Going paperless is the goal of offices large and small, but the biggest challenge is managing and controlling digital documents, which can be a complicated task like handling physical files. Good document management software is the answer to this challenge of effectively sharing, storing, collaborating, and ultimately removing outdated records. SharePoint is a great document management tool that many organizations often consider as they already use Microsoft products for various tasks.
What is SharePoint document management and what can you expect from it?
SharePoint document management is specifically designed to be an intranet and collaboration tool that offers a secure place to store, share, organize, and also access any information easily. SharePoint is offered in on-premises, hybrid, and cloud versions. It comes with a rich set of features and function sets and it also has a constantly changing feature and complex license agreements. It has been implemented together with Microsoft Exchange, office web applications, Skype for Business by medium-sized organizations and also large departments. Its main distribution channel has been Office 365. Cloud-based SharePoint was developed to improve the platform and improve the user experience and improve search in a world where speed and customization are expected.
How to use SharePoint for document management?
A feature-rich document management system is a prime requirement for companies that want to streamline, automate and optimize the document-based process and also make employees more productive.
Capture and validation:
Business organizations have to operate various unstructured data in varied formats like JPG, TIFF or CAD files that cannot be searched for content. To facilitate the handling of such documents, it is important that all documents are legible. This can be achieved by integrating document management systems that have OCR software. Integrated with OCR, SharePoint can offer high-volume conversion of paper documents into digital documents that can be easily searched and can also be classified, indexed and saved in libraries.
Indexing:
In SharePoint, documents are indexed automatically and this makes it easier to retrieve them faster. The document management system assigns a unique identification to the document so that there is no confusion due to similar document names. It also supports the creation of many metadata fields for each document and this simplifies storing, sorting, and also searching for the document.
Storage:
Large companies often need a large storage space for their digital documents and must also keep confidential information about employees, customers and other business activities for some time. The data that is collected in SharePoint Online is called a list, which consists of list items and has up to 30 million items. SharePoint supports most common type files and also works with file extensions like .odt, .ods, .ppsx which are rare. It also helps optimize content assets by automatically removing useless files.
Collaboration:
Collaboration is one of the main key features of document management as it helps employees to easily edit documents simultaneously and also see changes through color bars, ultimately increasing productivity. The platform is also known for its co-authoring capabilities and this allows employees to work on corporate documents at the same time.
Regulatory compliance and security:
This is important for all companies, regardless of size. Companies must constantly adjust their internal and external policies to ensure regulatory compliance. And non-compliance can lead to fines, confinement, and even breach of contracts. SharePoint helps control who can view, delete, or edit documents and establish a multi-level permission system for users.
Distribution and recovery:
The entire document of any company must be accessible 24 hours a day and from any place and device. To remain competitive, business organizations must be flexible and quick to respond to partners and customers and also distribute important documents in formats that are easy to change. SharePoint document management has an easy-to-use user interface and is also available as a mobile version. Now even the absence of internet connection is not a problem, as users can work with documents offline. All changes made offline will be synced once there is an internet connection.