Document management in business: Why has EDM become essential?

Document management in business: key points to remember

• Document management is a streamlined system designed to optimize the process of collecting, indexing, organizing, validating, distributing, archiving, and destroying your internal documents.
  
  
• Electronic document management (EDM) is a computerized document management system that relies on a digital platform (intranet), dematerialized documents and the automation of your governance procedures and policies.
  
  
• Document management systems (DMS) take document management to the next level. They allow your employees to save time , facilitate collaborative work (especially remotely), secure your data , reduce your storage costs , and help you comply with your legal and regulatory obligations.
  
  
• Document management optimizes your document management. It centralizes all your documents into a single, reliable, accessible, and secure source of information. It automates and improves the labeling and classification of your resources and guarantees quick and secure access to them from anywhere.
  
  
• Implementing document management in your company is therefore an effective way to increase productivity, reduce costs, decrease cyber, legal and reputational risks, and ultimately increase profits.
  
  
• In a context of legislative inflation, increasing information volume, digital transformation of the economy, and the rise of hybrid work, document management is no longer optional. It is a strategic imperative for all economic players.
  
  
• To ensure the success of your EDM project , conduct an internal assessment, involve your stakeholders in defining your governance policies, train your employees in good document management practices, and above all, use powerful and intelligent tools like Jint for Microsoft 365.

The knowledge, know-how, procedures and resources of your company constitute a true intangible asset that distinguishes it from its competitors and ensures its sustainability.

Whether it's for day-to-day work, onboarding new employees, or complying with your legal obligations: your internal documentation is essential.

This is where document management comes in, the practice of storing, indexing, organizing, sharing, transforming and archiving your documents according to defined governance rules.

In a context of digital transformation of companies and dematerialization of documents, document management is taking a step forward: that of electronic document management (EDM).

Key factors include:

• Easy and secure access to your internal resources;
• A time-saving solution for both your users and your administrators;
• A simplified compliance process;
• A reduction in your archiving expenses.

All these advantages make document management an essential performance lever for your business.

So, what is EDM? What benefits does it bring to your organization? And how do you implement EDM in your structure?

We'll explain. Enjoy your reading!

What is document management?

Document management is a key performance lever for your business.

But what exactly is it? How does it differ from Electronic Document Management (EDM)? And what challenges does it help to overcome?

Jint sheds some light on this.

Document management: definition

The definition of document management is relatively simple:

Corporate document management is a system based on rules, processes and tools, aimed at ensuring the preservation, classification, sharing and archiving of documents (emails, invoices, contracts, presentations, etc.).

This practice ensures data protection , regulatory compliance , and access to information for authorized users.

Document management vs. EDM: what's the difference?

The difference between document management and EDM (electronic document management) lies in the tools used to ensure document governance.

Document management (DMS) is a way to implement document management in a company. More precisely, as its name suggests, it is digital document management.

Document management takes the form of a computerized document management system, based on an intranet platform (Microsoft SharePoint for example).

Traditional document management relies on printed documents, cardboard folders, adhesive labels, and storage cabinets.

For its part, EDM stores, organizes and archives digital documents, in libraries and digitized files, on computer servers (or in the cloud) and using metadata.

In a context of digital transformation of companies and dematerialization of documents, EDM is essential.

This computerized document management solution makes it possible to optimize the document lifecycle: creation, validation, indexing, classification, distribution, archiving, deletion.

To do this, it can automatically apply your procedures and governance and security rules to your internal resources.

What are the challenges of document management?

Document management is one of the pillars of a high-performing and competitive organization.

Indeed, deploying an efficient and streamlined internal document management system allows you to:

#1 Ensuring the continuity of your business

Knowledge about your core business and internal processes is an essential asset for your company's longevity and competitiveness.

When an employee leaves your organization, they don't take a part of your intangible capital with them. The ideas, deliverables, and processes they helped create are preserved and can be passed on to other team members and new recruits.

