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Efficient Document Management Strategies for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses often struggle with managing documents. Without the right technology, they waste time searching for files or risk losing important information. Document management software offers a solution. It lets employees access files from any device, share documents with clients, and collaborate on projects. In today’s blog, we’ll explore how proper document strategies can improve workflow and cut costs and how to choose the right one for your needs.

 

What is Business Document Management?

Business document management integration involves storing, organizing, managing, and sharing company documents. To do this, businesses use document management software. This software stores all company documents in one convenient place, making it easy to find what you need quickly. Despite what some think, document management systems are crucial for small and medium-sized businesses. They help save time and boost efficiency by turning physical documents into digital ones.

 

Benefits of a Document Management System for SMBs

Reduce Mistakes

With document management software, mistakes are less likely to occur. Even if a document is accidentally deleted, it can easily be restored from a backup. Additionally, document management systems for small and medium-sized businesses reduce the risk of errors during the filing process. As humans, we’re prone to making mistakes. However. with a document management system and the use of electronic filing systems, you significantly minimize this risk.

Access files seamlessly

Ditch the old-school filing cabinets of the 80s and go digital with a document management system. This way, you can access all your files from anywhere, saving time on hunting down old invoices or contracts. Plus, doing so makes it easy to share information with clients and employees. With document management software and electronic filing systems, you can even archive important photos and papers hassle-free.

Improved collaboration and communication

With a document management system for your small and medium-sized business, collaboration and communication become seamless. Team members are always aware of each other’s tasks, preventing confusion and redundant tasks. The system also facilitates tracking task completion, ensuring everyone stays on the same page. Although communication might seem straightforward in a small company, it can still pose an array of challenges. Document management software simplifies this process by displaying who has viewed specific documents. This feature helps identify who else needs to review them before distribution, improving communication and minimizing the potential for any misunderstanding.

Streamline Backups

Don’t overlook the importance of having a backup system in place. For small and medium-sized businesses, regular backups are essential in preventing data loss. Yet, some still neglect this step, putting their valuable information at risk. With a document management system, you can automate backups and store them offsite, ensuring your data is always protected, even in the event of unexpected mishaps.

Save Money

Cutting down on paper usage can lead to significant cost savings for your business. With electronic filing systems and document storage, there’s no need to constantly print copies, saving you money on overall printing expenses. This small change can make your workflow more efficient and, in the long run, add up to substantial savings each month.

Increased productivity and organization

Lessen your workload by spending less time searching for documents and more time on important projects. With improved organization, all your files are conveniently stored in one location, making it effortless to find what you need. You can also create folders and sub-folders to categorize your documents, ensuring everything is neatly organized for maximum efficiency.

Stay Secure

Security is a big concern for all business owners, no matter how big or small their company is.

When it comes to keeping important information safe online, document management systems offer helpful features like encryption and password protection. This ensures that your company’s data, as well as your client’s information, stays secure. Even for small businesses, having strong security measures in place is crucial for protecting sensitive data.

 

Features to Look For in Document Management Software

Ability to Grow Alongside Your Business

As your business grows, it’s crucial to invest in document management software that advances alongside it. Otherwise, you’ll end up having to switch to a different software, which is not only a hassle but also time-consuming. When selecting a document management system for your small or medium-sized business, make sure it offers advanced features that you may require as your business expands.

Security and Recovery

Security is a key feature of any document management system. You don’t want to risk a data breach with your digital files. Make sure the software you choose prioritizes protecting your information.

User-Friendliness

When looking for a document management system for your small and medium-sized business, think about how easy it is to use. You don’t want it to be overly complicated, causing your team to struggle. They should be able to access, manage and locate documents with ease.

Collaboration and Integration

Different departments within your business will most likely be using the same document management software, so it’s important to choose one with collaboration and integration features, like real-time editing. The software should also let you control who can access specific documents by adding or restricting user access.

 

Take Your Document Processes Digital With GlobalSearch®

Say goodbye to paper clutter and hello to streamlined workflows with GlobalSearch® software! Developed by Square 9 Softworks, this award-winning software helps organizations manage their business more efficiently by digitizing processes, making it easier to capture, retrieve, and distribute important information. Suitable for organizations of any size, GlobalSearch® offers flexible pricing and configuration options, allowing you to select the tools that best fit your business needs, whether it’s workflow automation for your small business or enterprise-class functionality. The software handles everything from scanned papers to digital files like PDFs, JPGs, TIFs, Word™, Excel™, and Outlook™. It includes an integrated scanning module with automation capabilities, robust search features, and user-based security for worry-free storage.

GlobalSearch® is also incredibly user-friendly, with an interface that looks and feels similar to Microsoft Office. It’s easy to navigate and completely customizable to suit the needs of your small to medium-sized business. Compatible with various platforms and operating systems, it works seamlessly on IOS, Android, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Users can access their work and contribute remotely, even on the web, thanks to the software’s desktop browser speed and secure content delivery.

