Why deal with hard copies if you don't have to?
Do you ever find your desk at work buried under bits of paper? Maybe a pile of customer orders here, a heap of invoices there – and more than a smattering of timesheets to deal with. Not only is it messy and terrible for the environment, it also makes finding anything a nightmare. So how do you solve the problem? With an electronic document management (EDM) system.
What Is Electronic Document Management?
As you can probably guess from the name, electronic document management is all about storing records in a computer system. Such systems can not only store files like Word documents but also digital copies of physical documents, from scanners, cameras and so on.
EDM systems offer businesses several benefits:
- Document indexing: Because everything is digitised, documents can be properly indexed. That means users are quickly able to find what they’re looking for, simply by entering search terms into their EDM system.
- Speed: With documents being easier to find, employees spend less time looking for things, which makes businesses more efficient and saves money.
- Reduction of paper waste: By reducing the need for printing, EDM systems cut down paper waste, which is better for the environment. Combined with the subsequent reduction in printer ink use, this also leads to a significant cost saving for businesses.
- Security: Apart from locking filing cabinets, there’s not much security you can apply to paper documents. With electronic document management, you can see what’s been viewed and by whom, and whether anyone has made copies.
- Management of access rights: EDM enables you to determine exactly who is and who isn’t allowed to view certain documents.
- Simultaneous access: Need to look at a document that someone else is already looking at? With paper, you either have to make a copy or wait your turn, but it’s not an issue with electronic document management.
The advantages of using electronic document management are fairly comprehensive, but there are few drawbacks too:
- Getting started: If you’re not already using an EDM system or you’re migrating to a new one, there will inevitably be some financial and time costs involved.
- Cyber security: A paper document can’t be hacked (except into pieces by scissors), but a document management system will need to be secured.
- Staff training: Any new software system will usually involve some training for employees. Depending on the particular software, this could be time-consuming and expensive.
Which Document Management System?
As you can see, the pros of EDM far outweigh the cons, but if you are going to use electronic document management, which system is right for your business?
At TMB, we recommend Pegasus Document Management, an Opera 3 module that integrates seamlessly with other modules such as Payroll & HR. As well as the general EDM features mentioned already, Document Management offers:
- OCR: Using optical character recognition, Document Management is able to recognise and read text in scanned documents. This is then digitised so it can be indexed and then searched for.
- Indexing customisation: Users are able to specify what words are and are not used for indexing.
- Indexing options: As well as individual indexing, users can index in batches or by barcode.
- High degree of file compatibility: Pegasus Documents Management supports a wide array of different file types.
- Licensing: Document Management is available as a desktop application, so users do not need Opera 3 to access documents.
^ Document Management makes it quick and easy to find what you're looking for
What Next?
If you think Document Management might be a good fit for your business, please get in touch. TMB has decades of experience as a Pegasus Software partner, and we’ve won several Pegasus awards. Our in-house Pegasus support team, meanwhile, ensures we offer the very best in customer service. To learn more, call 0333 900 9050, or use our contact page.