Four reasons why document management for government agencies is essential.
If you’re a government agency, you may think physical file storage is more cost-effective than digital document management. However, traditional systems have limitations that can ultimately cost governments more time and money and threaten the integrity of their operations.
Government bodies have substantial budgetary constraints and often rely on a small staff to handle a large workload. The advanced capabilities of a modern document management system (DMS) offer an efficient and cost-effective solution.
Beyond file storage, a DMS can power your business processes, allowing you to do more work using less staff and time. The new era of digital document management transcends the confines of outdated systems and supports governments’ dynamic needs.
At the simplest level, document management for government agencies eliminates the need for the infrastructure required for physical file storage. Also, manual activities associated with pushing paper, like routing, scanning, copying, delivering, and filing, consume employee time. If you work in government, you’re expected to be efficient, yet the workload is ever-increasing.
Standardized processes are the key to efficiency. Every time your agency processes an application or a request, it likely goes through the same steps. With a DMS, you’ll automate data entry and collaborative tasks, reducing errors and saving valuable time. You'll keep your tried-and-true processes but do them quicker, more accurately, and with less effort.
Government agencies often experience high turnover, and training new employees takes time. By digitizing core operations functions, onboarding new hires is quick and easy. Files are accessible and shareable from any PC, improving cross-department collaboration. Your DMS will also protect your institutional knowledge, so you won’t be left in a lurch when someone is out sick, retires, or resigns.
Governments are responsible for timely communicating matters of importance with other institutions and the public. They must also remain transparent in generating, archiving, and distributing documents. Transparency is difficult to achieve with paper-based and manual routing processes. Paper documents always in motion compromise visibility, not to mention the risk of misplaced files. Using document management software, any document can be retrieved and reviewed in no time. Your DMS provides powerful tools for online backup, audit trails, and document retention.
You’ll secure your files with robust and granular permissions and control who has access to what documentation. You’ll also have peace of mind with disaster recovery. When data is lost (or tampered with), the software allows you to access the original documents without hassle.
With increased demands from special interest groups and the public, government agencies should set an example of sustainable practices.
Digital document management cuts the cost of purchasing and disposing of paper, and more importantly, it reduces pollution caused by the latter. It also reduces the costs associated with storage and labor. Without paper documents, you’ll reclaim the space occupied by shelves and file cabinets. For large agencies, this could translate to no longer needing to manage entire offices or make trips to off-site storage.
This sounds great, but how easy is implementing a DMS? Document management software doesn’t require a high level of technical proficiency on the part of the users. It's intuitive and simplifies complex processes, focusing on three core tasks: adding documents, finding documents, and marking tasks complete. With full-service support and a file structure tailored to your specific needs and goals, you’ll breeze through installation, setup, and team-wide adoption in no time and be on your way to ultimate operational efficiency.
A DMS supports day-to-day materials management, workflow processes, and creating/revising/approving content from one place. This is particularly useful for government bodies that solicit public comment or gather input across agencies. Reduce your workload and increase your impact with one powerhouse solution for managing your most critical operations.
Cost-effective document storage is vital in contemporary government agency operations. It delivers savings and improves transparency, security, and environmental conservation. With a DMS doing the heavy lifting, your agency can do more work without hiring more staff.
Whether an office deals with regulatory or non-regulatory documents or needs simple or sophisticated information management, a DMS provides operational ease while helping balance the budget.