What is Document Management System (DMS)?
A document management system – DMS is a system (based on computer programs in the case of the management of digital documents) used to track, manage and store documents. This system should be capable of keeping a record of the various versions of the documents created and modified by different users (history tracking).
Documents stored in a document management system – such as procedures, work instructions, and policy statements—provide evidence of documents under control. Failing to comply could cause penalties, loss of business due to con-conformance or non-compliance, or irreparable damage to a business’s reputation.
8 Features every Document Management System (DMS) must have
Today, implementing a quality document management system is critical for a business to succeed. Therefore, when searching for a reputable document management system, have in mind that an ideal DMS should contain the following 8 groups of features:
- Document Input
- Document Indexing
- Document Search
- Document Processing
- Workflow Automation
- Document Security
- User Dashboard
- Customization
- BONUS: Special Features
#1 Document Input
When it comes to document input, most of the businesses combine paper and digital files. The ideal Document Management System should allow inputting files trough the following sources:
- Scanner
- Manual Upload
- Bulk Upload
- Automated Process for Mass Uploading
- Mobile Applications
- Web Services
#2 Document Indexing
Document indexing is the process of associating or tagging documents with different “search” terms. Indexing is a path to the documents. That path is based upon your business processes and your staff.
There are different types of indices. If your documents are text documents, you might have indexed the documents for full text search where you can find a phrase contained in the documents. All document management systems have some level of system indexing too. Default system indexing might be the date or document type or some other identifier that describes the document. An ideal Document Management System should provide:
- Indexing of all documents
- Custom Automatic Document Numbering
- Content recognition and indexing
- Indexing Meta Data
- Indexing all revisions
- OCR in different languages (Vienna Advantage DMS currently covers 27 languages)
- Supports innumerable formats
- Extendable meta data fields
#3 Document Search
No matter what indices we use, the power of document indexing is revealed when we do a search later on. The document search engine should provide:
- Safe and Powerful search
- Document content and meta data search
- Advanced search on all document attributes
- Scalable Document Search Engine
Vienna Advantage DMS provides a powerful document search engine that searches through document content and gives you quick results.
#4 Document Processing
Document Processing involves the conversion of typed and handwritten text on paper-based & electronic documents (e.g., scanned image of a document) into electronic information utilizing one of, or a combination of, Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and experienced Data Entry Clerks. An ideal document management system should provide the following features:
- Create Documents using Templates
- Link Document to records in System
- Link to ERP/ CRM system
- Forward, Move, Share Documents
- Email Documents
- Revise Documents
- Inbuilt Document Editors for various file types
- Check-In and Check-out documents
#5 Workflow Automation
A good document management system, should have inbuilt an enterprise level Business Process Management and Workflow Automation that automatically routes the documents to their destination. The workflow automation should provide:
- Rule based processing on incoming documents
- Setup individual rules and document actions
- Automatic and Manual workflow
- Document Routing
- Business Process Modeling with Customized Windows, Reports
- Configure multi-level approvals
- Automatic creation of records based on documents
- Update records based on documents
#6 Document Security
Security is one of the most critical aspects of a document management system. The ideal software will provide a high level of documents encryption and role based access, as well as:
- Audit Trail
- User and Roles
- Advanced Access rights
- Encrypted Documents on file system
- Indexing all revisions
- Supports SSL
- Modify Ownership
#7 User Dashboard
An ideal DMS interface should be simple and easy to navigate. Not everyone is technologically inclined, so the simpler the software, the better. But the main dashboard should also include:
- Workflow Inbox
- Document inbox
- Alerts and Notifications
- Reporting Dashboard
- Follow-ups and Chat
- Inbuilt Calendar, Email, SMS
#8 Customization
As previously mentioned, different business have different needs of a DMS. Every business has its own specifics requirements that need to be take in consideration. For that reason an ideal Document Management System should provide a certain level of customization allowing users to:
- Create customized Windows and Records
- Generate Custom Fields and Reports
- Add custom Document Attributes
- Describe custom workflow
- Create Custom Dashboard Reports
BONUS: Special Features
Industry leading document management system providers, always go beyond the basic features and provide to their customers innovative features and solutions that will improve their overall business productivity. Vienna Advantage DMS, comes with the following inbuilt special features:
- Inbuilt Word Processor
- Supports multiple languages
- Multi Tenants
- Collaboration Portal
- Deploy on premises or on cloud
- OCR in 27 languages
- Supports SSL
- Modify Ownership
VIENNA Advantage DMS is an Enterprise level DMS.
Its pioneering structural design paired with potential functionality and a considerably impressive and intuitive user interface holds out VIENNA Advantage DMS as an exclusive product in the correlated market.
VIENNA Advantage DMS can be installed on premises, on your private cloud or on the Enterprise Cloud offered by VIENNA Advantage. Its web based mobile client is light enough to run on mobile devices such as tablets and enables you to be in control of your documents from anywhere and still offering you’re the full power.
If you want to have a closer look at our DMS solution see the DEMO video, or find more about its enterprise level features by downloading VIENNA Advantage DMS brochure.
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