In short, effective document management ensures business continuity and facilitates the onboarding of new employees.

#2 Ensure compliance with laws and regulations

Implementing a formalized document management system allows your company to comply with regulations regarding document retention and transmission.
For example, you ensure that you can back up and provide your employees with their payslips for the legally required period.

#3 Boost individual and collective productivity

Proper document organization is essential for enabling your employees to work effectively, both individually and in teams.
In France, employees waste an average of 8.65 hours per week searching for the information they need to perform their tasks.
Therefore, properly archiving, classifying, and distributing your internal documents is a top priority for increasing productivity.

#4 Improve the employee experience

Wasting hours each week begging colleagues for a document or struggling with unwieldy document management software significantly harms employee well-being and the work environment.
Implementing a streamlined document management solution, on the other hand, is an effective way to facilitate your teams' work and foster harmonious interpersonal relationships.

#5 Optimize the customer experience

Being able to quickly gather all the information and documents related to a case is essential for providing excellent service to your customers, increasing their satisfaction, and building loyalty.

For example, to respond quickly and accurately to a customer's request, your after-sales service (customer support) needs instant access to their purchase history, invoices, and technical specifications for the products they ordered.

#6 Reduce archiving costs

Storing documents in digital or paper format has both financial and environmental costs.
Developing a sound document management strategy is key to minimizing your storage expenses and the environmental impact of maintaining your files.

Advantages of Document Management: 6 concrete benefits for your business

Advantages of Document Management

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Implementing electronic document management (EDM) is a winning (even essential!) strategy for your organization, especially in a context of digital transformation, document dematerialization and standardization of hybrid work.

The advantages of document management are indeed numerous:

#1 Save time and increase your productivity with document management

Implementing a document management system (DMS) generally leads to optimized document management. Your processes are streamlined and made more efficient.

Time savings for database administrators

With EDM, the document lifecycle can be automated according to predefined rules and workflows.

From their creation to their deletion, including their enrichment with metadata, their tagging, their prioritization or even their archiving, your resources can be processed without human intervention (or almost).

As a result, your database administrators and document library managers see their workload reduced.

They are freed from tedious and time-consuming tasks such as document indexing, document classification and monitoring of the retention schedule (legal durations).

Time savings for database users

Your employees also save valuable time when they want to use your internal documents and information.

They can quickly share resources with their colleagues, suppliers, or clients.

Thanks to the integrated co-editing features , your employees can also simultaneously co-edit PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets.

No more email chains or lost papers, and no more days wasted waiting for a colleague to return. Your teams will progress faster on their projects.

Finally, with the document search engine , users can access reliable and up-to-date data with a single click.

A simple keyword or metadata-based search filters allow them to find the information they need in an instant.

Artificial intelligence (AI) powered search saves your employees even more time.

An intelligent document management solution such as Jint for the Microsoft 365 intranet allows your employees to, for example:

• Precise, personalized answers based on your internal data;
• Contextual document views tailored to their profile and needs;
• Tailor-made document recommendations, without additional research;
• Templates for creating documents quickly.

#2 Secure your data and protect your company's reputation

Adopting EDM means improved document security and a better-protected brand image.

Data loss protection

Adopting a digitally based document strategy protects you against the loss of your internal knowledge.

Physical files can be lost or damaged due to disasters (fire, pests, floods, etc.).

Digital documents, for their part, can be protected through a backup and recovery procedure.

Secure access to documents

Document management based on an intranet (SharePoint, the Microsoft 365 document management software for example) allows you to manage access rights to documents.

You can implement a granular credential and access control policy to ensure that each file is accessible only by authorized users, from authorized devices.

This protects you against data leaks and the disclosure of sensitive or confidential information that could damage your organization's reputation.

Reducing the risk of errors

Automating the document lifecycle through EDM reduces the risk of document management errors.

Indeed, your privacy policies and classification rules apply systematically.

Your document libraries and databases remain organized and up-to-date. This gives users access to a reliable and current source of information.

