We look at this issue in the following sections, starting first with a look at exactly what document management software does.

A good document management system captures all kinds of documents with little difficulty. Thus paper documents can be scanned and OCRed and electronic documents can be captured by browsing to its location on the local computer. The documents captured are stored in a central computer so that all the workstation computers connected to it can access them.

The documents can be indexed by different criteria such as document name or date of creation and they can also be indexed by their contents. It's then possible to retrieve documents by specifying the document name, date, words included in the content, etc. The retrieval takes no more than a few seconds at most.

Security is maintained by restricting document access. Granting different kinds of permissions to authorized persons restricts access. Some might have the 'read' permission; others might also have the 'write' permission.

After retrieval, documents can be modified, appended with new pages, replaced, or even deleted, provided necessary permissions are granted.

The ease of access to relevant documents makes it more likely that decision makers would indeed access them and make informed decisions.

For example, before passing a supplier invoice, concerned persons will retrieve the relevant order and verify the price, delivery date and other terms with little delay. In a non-computer system, this involves locating the order stored in an inconveniently-located filing cabinet. It might even happen that a copy of the order has not yet been received by the invoice-passing department. The verification could get unduly delayed (leading to supplier displeasure) or even omitted (probably leading to excess payment) in such cases.

Another immediate benefit is the speed of actions. When needed information can be obtained in minutes, actions also tend to be quicker. Instead of verifying 20 or so invoices a day, it might be possible to verify 200 or more invoices a day.

Better business results follow when quick and correct decisions are taken on a regular basis. In the above case, a supplier who is accustomed to prompt and correct payments from your company is quite likely to oblige you with increased and higher-quality service if necessary.

The above illustration of invoice passing is only a simple example. All key business-result areas can benefit from speedy and convenient access to reliable information. Good document management software makes it easy to capture, review and edit documents, leading to more reliable documentation.

It is easy to implement a system of read/write permissions and password-protected access in a computerized document management environment. By making printing possible only on a closely-monitored network printer, even printouts (that can be removed) can be checked.

Paper documents can be stored in more inaccessible places, with greater security. Because copies are available in the computer, these would not be needed as frequently.

Considering that business secrets constitute a competitive advantage, the above kind of increased security could also lead to better business results.

With good document management software, you can make information easily accessible to all persons who need that information for their work. Easy access means that the information will be used to make business decisions. Informed business decisions, when they accumulate, lead to significantly improved business results.

Document security is also easier to implement with good document management software. It's then possible to minimize the harmful damage from unauthorized access to business secrets and competitive advantage.