What is Electronic Document Management (EDM)?
Firstly, what is a document? Nowadays, it is more than a piece of paper. It is any package of data that is structured for informational use. We can consider a letter, a fax, an email, a picture or a hundred other items to be a document – each of which contains information that your organisation needs to track.
Document Management is the process used to capture, store, update and deliver this information. It is much more than choosing the correct printer, the fastest scanner or a filing system.
Information and documents must be retained in such a way that they can be accessed when required. Document Management enables all types of media to be logically stored in an electronic file structure.The length of time that information must be retained, and the speed at which it can be located and accessed, is dependent on the business and regulatory requirements, and on the types of media and storage systems used.
Fundamentally EDM eliminates the need for paper files and archives,. Most importantly, a Document Management solution must not create problems for IT, even if it solves problems for end users. It must not disrupt existing infrastructure. It must not strain tight resources. It must adhere to open standards and adapt to changing environments. A correctly specified EDM solution should as a minimum, speed up response time to information enquiries, reduce misfiling and document loss, cut manual data entry time, expenses and errors, and improve security. The addition of Records Management introduces the ability to manage document lifecycles, administer policies and proceedures, and mitigate the risk of non-compliance.
But Document Management is not just about technology. The major benefit of any Document Management solution is derived from a change in business process and practice and not purely from purchasing a quicker machine. Before you purchase a system, examine your processes and see if they can be improved either before, during, or after the purchase of new Document Management systems. Only then will you receive the full benefit of the technology improvement.
THE FOUR KEY PROCESSES
CAPTURE
Actionable business decisions rely on the capture of accurate up-to-date information. Organisations use a wide range of scanning, imaging, recognition and forms processing technologies to ensure that they possess the information they need to run their businesses.
STORAGE & PRESERVATION
Information and documents must be retained in such a way that they can be accessed when required. The length of time that information must be retained, and the speed at which it can be located and accessed, is dependent on the business and regulatory requirements, and on the types of media and storage systems used.
MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS PROCESSING
Business policies dictate how information is processed as it passes through an organisation and how that information is retained, or disposed of. A range of software applications (knowledge, document, content and records management systems) and workflow technologies can automate the application of these policies to information and documents.
DELIVERY
Providing employees, customers and suppliers with access to the right information at the right time is essential to business success. Print-on-demand technologies, corporate web sites and employee portals (among others) all play a part in this process.
Click here for EDM Benefits
Design & Hosting by Redder