This reduces the risk of them making mistakes that could damage your company's reputation and efficiency.

#3 Streamlining collaborative work, including for hybrid teams

Implementing an electronic document management solution in your company allows your employees to work together more easily, even if they are not in the same place.

Access documents from anywhere

Thanks to the EDM, your employees have access to their documents from any authorized device: desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet.

Whether they are working remotely, travelling or in the field, your employees can access and use their files effortlessly and without wasting time.

In store, in their company car, at your company headquarters, from home, or in hybrid mode, they work together without friction.

Collaborative work is facilitated through co-editing and versioning.

With a Microsoft 365 document management system, your employees can not only view and share files, but also edit them individually or as a team, live or asynchronously.

The co-editing function allows, for example, teammates to work in real time on a PowerPoint presentation, even if they are in different countries.

Each person immediately has access to an updated version and the history of changes to the document.

The result is easier collaborative work, increased productivity and a reduced risk of error.

Control access to and changes in your documents

Equipping your company with a digital document management solution ensures the traceability of your organization's documents .

Unlike physical document archiving, EDM allows you to keep different versions of the same document to track its evolution, go back if necessary, understand where an error comes from or ensure its conformity.

This versioning system allows, for example, collaborators to revert to an earlier version of a shared document and see what has been modified by their colleagues or clients. This facilitates collaborative work and reduces the risk of errors.

In addition to version history, action logging in the DMS also allows you to keep track of document access.

This strengthens document security by facilitating the rapid detection of anomalies ( data leaks, unauthorized access, etc.).

Reduce your document archiving and storage costs

With EDM, there's no longer any need to print, classify and sort mountains of paper documents.

Automating document management procedures helps reduce your labor costs in this area.

Renting a storage unit or reserving a room for storing your files is no longer necessary either.

The purchase of supplies dedicated to archiving (ink cartridges, boxes, binders, folders, labels, shelves, stapler, dehumidifier, etc.) also disappears from your list of expenses.

And for good reason: your files are digitized and dematerialized. The result is a reduction in document costs and storage expenses.

Fulfilling your legal and regulatory obligations more easily

Let's finish this non-exhaustive list of the advantages of EDM with one of its major strengths: electronic document management helps you comply with your legal and regulatory obligations.

Implementing a streamlined and automated document archiving system allows you, for example, to comply with your obligations regarding:

• Protection of personal data (security policies, access rights, personal data retention schedule in accordance with regulations, etc.);
  
• Intellectual property (identification of authors, traceability of documents, etc.);
  
• Legal evidence (automatic application of the retention schedule);
  
• Transparency (easier document sharing, formalized workflows, etc.).

In the event of an administrative audit or a dispute with a colleague, a client, a competitor or a service provider, you immediately have the necessary information to defend your rights and interests.

Optimizing document management with EDM

Implementing an electronic document management (EDM) system in your company allows you to optimize the governance of your documentation.

Explanation.

Create and centralize documents easily

An electronic document management (EDM) solution allows you to easily create, centralize, and organize your documents:

• Your paper documents require a digitization process such as scanning or taking a digital photograph.
  
• Your digital documents, however, can be automatically collected and classified on your document management intranet.

No more scattered documents that get lost because they weren't identified and filed immediately. No more documents forgotten for weeks in an office tray, waiting for a signature or a review.

With document management, you can access all your documents in real time, know what stage of the validation process they are at, and even schedule automatic reminders to avoid oversights.

An intelligent document management solution like Jint for the Microsoft 365 intranet (SharePoint) further simplifies document creation and the enrichment of your internal knowledge. Indeed:

• The contribution assistance allows your employees to easily create pages and articles for your intranet, using templates.
• The AI ​​writing assistant helps them write, translate or optimize their content effortlessly to enrich your intangible capital and stimulate collective intelligence.

Intelligent document classification and organization

With document management systems, your classification and archiving criteria can be applied systematically.

