A good one digital document management can help you to reach the leadership of your market, make your company more profitable, flexible, efficient and dear to your customers.
Want to know how to use this to your advantage? Keep reading this article to understand what digital documents are, the importance of this format for your business compared to physical documents and 13 tips on how to manage your company well!
What is a digital document?
Digital document is a digital file is a file electronic, encoded with binary numbers and accessible by a computer system. In general, this format can be translated through a scanned file or an inherent digital file.
On the one hand, the digitized file is a digital representation of a file generated in another format (usually physical) and has been digitized and converted into a digital format. In turn, digital native documents are generated in digital forms.
In summary, these files ensure greater security, cooperation, efficiency and easy sharing, in addition to having the same legal effect.
Is it really necessary to transform physical documents into digital ones?
Does the digital document management Is it really necessary even when the business still doesn't demand a lot of storage space for physical documents related to the business? The answer is: yes.
Understand why it is advantageous to start now if you are working to grow your business:
Instant access and better use of physical space
Cloud storage allows you to access files and documents from anywhere on your internet-enabled device. This is essential if you have remote workers, salespeople or account managers who spend a lot of time in the field, but also for anyone who wants instant access to their documents.
In addition to dispensing with a large physical filing system, which will take up a lot of space and time, digital documents can be accessed anytime and anywhere, allowing you to make better use of your office space.
Typically, paper documents are stored internally in an office file or managed by an external document management service. Depending on your individual business environment, each method has its respective pros and cons.
Dynamic search and real-time collaboration
In digital databases, documents and files can not only be easily archived and organized, but also searchable using keywords and dates.
In addition, any authorized user with access can edit digital documents, which not only encourages cooperation, but also makes the process more efficient.
A good document management system also records all changes made and who made them, thus providing greater transparency and auditing capabilities.
Medium to long-term value for money
Converting a large number of files to digital format at once can save money and a lot of time, especially when files need to be tracked.
The cost savings on printer ink, paper, and file cabinets are enough to make scanning valuable.
Confidential information is more secure
Paper documents can be left in the printer tray, allowing accidental access by unauthorized persons.
In the digital environment, access control is effective and allows you to control who can access each file.
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13 steps to improve your business's digital document management
Proper file storage should be a priority for your company, especially since the loss of a document can force hours or even days of rework. Consequently, a poor management of digital documents not only interferes with profit, it can also result in loss for your business.
Keeping data organized is critical to easily managing large amounts of information. Currently, we are used to storing our digital files locally, in the cloud and on servers connected to a single network, but there are techniques that can be applied to make this process even more efficient.
From retrieving old versions of specific documents to remote and simultaneous editing of the same file by several people on the same team, maintaining and organizing our documents should be seen as a source of competitive advantage.
Therefore, here's how to benefit from a good management of digital documents regardless of the implemented software:
Set a location and protocols for storage
Concentrating documents in a main folder will help organize and track data. You can set this space as “My Server”, for example, and create subfolders for a more specific category, organizing files by project or subject.
Also, share with company employees guidelines on how to archive digital documents (how to name folders and files, when to switch between using local or cloud use and performing backups, among others).
Use self-explanatory nomenclatures and opt for short names
Captioning folders and subfolders is essential to speed tracking of a digital document. Attention: it is important that the names chosen are understood by all who access the information.
Acronyms can be used, but try to use descriptive formulas (current customers, former customers, invoices, offers, etc). Prioritize short descriptions and avoid using special characters that could make these names incompatible with others platforms.
The more information, the more subfolders you need
Over time, the complexity of your files is sure to increase as the number of files increases. At this point, consider embedding subfolders to distribute the information.
Example: if a directory with invoices grows exponentially, do not delete the old ones or create a new folder: instead, place them in subfolders corresponding to the different fiscal years (2019, 2020, 2021, and so on).
Name digital documents with the date reversed
File naming is a good solution to systematize the digital document management. Among the possibilities for naming the file, you can use the date of the last edited inverted – i.e. 20210831 for August 31, 2021.
In this way, when alphabetically sorting a folder, it will be automatically organized by dates. At the end of the name, it is also recommended to include successive version numbers (_v2, _v3, _v4, and so on).
Do not overwrite old versions
Save each version of the file for future needs, because you might need to access an old file for some reason.
Build good habits and categorize other files
As an entrepreneur, you must develop habits that favor the organization and management of information relevant to your business. In addition to taking care of digital document management, keep program files stored in different indices and securely.
Always keep digital documents in the correct place
Speaking of good habits, get used to organizing files in their respective folders from the start, rather than saving them locally first and then moving them to where they belong. This is an unnecessary step that often leads to the “disappearance” of the document in question.
Make a backup and keep it up to date
With proper backup, you won't despair about losing your important documents. Accidents happen. So, as much as your documents are saved, think that something unexpected can make you lose all your files.
Be strict with your backups
Is the file out of date? Create subfolders with old versions or inactive files. There is, however, information that will not be repurposed, such as folders from former employees who have left their jobs, or customers you are no longer doing business with.
But beware: before cleaning the system, check the files carefully and do not remove files that contain confidential information or that are still relevant to your business.
Schedule periodic maintenance
Regular maintenance is important for a good management of digital documents if you want to get the most out of your initial investment of time, effort and money. In addition to updating your infrastructure and procedures so your system can evolve alongside your business, make sure everyone on the team knows how to use the processes already in place.
Evaluate the possibility of an automated conversion
Companies that process a large amount of documents, as in the case of accounting, can search for an automatic file conversion method. By turning this practice into a company culture, it will become easier to demand digital files over time.
Learn from your mistakes
Mistakes happen, even when we are well prepared. In these cases, it is important to recognize, identify and correct them.
Hire a professional
Finally, you can count on professionals who will make this new stage even easier for your company with the help of management of digital documents. This can be a good time-saving decision.
Now that you know the importance of optimizing your company's digital document management – and how to do it, it's time to put it into practice. With a proactive approach, you'll go in the right direction of making informed decisions.
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