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Overcoming common challenges in document management

Written by Ana Canteli on September 19, 2022

Let's be honest. Managing information is not easy. It is not an ability we are born with. It is an art refined by practice; the experience we acquire is based on making mistakes, correcting, and learning from what we have done. When it comes to the information we handle, the story does not change. Perhaps, the notion becomes less abstract, more concrete, and thus easier to approach. But that doesn't mean the problems go away. As soon as a person creates a document, many problems appear.

For example, preserving information was a challenge in the past and even now. More and more people are discussing digital preservation, an intriguing alternative with all the advantages it offers for safeguarding any organization's historical archives and history. Access to digital documents directly affects the protection of physical copies, which will no longer be subject to manual document processes other than on rare occasions. The original records will be kept safe under the necessary security conditions.

Digital preservation is an attractive option to companies of any size, especially for specialists who know the best practices. Digital preservation seems to be a new concept; this is true not at first but when other formats offer better advantages. 

The risk of losing information arises merely from the format's obsolescence and the technology available to read it. Digitizing paper documentation may serve as a solution to some problems, but this comes with disadvantages.

In any case, because the information society is a ship in which we are all passengers, whether we like it or not; some in more pleasant cabins than others, we must consider the best document management strategy to implement.

Document management solutions such as OpenKM democratize the access and enjoyment of these services. Before, only large companies or public institutions could afford document management software to manage their content with all guarantees. Many companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, manage their documents with nonprofessional applications. Document management extensions for email clients such as Gmail or Dropbox are appealing because they are accessible and popular and, thus, deemed as reliable applications by the vast majority.

However, these services should be thoroughly evaluated, particularly in document management. They may not be dependable enough to provide the legal coverage that a company requires simply because of personal data, critical or sensitive information, and other considerations.

The OpenKM document management software offers all the necessary functionalities for companies to comply with all regulations and compliance requirements. Our software works with any content, including records, office documents, emails, audio files, video, and AutoCAD. One of the system's advantages is that those file extensions have no limitations. The program comes loaded with a wide range of document extensions, which can be managed by the administrator at his discretion and updated as new formats appear.

It is a cost-effective and versatile document management solution. It is available as software as a service(SaaS) and as an in-house server version, in which case the software is bought in with a permanent license.

Printing costs and the proliferation of digital and paper copies are better controlled with electronic document management software deployment. A document management system can facilitate collaboration between employees, clients, suppliers, public authorities, or interest groups. On the other hand, if an adequate security policy is not applied, existing problems may multiply faster.

In this aspect, OpenKM includes the tools to apply a solid access policy to guarantee document security and, therefore, protect the organization at all times.

As managing issues like this can become complicated, OpenKM offers various training courses depending on the beneficiary's needs:  Administrative, Consults, workflows, or end user. In OpenKM Academy, you can access the introductory training course, available for free. The OpenKM staff and the global network of partners are available round the clock to offer you a free online demo in which you can ask your questions or requirements.

Another challenge of document management is process management. OpenKM, thanks to the presence of automatisms, workflow motors, or even modules, dramatically facilitates the extension of the document platform wherever the company needs it. With OpenKM, you can quickly implement document approval, revision, and versioning processes. Our software can also be adapted to the entity's current and future documentary reality. Furthermore, with the OpenKM Dev tools set, organizations can create their business applications. If you have the in-house capability, comprehensive software documentation will allow you to develop independently. Through our consultation and customization services, OpenKM engineers can do it for you.

Contact us to see how electronic document management can help you overcome the common problems of daily document management.