06 Dec Slick Document Management: The challenges you face
We live in a golden age of technology. In recent years technological advancements have revolutionized the way we work and live our daily lives. We must always strive to stay as modern as possible in our working methods and the tools we use to carry out this work, because, however tempting it may be to continue as you always have, these dated ways of working simply won’t stay relevant forever. Arguably, one of the most important parts of your system that needs updating in order for you and your team to operate as efficiently (and in the most modern way) as possible is the management of documents. Using a modern system like SharePoint in Microsoft 365 will guarantee the safety of your documents at all times.
The management of documents can go one of two ways; either you manage them right and your files will be safe, secure, easy to navigate, and easily accessible – or you get it wrong and your files aren’t safe or easily accessible. Don’t worry – you will soon know if you get it wrong as your business will suffer as a consequence. This is why it is essential that you get it right, and achieve this on your first attempt, because, unfortunately, most businesses don’t.
Let’s list a few challenges that all businesses in the world experience that may be part of the reason you are having problems.
The challenges you face daily
Compliance
Compliance is a factor that all businesses in the civilized world have to compete with in order to avoid legal ramifications. In regard to data your team must properly and consistently manage, store and retain documents according to compliance requirements. “That doesn’t sound difficult”, I hear you say. Well, let’s break it down and see what you need to do to be sure you are behaving correctly. You must know what documents need to be kept, how long you need to keep them and where they need to be kept. You must also know who should be granted access to those documents, if there are multiple copies of the document and for what purpose you are granting access to it. These are just some of the considerations you need to take in regard to your data when it comes to compliance. It can be difficult to understand, so professional IT consultancy is highly recommended when dealing with compliance.
Paper
I can practically guarantee that you aren’t using just paper files in your organization – but it can be hard to get rid of them altogether. Whatever the circumstances, paper must go. Tech is capable of so much more than it once was and has made hard copies of anything unnecessary. Some that aren’t as technically familiar don’t trust it – they get concerned about the security of digital record keeping due to their unfamiliarity with what causes data breaches, and for some it can equate to access – they don’t want employees having access above their station. With paper copies that somehow isn’t considered to be a problem and it is understandable why the unfamiliar with tech believe paper copies are more secure but, in reality, they are far more susceptible to privacy and security risks, not to mention the potential for something as simple as a spilled drink rendering all of your essential data useless.
The majority of us have already converted most of our records to digital, but there are some that are still receiving paper from clients and others. This creates an environment of chaos – allowing paper to continue as a constant in the workplace creates pandemonium. Documents and files being on a range of different media make it impossible to manage them because no one knows where anything is.
Old file servers – the problems
Most have made some sort of a transition to digital means, but some haven’t quite kept up with the times. Old file servers don’t allow a modern team to work as it should – for example, old file servers require employees to manually send documents to one another, whereas modern technology irradicates this laborious and time-consuming task, in turn allowing your team to be more productive with their time.
In a modern business you can’t just go into your cubicle at 9am and leave at 5pm without having communicated with any of your colleagues – as much as some would prefer that. Business owners with a modern view have realised how essential it is that your team work in conjunction with each other at all times. We all know that collaboration and communication amongst team members leads to increased productivity and, in turn, output.
Simultaneously working on documents is not possible on traditional servers. As I am sure you are aware, modern working is based around at least partially remote working teams, making it essential that you achieve levels of efficiency and productivity when working remotely that rivals the office setting. Teams need to be able to make edits and work on documents simultaneously no matter where they are on the globe.
SharePoint is the number one choice to make all your modern plans a reality.
SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform, famous for its document management and storage system. SharePoint is configurable and can be used for a wide variety of tasks, which we will explore further in our next article.
The IT support specialists
Your IT is the beating heart of your business and it needs looking after! Our team of experts can provide you with Cloud services that have the power to revolutionize the way you work. We at Downtown Computer Services offer a wide range of managed IT service plans which are individually catered to fit your needs, whatever your budget, whilst utilizing cutting edge technology to improve the efficiency of your organization. We will help you to get the most from your digital landscape, both through advanced levels of security and outstanding support. Contact us now and see what we can do for you.