GlobalSearch® Enables Your SMB To:

  • Cut costs and expenses by eliminating paper-based filing.
  • Improve file organization and the ability to search and access your documents.
  • Streamline manual tasks like data entry and approvals.
  • Easily share and collaborate on cross-functional documents.
  • Increase document security and simplify compliance.
  • Automate document paths and notifications with full-feature editing.
  • Integrate with DocuSign®, Microsoft Dynamics™, QuickBooks®, and more.
  • Access documents with IOS and Android, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
  • Access documents and data anytime, from anywhere.
  • Utilize the platform in a multitude of languages including but not limited to English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

 

What Makes GlobalSearch® Different From Other Document Management Software?

Mobility and Flexibility

Expand the reach of your document management software beyond the confines of your computer. With GlobalSearch®, you can access your documents from any mobile device, anytime and anywhere. This ensures your team stays productive and your processes remain consistent, all while offering the same power and capabilities as the desktop client.

Document Capture Automation

Streamline the capture and storage of important business data with GlobalCapture®, a unique document processing solution. It consolidates all data capture points into one user-friendly platform, eliminating the need for manual intervention. GlobalCapture® automatically detects and extracts information using intelligent batch separation, image cleanup, optical character recognition and barcode recognition.

Business Process Management

Speed up document routing and review with GlobalAction®, a cutting-edge solution for document workflow automation for small and medium-sized businesses. Its Business Process Management (BPM) engine lets you easily map document processes using a simple drag-and-drop design canvas. You can automate actions and track productivity every step of the way. From sending automated email notifications to triggering timed events, GlobalAction® ensures smooth business operations throughout the entire document lifecycle.

Integration Capabilities

GlobalSearch® works with top business applications like QuickBooks®, DropBox®, Salesforce®, Microsoft Dynamics™ and more! In addition, you can easily capture and retrieve documents right from your office printer’s control panel. It’s like having a helper to automate your workflow!

Security & Auditing

In GlobalSearch®, granular security means each user has specific access when they sign in. This keeps databases, archives, documents, and features secure. Plus, there’s an audit trail built in. It records all document actions by date and user, so you can see everything that’s happening in your business.

 

Power Your Digital Transformation With AI

Documents come in various formats, from paper to PDF, and not all are easy to transform digitally. In the past, capturing these documents involved creating templates for each new vendor or format change, which was costly and time-consuming. However, with recent advancements in AI, there’s a better solution. Square 9 Softworks introduced TransformAI, a cloud-based document capture product that eliminates the need for templates. It swiftly and accurately extracts information from any source, including emails, scanned images, Office Documents– even handwritten forms.

 

How AI Can Benefit Your SMBs

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved significantly, moving beyond science fiction to revolutionize various industries. Essentially, AI involves computers performing tasks that were once thought to require human capabilities, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and decision-making. While previously accessible mainly to large companies, AI is now becoming more affordable to small and mid-sized businesses. One area where AI can make a significant impact is in document capture processes. Here’s why using AI for document capture is a smart move, and how TransformAI makes it happen.

Increased Functionality

Thanks to AI, capturing documents is quicker and more precise. Unlike templates, AI can analyze various factors to make well-informed decisions. For instance, when capturing a vendor’s name, AI might search for common locations on a page where this information usually appears and match it with keywords like “vendor” and “name”. Similarly, for invoice numbers, the solution may look for a specific number of digits with only numeric characters, alongside its proximity to variations of the term “invoice”. Unlike templates, AI offers flexibility. Without it, template-free capture wouldn’t be possible. Data points would require manual addition to a template, and even then, one template might not suffice for all documents, necessitating multiple templates. AI, however, compares multiple factors to find a match, akin to human judgement. This adaptability results in more accurate outcomes.

Cost Savings

To attain a high level of accuracy, multiple templates are often needed. However, creating these templates requires the assistance of a solutions provider, which can lead to additional costs. AI-assisted capture, on the other hand, eliminates the need for templates while still ensuring the same, if not better, accuracy. By skipping templates, you can save money both upfront and in the long run.

Reduce Errors & Increase Productivity

When your employees spend less time hunting for documents, they can focus more on other important tasks. AI-assisted capture offers a higher level of accuracy compared to other methods, which means less effort is needed when employees review the data. Additionally, some capture processes, provide interfaces designed to streamline validation. For instance, TransformAI features a workflow for its QuickBooks integration that displays captured information for employees to review. They can then either transfer the data to QuickBooks or make corrections in a simplified interface. Ai-assisted capture also saves time by reducing the occurrence of errors that need human correction.

 

Improve Everyday Operations for Your SMB With JBM

Efficient document management system integration is essential for every business, no matter its size. With the right software, you can boost employee productivity, safeguard your files, and ensure your information is always just a quick click away. Reach out to us at JBM Office Systems today to discover how we can assist in setting up document management software for your small or medium-sized business.

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