Why you need Document Control for your ECM

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems have revolutionised the way an organisation operates. They keep track of all information in a centralised location, help with regulatory compliance, increases productivity and help a company deal with auditing and versioning to speed up the business process. However, as powerful as ECM platforms can be, they can often get out of hand if the right procedures are not put in place.

For example, with everyone having unlimited access to all the documents in a business, changes can be made without the proper authorisation or experience. Users of the ECM may obtain and use obsolete documentation when completing a project, or not even be able to locate the right files at the right time due to the sheer amount of options available to them.

To many, this sounds like a logistical and productive nightmare. Thankfully, there is another way to get around these challenges and increase productivity in the form of document control. This blog post will talk about why your content suite needs document control and what some of the benefits you can expect when you implement it.

ECM and value

Any ECM solution is an investment and, like any investment, initially requires a large amount of capital to setup. Naturally, stakeholders seek a return on this investment, and expect their organisation to optimise the use of the platform and gain value as quickly as possible.

However, this value can often be overshadowed by some of the challenges listed above, delaying the return on investment. In order to get the maximum productivity and return on investment from their ECM investment, companies and organisations require structure within the ECM itself. In short, companies need to be able to control access to documents and other data within the platform to optimise their business process.

The advantages of document control

Users can easily access what they need

Without having the multitude of options available to them, users can access the documents they need to have access to without any confusion.

Users always have the most up to date document

With access control, users of the ECM platform will no longer accidentally use an obsolete or inaccurate document when completing their tasks or compiling important files.

Companies gain greater control, improving management

Managers in control of the documents will be able to increase productivity by assigning and designating tasks and resources to the correct areas of their organisation. They will also be able to approve documents before proceeding in any project.

Increases security and integrity of files

Limiting access to documents also solidifies security of sensitive information, and leaves a reliable trail back to the last users who accessed the file. Should the latest document be compromised, it’s easy to roll back to the previous version and delete the inaccurate version with document control.

Boosts quality control

By enabling information managers to approve documents in-situ, organisations gain the opportunity to improve their quality control procedures and document quality directly within the ECM system before a customer sees the final product.

reduces approval time

Document control makes it easy to review and approve documents when they are required to be. By assigning reviewers in a workflow, users are aware of what documents need to be approved and by when. Document control applications keep all these documents in a single repository for easy and quick access by the reviewers.

The Ultimate Control Solution

With all the benefits of document control, it’s easy to see why any organisation would need a structure process within their own ECM implementation. The only question that remains is which document control solution should you use?

We recommend KineMatik Business Process Applications for Extended ECM, which includes an off the shelf Document Change Control application. This solution for fast, accurate and productive document control automates and controls the document change management processes in a workflow driven environment while utilising the management and security features of Content Suite.

This means that your document revision processes, review and approval assignments are all automated, while you’re kept in the loop for any workflow assignments and reports through notification alerts.

With all the inherent benefits of a Content Management system most organisations understand the need to have a document control process in place. It is quickly becoming a critical feature for organisations around the world. Perhaps it’s time that you take the next step too.

For more information on document control, visit the FastMan website, or contact us and we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction for fast success.