The file cabinet. It may be a staple of the office, but boy can they be a pain in the neck. Every file needs to be printed and collated only to be filed in a dingy file cabinet with the off chance that it will ever be needed again. For businesses that have a lot of paper filed away, a document management system can go a long way toward modernizing your organization, and providing a access-controlled database where you can find any file in seconds.

What is a Document Management System?
The document management system (DMS) is a relatively new concept that takes all the paper files that you’ve accumulated (or would accumulate) and scans them into a database that is secure and accessible from anywhere. In essence, it is an enormous electronic filing cabinet. A DMS can be hosted in the cloud or in your server room and, depending on your needs, can integrate with your current software to provide astounding ease of use.

Why Would I Need One?
To get rid of the file cabinets, the paper files, the printing costs. Name a reason. Imagine replacing that dark room near the bathroom where you keep all the paper files with your phone. You can search, send, receive, alter, and file any document your organization creates. With every file at your fingertips, you can cut down on several redundant costs, while boosting the efficient movement of data.

Go Paperless
Many businesses have seen just how much faster it is to tap out a search query on a mobile device or Internet-attached computer than it is to go through a file folder. Going paperless does several things for your company. Not only do you cut out the paper, ink, and printer maintenance costs that are typically not inconsequential, but you also gain the ability to access, edit, and save any document in your database, speeding up business, and keeping everything organized inside a familiar user interface.

If a disaster were to hit a business that still stores its most important files in file cabinets, that business wouldn’t likely be in business much longer. With a comprehensive document management system, you will be able to backup every file that your organization keeps, allowing you to come through disaster intact.

Going paperless also allows your organization to reduce its carbon footprint. Using loads of paper is wasteful and its manufacture contributes to major environmental problems such as air and water pollution and deforestation. In the United States four million tons of office paper is simply discarded, so by shifting to a paperless office strategy, you are doing your part to protect the environment.

If you would like more information about implementing a document management system, or if you are interested in improving your organization’s technology in any way, contact the IT professionals at 415 IT today at (415) 295-4898.