Document management is essential in the running of any business today. This is true for both online companies, and brick and mortar companies. If your break down the components that make up the communication of a company you'll see that documents are at the forefront. Whether these are paper documents, or documents in the form of email and Word documents, they all need to be sorted and managed so that the process of record keeping is as smooth and precise as possible. Without a paper trail of documents no company can run successfully. Think of all those times when you need to access a certain piece of information that you know was written within the contents of a particular document. If you have to wade through all the correspondence that has been generated from that certain subject it could take you a very long time.
Or what about when a new company policy was announced a couple of weeks ago and you failed to take proper notice or you need to follow up on the information? You'll need to go back through either your email, or the paper documents on your desk, to find the policy information. This is where document management is essential to the efficiency of your job and has an affect on your time management. Software management allows you to store (1) documentation that was presented online, or (2) scan important paper documents into the system. This type of software keeps track of your documents by an integrated system of headings and other organizational procedures. You'll be able to access any document that you want by searching for it with certain criteria.
Document management is a great way for both small and large companies to keep track of those documents that are necessary for the smooth functioning of the communication in the office. Without some system in place to manage this type of data many important documents are filed away, misplaced, and deleted from the system.
Document Management And Imaging
An integrated document management system has two major objectives:
It Improves business processes through an efficient workflow. Documents support workflows in any organization that cannot work through verbal communications alone. If the documents move speedily and come to the prompt attention of concerned persons, business processes can benefit.
It enhances knowledge management through content management systems that make available all the different kinds of information being generated across the organization.
It's for achieving these objectives that IDM uses the potential of modern technology, as illustrated below.
Data Capture Methods
Opposed to writing down (or typing) data on paper to create documents, today it's possible to:
Capture data online through computer controlled machines
Enter transactions directly into the system through devices such as POS (point-of-sale) terminals
Enter data into handheld devices in the field and transmit them directly to the central document management system
Scan paper documents and use OCR (optical character recognition) software to convert the images of text characters into computer-readable characters in ASCII or other formats
Scan the information in paper form directly into relevant database fields
Use barcode readers to transfer information from paper documents, products, packages, etc. directly into the document management or transaction-processing systems
The above data capture methods are in addition to the standard ones such as word processing and data entry from paper documents.
Working with Different Kinds of Data and Data Formats
In addition to standard ASCII or rich text, today's businesses have to work with image, audio, and video files, each of which can come in open or proprietary formats. All these kinds of documents can contain information essential to managing the business of the organization.
Another dimension is knowledge management. Typically, transaction information was stored separately from administrative documentation that can include correspondence, research reports, and varied other kinds of documents. An integration of all the information into a content management system can help managers tap the accumulated knowledge of the organization for making decisions.
Modern IDM systems adopt approaches that enable them to work with all these kinds of files and formats in a seamless manner.
Major Components of Integrated Data Management
In addition to using methods that are best suited to capture different kinds of data originating at different locations, IDM usually have the following major components:
It stores transaction data in databases optimized for speedy transaction processing and stores all data in data warehouses optimized for querying and analysis. Data warehouses make accumulated organizational knowledge available to users.
It utilizes techniques like data mining that uses the power of computers to identify patterns users may not consider.
It Indexes all information in a manner that makes flexible and fast searches possible.
It centralizes storage of (or accessibility to) all information being generated at various locations.
Both James Hunt & Manuel J. Montesino are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
James Hunt has sinced written about articles on various topics from History, Virtual Private Network and Mobile Phone Reviews. James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.Read more at
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