Document Management – The holy grail of IT
Monthly IT Support Update – October 2016
Hi all,
This month I’ll be writing a little about efficient document management. There have been a number of studies done that show on average staff can spend up to 15% of their time looking for files/information. There are three main problems associated with traditional file storage systems:
Information is often siloed
If a staff member creates a process or procedure and there’s no formal way of storing it, there’s a good chance that information is lost. If the situation occurs again, the information may need to be learned from scratch over and over.
Information is duplicated or out of date
Without a centralised and organised data structure it’s highly likely that information will be out of date, duplicated, or both. This generates overheads when creating content and headaches when searching.
Information is tied to content, but not to those who created it
There may be a huge amount of information, of which someone searching may only need a single piece – having to trawl through hundreds of documents or pages takes a lot of time. If the content creator/author is clearly identifiable, a quick email or phone call can save hours of pain.
These lost hours add up very quickly, so increasing the efficiency of these searches can have a noticeable effect on productivity.
The most effective way to do this is by implementing a document management system (DMS). A DMS is much more than just a shared network drive with some associated permissions. It incorporates, tracking, managing and storing information. Generally version control and business workflows are also included in these systems. There are many tiers of DMS, designed for use by businesses of all sizes.
If you’re interested in learning more about how implementing a document management system could help your business we’re happy to provide an audit of current systems and recommendations based on present and projected business requirements.
About the author:
Eden Freeman is Intuitive IT’s Director of IT and outsourced IT manager to our clients. Eden’s no-nonsense and practical approach to IT Management ensures his clients receive the best possible solutions for their IT needs. Eden works across our many and varied clients, ensuring best practice is implemented from a technology perspective and can communicate risks and ideas to the business at the same time. A unique and highly regarded set of skills that make him invaluable to the IIT team. Contact Eden here
About the author
Eden has over a decade of experience in the IT industry. Working with numerous organisations from a diverse range of industries; education, finance and renewable energy to name a few.
Prior to joining Intuitive IT Eden worked at a top tier Managed Services provider which gave him valuable experience in a wide array of enterprise level technologies and customer environments.