The world of document management is evolving rapidly. New technologies and solutions have enabled a ton of automation and the introduction of paperless processes in the workspace. Unfortunately, many businesses are still reliant on outdated document management practices that are bringing down productivity and increasing the risk of costly errors.
Stats suggest that knowledge workers are wasting a ton of time gathering and retrieving information. Those productivity losses are predominantly linked to manual and paper-based processes.
Not only that, old-school document management practices are impacting customer service, Deloitte research shows. While most clients are willing to spend no more than 10 minutes in a queue, currently about 25 percent of customers have to wait 25 minutes in order to be serviced.
So, what are some of these really bad document management procedures that impact just about every aspect of business operations? Let’s take a look at the old-school approaches that really need to die as soon as possible.
On-Site Document Storage
It’s time to say goodbye to the good, old filing cabinet.
Storing documents on-site is highly ineffective and cumbersome. Your cabinets take up a lot of space and they also make the information very difficult to retrieve.
Obviously, some documents will still come within the organization in a paper format. These, however, can be digitized through document scanning and online document storage.
Understand the fact that your business is losing money by maintaining an archive on the premises. Paper-based documentation is very expensive to maintain and it also increases the risk of costly human errors. Making the switch to digital is easier and more affordable than ever before, so you really don’t have an excuse.
Using Old-School Document Management Technology
Outdated document management practices can also be digital instead of paper-based.
Using a local server, for example, is one such old-school approach that isn’t giving your business a lot of competitive advantage.
Localized storage results in a couple of key problems. It necessitates constant maintenance. Thus, you’ll need an IT team (or at least one professional) on-premise to handle server servicing. In addition, such hardware becomes outdated quite rapidly and it may soon be insufficient to handle the organization’s document management needs.
Cloud-based document management is much more affordable and much more scalable. It can change and grow alongside your business, ensuring all of the capabilities required to make the most of the latest technologies.
In addition, cloud-based document management simplifies a decentralized approach toward workforce management. It makes it very easy for people to work remotely and still have access to important documentation. Following the events of 2020 and 2021, such capabilities are crucial for the long-term survival of every business.
Having a Document Management System with Limited Automation Capabilities
Modern document management systems can complete many processes that employees had to handle manually in the past.
When looking for such a solution, you should definitely choose a document management system that allows for the creation of personalized workflows. Workflows are operational strings that can “automatically” handle many processes. From data inputting to indexing and retrieval, a lot of the work can be automated today.
Lacking such a solution keeps you stuck in outdated document management practices that are keeping employees stuck on mundane tasks instead of handling strategic processes.
Non-Existent Archiving Systems and Retention Schedules
Documents expire and have to be replaced by new ones. This also applies to retention schedules. Once you’ve kept a document in your digital archive for the legally-required time period, you can move ahead and get rid of it.
Non-existing archiving and document removal systems are interfering with your document management effectiveness.
It’s possible for several copies of the same document to co-exist and create either paper-based or digital clutter.
Knowing when to archive (and automating that process) will maintain an operational database that features solely the documents your business needs right now. In the absence of proper archiving, you risk running into significant digital clutter that’s definitely not benefiting document management optimization.
Reliance on Outdated Employee Knowledge and Document Management Skills
This is another one of the outdated document management practices that’s similar to relying on old-school hardware or inefficient digital solutions.
The skills and knowledge your employees have will “expire” sooner or later. New technologies necessitate the acquisition of new skills. When the workforce lacks such knowledge, it can’t make the most of the available solution.
Counting solely on the knowledge that workers acquired years ago isn’t optimal.
Many businesses refrain from investing in business skill acquisition but that’s a huge mistake. Proper training maximizes productivity and there’s also some research suggesting it increases retention rates. Thus, if you want your team to work well and remain unchanged for a long period of time, you should definitely touch up on new document management essentials.
Outdated document management practices are still prevalent. This is why you need to review and audit the procedures employed within your organization. Chances are that you’ll identify at least a couple of opportunities for improvement and modernization.