Does your business deal with a lot of physical forms and documents? If so, then it has never been more important to have a reliable and secure method for filing and storing these documents. Whether they contain everyday information or sensitive client data, losing or misplacing a document can cost your business a lot of time and money. And of course, document loss can tarnish your company’s reputation; look at any of the major corporations that have been involved in data breaches within the past few years.
If your current document management system isn’t working out, it may be time to explore dedicated document management software as a solution. No matter which industry you find yourself in, the right enterprise content management solution can make all the difference in your company’s workflow process, data security, and overall efficiency.
What is Document Management Software?
If you’ve never heard of document management software (also commonly referred to as enterprise content management software), you’re not alone. While this type of software is still relatively new and innovative, it’s also trusted and heavily relied upon by thousands of companies across hundreds of industries worldwide.
Specifically, document management software provides you with a cloud-based platform for transferring, uploading, and storing all of your organization’s files and documents in a secure and digital format. Many of these platforms also allow for “tagging” of documents with specialized keywords, making retrieving documents easier when the time comes. All of this cuts down on document loss and the costs associated with that in your industry.
Meanwhile, document management software is more secure than your “traditional” filing cabinet and physical document storage. In the event of a fire, flood, or another disaster on your property, the remote storage that a document management platform allows ensures that you will always have backups of your data.
Popular Industries for Document Management Software
Now that you understand how document management software works, you may be wondering whether this type of solution is right for your industry. No matter what industry your company operates in, you can likely benefit from implementing an enterprise content management solution. Take a look at just a handful of the most common industries and how they have used these solutions to their advantage.
Government
Having reliable and immediate access to constituent and civilian information is an absolute must when you’re in any government agency. An ECM solution allows government agencies to serve their people’s needs better, offering easy and secure documentation of files such as:
- Police reports
- Property records
- Voting records
- Court records
- And much more
Meanwhile, government agencies can save time and reduce administrative costs by eliminating outdated and paper-based systems. Likewise, finding government documents and responding to public record requests becomes more accessible and less time-consuming.
Healthcare
Handling sensitive patient data means that it is even more important for your organization’s document storage solution to be secure. And when you must respond to regulatory agencies and regulations (including HIPAA), you have to be even more careful about how you’re filing and storing your documents.
This is where having a reliable document management program can make all the difference. By improving the security and accessibility of patient records and other healthcare data, your business can provide patients with the peace of mind and care they deserve. Meanwhile, you can rest assured that you’ll comply with HIPAA and HIT regulations regarding document security.
With the right ECM software, you can also integrate your existing electronic medical records (EMR) system for a more streamlined workflow while eliminating manual data entry and reducing administrative costs. It’s a win-win for your staff and your patients!
Legal
Being in the legal field often means dealing with a lot of sensitive files and documents. This can include:
- Client records
- Evidence files
- Deposition transcripts
- Emails
- Case files
- And more
Having a secure place to store all of these files digitally can cut down on the amount of space you need in your law office for paper file storage. Meanwhile, this data will remain secure and backed up in a remote, third-party location for you and your clients’ peace of mind.
Document management software for the legal field makes it easier to reduce paper filing costs while facilitating better collaboration between lawyers and counsel. Meanwhile, search features make it possible to find clients based on their docket numbers, names, or other keywords in a matter of seconds; no more thumbing through drawers of paper files! This cuts down on your firm’s admin costs by saving valuable time.
Education
From small schools to large universities, education organizations have many documents to keep track of regularly. Student records, immunization records, transcripts, and financial aid forms can quickly take up a lot of physical space on your campus while also making data retrieval time-consuming and cumbersome.
With the right document management solution, you can store your staff and student records more confidently while ensuring FERPA and HIPAA compliance from a security standpoint. Meanwhile, the right ECM platform makes locating student records by name, student number, or other criteria quick and easy so your staff can better serve your students.
Other Industries
In addition to these industries, the following industries have also seen the benefits of implementing a document management solution:
- Agriculture and farming
- Auto dealerships/sales
- Arts and entertainment
- Manufacturing and construction
- Property management
The Bottom Line on Document Management Software for Your Industry
As you can see, the right enterprise content management solution can make a world of difference at your place of business — regardless of your industry. From streamlining your document storage to improving security and even helping you stay within regulatory compliance, these solutions are designed to make your life easier. Meanwhile, the right document management platform for your business will make the transition from paper-based document storage to digital storage as seamless as possible, reducing the number of training hours you need to set aside for your employees.