Whether you are deep in the weeds of software marketplaces and rabbit-hole Google searches or just cracking your knuckles to begin clacking away at the keys, if you’re searching for a document management solution, you could use some help. You probably only discovered the term in the past week. Maybe even the past minute. Now, you’re lost in a sea of abbreviations and self-referential definitions like a digital nesting doll.

Document Management and Enterprise Content Management aren’t that hard to grasp with the right guidance. Once you know what you’re talking about, you can figure out what you want. Then you can select the right solution from a range of the best document management software. Finding the perfect fit is not only about understanding the software but also understanding what your team needs it to do.

File Storage Options in DMS Products

Any good records management solution will offer users multiple ways to add files to the system. From drag-and-drop to email delivery, and what about adding multiple files at once? Like scanning in a stack of archives? With bulk uploading and auto-indexing, each new document created will receive metadata describing its type and keywords before being sent to the correct folder.

Accessing Online Document Management

What is the point of storing every file your company owns online if you have to jump through hoops to get to them? Getting to your content should be painless for your team, just not for the wrong parties. A quality ECM will walk that fine line between approachable and secure, mere moments to enter the system for a permitted user while hackers and disgruntled employees never gain unwanted access. Encryption still safeguards your confidential information, but your team can use the solution from a mobile phone or any browser.

Most potential buyers don’t even consider Search a feature. That’s fair – the best search tools feel seamless. For some software providers, they want their software to wow you right down to the last QoL improvement. What about a solution that does both? You want Document Management for all occasions – one set of options for big, complicated retrieval processes…and the other when you just need that one single file yesterday. Then you’ve got your Basic and Advanced document search.

What Workflow Management Solutions Can Do for Your Team

Log on. Find the document. Read it. Send it on. Get a notification when it is approved. Sounds simple – that’s because it is. Many organizations seek out ECM for the automation capabilities.

Imagine being able to upload a file that gets automatically sent to the first party in a long chain of team members or department heads. The document shows up to them as a task. They could then stamp their signature onto it and send it on to the next person. Or securely share it with an outside colleague – the document never actually leaves the Contentverse server, and you have the power to redact anything and restrict access before sending.

Workflow management software can give you updates about your stored and archived files as well, such as when a document should be reviewed for reassessment, or when personal customer information needs to be purged from the system. Follow your document’s entire lifecycle, all without ever having to seek it out.

Implementing the Best Records Management System

Some businesses are entirely remote (more and more every day), and they need to be entirely online to run smoothly. So, they implement their document management via cloud hosting. Other organizations, such as municipal offices or law enforcement, need to keep their operations off of the internet. They install locally on their on-premise server or on-site workstations. Still others need a bit of both.

The best workflow and document management software has options of all of these use cases. Additionally, integrations can allow a company to get up and running faster. Whether they can leverage an existing plug-in or require a custom piece. A DMS provider that bases their offering on your needs will be much easier to work with than the big guys with a few rigid package options.

A Smooth Experience with Great IT Customer Service

Like we said, a personalized plan is good for any buyer in need of ECM or DMS. Not just for installation and access but also for onboarding. There is no true substitute for a one-on-one call with a specialist, but the next best thing would be an interactive knowledge base for the product. Then, teaching the rest of the team becomes a breeze. All of this enables growth over time – after all, a system versatile enough to improve any one department is worth installing in all of them.

If you’re still looking for tips on document, workflow, or content management for your organization, watch this space for tips and guides. Until then, good luck hunting!