Document management refers to the use of software tools for managing digital documents on any stage of their existence – from creation and editing to publishing. It supports collaboration between different employees, provides all required tools for document editing, creation and formatting of documents, and also provides you with options to save and store documents. Paper documents are becoming past, while electronic documents are something we use on a daily basis, so modern document management system is a must.
Document management solutions as a separate software tool is a rear thing in 2024, while it is mostly a part of broader functionality of enterprise content management software or other business systems.
Five Key Document Management Software Features
- Check-in/check-out
- Version control
- Roll back
- Security and access controls
- Audit Trails
Let’s discover more about each of these document management software features. We don’t need to discuss that effective document management system has to support all file formats and document workflows.
Check-in/Check-out
Check-in and check-out features are necessary for effective document editing and formatting it until it meets requirements – in check-out mode, document can be edited only by a person who switched the mode on, and in some cases, it can’t be even read or accessd by anyone else. Check-in mode brings back the free access for the document – under free access we mean access under conditions set on the creation stage. These features ensure document security for all document types.
The check-in mode is one of the most used document management features as it is used when all required changes are made, so others can get access to documents and review the changes. The main purpose of such system is to make sure that there will be no confusion – for instance, it eliminates the problem when a few people are trying to edit a single document simultaneously.
Version Control
Verson control, as you could guess, is the feature that allows users to access different historical versions of the document throughout its lifespan. Since the new version is created by making any changes to a former version, it is automatically saved and older versions can be either reviewed or even restored in a few clicks.
The algorithm of saving any version of the document can differ from system to system, but the main logic remains the same – since the document has been changed, it is considered a new version – the difference is that some systems require major changes to create a new version automatically, while others consider even one letter changed as a new version.
This feature helps to save memory on the device and your time, as you don’t have to save multiple versions of the document – they can be easily accessed within one file. This also eliminates the possibility of human error, as storing numerous versions of the same document may lead to confusion and mistakes.
Roll Back
Roll back also refers us to version control feature of the document management software, as it is the feature of version control. Roll back means that you can restore previous versions of the document, including its first version. It is essentially in different cases, especially when there have been mistakes made to the document or it was edited in the wrong way, or the text of the document was deleted.
Security and Access Controls
Security control is the feature that allows you to provide editing and access rights to certain authorized users to make sure that there will be no unauthorized access. Some users can change document directly, while others can only read it or leave comments or suggestions. You can also see who made the changes and contact this person directly in the interface of document management system to make communication more direct.
Document access includes such rights as document creation, document approvals, share documents, collaboration tools, and wide variety of other key features you can provide to manage digital files and document libraries.
Audit Trails
Audit trials provide you with detailed information of what is going on in the system, including all changes of the documents, all comments left, when were those changes made, who made them, and so on. This eases the approval process and helps you stay informed about document management processes.
Other Considerations
Document management, as any other software, develops rapidly, which means that new features are added to improve the effectiveness of software and make using it even easier. Let’s learn more about these changes.
Cloud
Cloud computing is the world’s leading technology these days, so not adopting cloud technologies for document management would have been a mistake. No need to upload documents, no need to use any desktop tools, and easy access from everywhere in the world with only a stable Internet connection. In short, cloud-based document management system is a must, as it requires no physical space for setting up infrastructure.
Search
When the number of documents you have created increases, it is difficult to navigate between them without using a search engine or categorization. Once you use search bar, you can find any document you need in a few seconds, and some document management tools offer categorization features, so you segment your documents by different categories you can even create on your own.
Interface
Modern technologies should be intuitive and easy to use without long and effortful training. This relates also to document management tools as you can’t rely on legacy solutions with outdated bulky interfaces that make it easy to get lost.
Why Document Management?
Document management is necessary for any company in the world, no matter what you are working on – you have to create and store internal policies, agreements, texts for your blog, training materials, reports, plans, strategies, and so on. All these things are difficult to manage when you don’t have a capable solution that will help you store everything in a single place. Thus, you should look for a modern solution that would cover your needs, be easy to use, include all the above-mentioned features, and so on. Be careful with your choice- the solutions you use determine your success.