You can set up automated workflows to organize, prioritize, and store your resources according to pre-established rules.

Better still, your files can be enriched with metadata and tagged automatically , without intervention from a manager.

As a result, your document database is always organized and usable, without any effort on your part.

Secure and fast access to documents

Unsurprisingly, document management greatly facilitates access to files for your employees, including when they are working remotely, in a shop or on a production line.

Your employees can indeed view, share and co-edit their digital documents from their laptop, phone or tablet.

However, with EDM, access to documents is secure.

The application of your identity and access control policy can indeed be automated and systematized.

Your employees can therefore easily open, distribute and/or modify your internal resources, provided they have the required permissions .

How to successfully implement a document management project?

To ensure the success of your document management project, you must follow several steps, implement some good practices, and above all rely on the right tools , in particular Jint, the EDM solution for your Microsoft 365 intranet.

5 steps to follow to implement a document management system in your company

A successful document management project follows several key steps:

#1 Analysis of your company's current situation and needs

Begin your document management project by conducting an internal audit in close collaboration with the various stakeholders involved (end users, department heads, executives, administrators) . Analyze:

• Your current documentation procedures and practices;
• Your documents (types, level of confidentiality, sources, users, etc.);
• The standards and legal framework applicable to your data;
• The needs of your employees (managers, end users, etc.);
• Your strategic objectives (productivity, compliance, data security, etc.).

#2 Defining your document governance rules

Once your specifications and constraints are clear, formalize your document management policy, that is, the rules that will govern the lifecycle of your documents, including:

• The criteria for archiving your internal resources;
• Your document filing plan;
• Your naming and indexing rules;
• Your archiving schedule complies with legal retention periods;
• Your access control policy;
• The distribution of responsibilities.

#3 Choosing your document management software

Choose a document management solution tailored to your organization's needs. Ideally, select electronic document management software that:

• Ensures a high level of data security;
• Simplifies regulatory compliance;
• Allows you to automate your document management processes;
• Facilitates information retrieval for end users (search engine);
• Promotes collaborative work through its integration with your other tools;
• Streamlines access to information through a single, intuitive entry point.

SharePoint, the knowledge management software of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, fulfills these specifications… See below for more information.

#4 Deployment of your document management solution

After choosing your document management system (DMS), it's time to implement your DMS project. To do this, you will need to:

• Scan your company's paper documents;
• Clean and import your existing digital files;
• Index your digital documents via their metadata;
• Classify your internal resources according to the planned hierarchy;
• Set up your workflows (validation, security, compliance, backups, etc.);
• Integrate your document management system with your other work tools.

#5 User training and change management support

A document management solution that is not adopted by your employees or is misused by them is useless, and can even prove counterproductive.

To successfully implement your document management system (DMS) project and achieve a good return on investment (ROI), you must therefore:

• Raise awareness among your teams about the benefits of electronic document management;
• Train your employees on how to use your document management platform;
• Explain your classification criteria and internal procedures to your employees;
• Monitor user adoption and use of your document management software;
• Adjust your EDM processes based on feedback from the field and your indicators.

Common errors and best practices in document management

Several best practices in document management can help you successfully implement your EDM (Electronic Document Management) system:

#1 Don't archive all your documents and avoid duplicates

The temptation may be great to retain all of your company's resources.

The risk: increasing your storage costs, but also (and above all) complicating your database, making it difficult to use, or even creating security vulnerabilities.

To avoid this, define for example:

• Archiving criteria for sorting documents to be kept;
• A retention schedule for archiving or disposing of obsolete documents;
• Usage rules to avoid creating duplicates (sharing files by sending a link rather than creating a copy, for example).

#2 Train your teams in document management and support its adoption

The effectiveness of your document management system (DMS) depends largely on how it is used by its users. To ensure it is used, remains secure, and remains operational, you must therefore:

• Raise awareness among your employees about the benefits of document management;
• Explain to them how it works;
• Train them in good practices in document management;
• Provide them with intuitive tools to help them contribute;
• Monitor performance indicators (adoption rate, usage statistics);
• Adapt your training and awareness-raising activities based on these KPIs.
  
