems are in place, your employees might still need support. It's also crucial to consider how you're going to evaluate how things are going and when it's a good idea to implement changes.

Things might not work the first time, or you might need to make changes down the line. If this is the case, remember not to be afraid of change. You can start by taking inventory of what your employees enjoy about the new systems and what they don't.

Is there anything that simply isn't working? What needs to be fixed or switched around? There is a lot you can cover for this step, but most importantly, gather your employees' input to improve what you've built.

Regarding support, you can lean on the team members that built the system or bring in a third party to field all the questions. A third party might be instrumental if you have new software or are working with a new company.

 

Find the Document Management System That Works for You Today

Once you've completed the steps, creating a system that works for you and your team will be a lot easier. Electronic document management is essential for your team's productivity and sanity, whether you're a small team or working within departments. You won't have to worry about wasting time finding your files, and you won't face annoyance over all the chaos.

At Daisy Solutions, we're here to help. Contact us today to get started.