Carrying out correct document management streamlines the performance of work responsibilities and reduces the possibility of loss or theft of information
In the same way that it is vital to have all the information we need to develop a certain task, it is also vital that it is always available, locatable and at hand. This is the raison d’être of document management : a discipline that is gaining prominence thanks to the rise of new technologies (ICT), but which requires a series of requirements to be effective. Do you know what you have to take into account so that you can access certain documentation whenever you want?
Almost without exception, we all admire our mothers’ innate ability to organize clothes, books, and frequently used belongings: not only do they know where they are, but they can have them in the blink of an eye.
Something like this happens in business. And in this case, in the absence of mothers, document management becomes the indispensable resource to have documentation under control and, at the same time, streamline daily tasks, especially those of an administrative nature. In addition, it also helps prevent problems such as the loss or theft of information.
However, this task is not easy, since it requires taking into account the following aspects:
Keys that guarantee correct document management
1) Define the categories of all the tasks that are performed. It should be specified as much as possible what type of projects, files and operations are being carried out, and what are the documents involved in each of them.
2) Establish classification methods. It is not enough to digitize a certain paper document: in addition, it must be given the appropriate name (if possible, subject to a nomenclature or that is descriptive) so that it is easy to retrieve it as many times as necessary.
3) Use a code share. If the company chooses to use metadata to classify its documents, all the people involved in its management or consultation will have to have a list with the values that can be assigned to each metadata. In this way, and although it may be an expensive task in terms of effort and dedication, we will ensure that everyone knows this classification and that, therefore, the same conventions will always be used.
4) Create methods to decide and enter the metadata of each document. Without a doubt, implementing a protocol is the best way to standardize document categorization tasks.
5) Use the intranet. Having this tool is the perfect solution for making inquiries at the corporate level, since it guarantees the privacy of the documents among people outside the organization.
6) Lean on other computer tools. It is advisable to strengthen document management with other online resources, such as alerts, news, opinion forums, surveys or applications to control workflows .
7) Work as a team. When carrying out these tasks, it is advisable to have the figure of a leader who coordinates and fosters cooperation among all employees involved in the selection and digitization of documents, as well as in the introduction of metadata.