  

#3 Implement automated workflows

Document management allows you to automate your document management procedures (invoice processing, electronic signature, validation of internal documents, classification, etc.).

Use this feature to streamline and systematize your repetitive processes. This will increase productivity and reduce the risk of errors.

Jint for Microsoft SharePoint: the key to effective document management

Choosing the best EDM software for your company is essential for the success of your document management project.

We recommend that you base your EDM on Microsoft 365 and structure your document management using Jint.

Why has Microsoft 365 become a foundation for document management?

The Microsoft 365 suite is the ideal solution for building the foundation of your document management system. It includes three essential tools for knowledge management :

#1 Microsoft SharePoint: Microsoft's document management tool

Transforming SharePoint into a document management system (DMS) is an option that many organizations operating within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem naturally turn to.

With its document libraries and its versioning and access rights management features, SharePoint makes it possible to store, organize and share documents, all in a secure manner .

Perfectly integrated with other applications in the Microsoft 365 suite, such as Teams, OneDrive and Outlook, a SharePoint document management system is easy for employees to use.

#2 OneDrive: Microsoft's file storage and sharing solution

OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud-based file storage and sharing software, is a valuable complement to SharePoint document management.

This tool allows employees to store their personal work documents and files online, access them and share them from their different devices.

Your employees can then use OneDrive to save their meeting notes, client presentations or draft contracts before transferring them to SharePoint.

#3 Microsoft Teams: Microsoft's collaborative platform

Teams, the secure collaboration platform of Microsoft 365, makes SharePoint document management even more operational.

Your colleagues can share, view, and even co-edit their SharePoint documents directly within their Teams channels and teams.

Combining document management on SharePoint and collaboration on Teams is therefore the secret to facilitating collaborative work and boosting the progress of your internal projects.

How does Jint structure document management in Microsoft 365?

The Microsoft 365 environment, and in particular SharePoint, provides a solid foundation for creating an efficient and reliable document management system.

However, SharePoint software alone does not allow for the implementation of a sustainably structured, attractive and actionable knowledge management center.  

This is where Jint's knowledge management solution for Microsoft 365 comes in.

Jint exceeds the functional limits of SharePoint

SharePoint has limitations regarding:

• Document indexing (metadata);
• Resource structuring (document organization);
• Documentary research;
• Governance and management of the document lifecycle.

Jint adds advanced features to SharePoint to enable you to overcome these limitations and create an intuitive and powerful document management system in Microsoft 365.

Key features of Jint for document management (DMS)

Specifically, Jint allows you to:

• Improve and simplify the indexing and structuring of your SharePoint document libraries and sites using precise tags (metadata);
  
  
• Make your resources more accessible to members of your organization through contextual filters and AI-powered search;

• Easily manage the entire lifecycle of your documents within your Microsoft 365 ecosystem;
  
  

• Streamline knowledge sharing through contribution assistance and an AI writing assistant.

Finally, by connecting to your Microsoft 365 Digital Workplace, Jint allows you to easily create a structured and user-friendly document management system , while benefiting from Microsoft's high level of security.

So, ready to build your document management system with Jint? Click here to request a demo.

Document management in business: the FAQ

What is document management?

Document management refers to the set of rules and procedures aimed at centralizing, structuring, sharing and archiving a company's resources, all in a secure manner and in compliance with regulatory obligations.

What are the 4 steps of EDM (Electronic Document Management)?

The four main steps in electronic document management (EDM) are:

1. The creation or collection of documents;
2. Indexing and classifying documents;
3. The distribution and use of documents;
4. Archiving or deleting documents.

What are the objectives of document management?

Document management allows a company to comply with its legal obligations, increase productivity and improve the quality of its services.

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