Do you want your employees to waste 50% of their days looking for information? Without a reliable document management system, that’s what will happen.
If you need help coming up with a document management strategy, look no further. The five document management tips below will help you create a document system that works for everyone in your company.
1. Index Your Files
It isn’t hard to find information when you don’t have a large document database. That changes once you start dealing with a large number of documents.
An indexing system will help your employees quickly find the information they need. Come up with names for files, tags for documents, and other sorting mechanisms. Work with your team to figure out how they need to find data so you can use the system that works best for your company.
2. Secure Your Data
The documents you store likely have sensitive information in them. It doesn’t matter if these files are physical or digital. You’re required by law to make sure they’re secure.
Your physical files need to be under lock and key so nobody can walk in and take what they want. For digital files, you need to create a cybersecurity plan to protect your company from cyberattacks. If you don’t have a security expert on your team, reach out to a consulting company to have them secure your business online.
3. Create a Backup Strategy
A document management strategy is pointless if you have no means to protect your files. Natural disasters can destroy buildings, and computer drives can fail. If you have no ways to protect yourself in these situations, your business is going to suffer.
If you store paper documents, make sure to create digital copies of those files. Once you have digital versions of your important files, implement a backup system that automatically saves your documents to the cloud.
4. Implement an Access Management System
Nobody on your team should have access to every file in your organization. Not only does it create more work for those people, but it also presents a security risk. You need an access management system to control who has access to what.
Have your document management team create a set of rules for document access. If you use paperless systems, your software will make this process easy.
5. Make Your Documents Bilingual
If you run a large company, the chances are that you have team members across the globe. Not everyone on your team will use English as their first language.
Language barriers are also a concern for clients in other countries. By using document translation to create bilingual documents, you can ensure that everyone can easily read the information they need.
A Reliable Document Management Strategy Is Critical for Business Success
The last thing you want is for your employees to spend all their time digging through documents to find what they need. Develop a document management strategy that helps people find what they need without digging through mountains of paperwork. The tips above will help you get started.
Of course, document management is only one part of running your business. Head to our business section to learn our latest tips for running a successful company.