Most Organizations are always looking for ways to optimize their operations. By either increasing the overall efficiency and reducing their costs or both.
Paper based processes cause inefficiencies in that they are usually cumbersome, occupy a lot of space and are prone to human errors . They are also time wasters diverting attention from the most important tasks. Use of paper based processes would be part of the issues hindering organizational growth. As the organization grows the more paper documents amassed, this occupies lots of space that could be used for productive activities. And paper based processes are quite resource intensive thus leading to high recurrent costs.
Would an EDMS bring order?
Here is a case study of a financial organization, its needs and a step by step guide on how they were to implement the EDMS system.
Step by Step guide to implementing an electronic document management system.
A leading financial services company faced operational challenges with their paper based document management solutions. Their operational costs were high. Retrieving documents was time consuming and tedious. There were also compliance risks with managing sensitive financial data. They thought implementing an electronic document management system would be the solution. And they already had an existing CRM and ERP systems in place.
They started the search for an EDMS provider. How were they going to handle this process? They had no idea where to start.
What were their expectations?
To reduce paper usage and related expenses by 50% or more.
To increase efficiency by reducing the time it took to retrieve a document.This is to enable employees to focus on productive tasks.
To ensure compliance to financial regulations and protect sensitive data through access controls and audit trail.
To achieve a 50% reduction in paper usage to align with the organization’s sustainability goals and enhance their Corporate social responsibility.
They used this Step by Step guide to give them direction through the process.
#1 Assessing their current document management process :
They had to identify the areas that were causing inefficiencies. This was to help them define the Electronic document management system to buy.
One of the inefficiencies was caused by the high usage of paper documents which was not cost effective and was also taking up a lot of space.
The main objective was to transition from using paper based solutions to digital based solutions, automate their work processes for repetitive tasks and completely go paperless.
#2 Choosing the right Electronic document management system provider :
The next step was to look for the right provider. They had to evaluate and ensure that the system’s features were aligned with their needs.
Since the organization was still on a growth trajectory, scalability of the system was a necessity to handle the increasing document volumes.
#3 Plan the implementation process :
They had to create a realistic timeline for the implementation phases.
These were digitization, training and going live. Did they want to pilot it first to get the feel and the buy-in of the employees? Advisable.
They assigned responsibilities to a number of employees, for example appointing a project manager and creating a cross functional team to oversee the implementation.
Then organizing the documents in terms of priority for the digitization process starting with the most important areas.
#4 Training of the team
Take the team through an intense training of the system to ensure they would use the system comfortably.
Develop a user manual or processes for future reference.
These should be in simple language and easy to follow.
#5 Migrate the documents :
Digitize the physical documents.
Use high quality scanners and OCR software, this is to convert the physical documents into digital documents. Import and upload the digital documents into the Electronic Document Management System.
Proper labeling and categorizing of the digital documents to ease document search.
#6 Monitor and optimize usage :
Collect feedback from users to identify issues and areas of improvement.
To continuously optimize workflows and processes based on feedback and performance metrics.
To regularly review and update compliance ensuring it adheres to the set regulations.
Common Challenges in EDMS implementation and how to overcome them
Resistance to change :
Get Leadership support by securing buy in from top management to champion the transition.
Ensure clear communication across board breaking down the benefits of Electronic document management system and its positive impact to each department
Involve employees in the planning and implementation process to foster ownership and acceptance.
Data Migration Issues :
Develop a detailed migration plan to minimize data loss and ensure smooth transition.
Implement quality checks to verify the accuracy of the migrated data.
Training and adoption :
Provision of extensive training sessions tailored to different user roles.
Offer continuous support and resources to help users adapt to the new system.
Ensuring compliance and security :
Conduct continuous audits to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
Implement advanced security features such as encryption, multi- factor authentication and regular security updates.
Conclusion
Installing an electronic document management system can transform an organization’s operations.
It increases inefficiency, reduces cost and supports sustainability initiatives.
It does this through automation of workflows, Increases document security and enables collaboration.
This enables the team to work seamlessly and effectively.
Partnering with a trusted provider and backed by a comprehensive leadership coaching to guide your organization through the digitization journey.