Document Management System in SharePoint

In every business, the lifecycle of documents is controlled by the document management system. The control means creation, review, publishing, and finally, retaining/destroying documents.

Although the word “management” underscores centralized control of information, the best practice should highlight it as part of organization culture. Therefore, you need the right tool for controlling the entire lifecycle, and one of the best is SharePoint.

In this post, we answer the big question, “How do you use a document management system in SharePoint?”

Concerns about Document Management Systems

According to one of the recent studies, some organizations look at documentation as a cost they can easily avoid to cut down costs. But this is the wrong approach. Instead, you should be smart and use a document management system to unlock the business potential.

So, let’s flip this and look at it from the other end, “what are the risks of not having a document management system.

• Data stored in multiple formats
• Data revising is complex
• Data retrieving and revising take a lot of time
• Data integrity gets compromised
• The danger of regular management conflicts
• Elevated business risks for non-compliance

These are only a few risks; the list is way longer. The good news is that a solution is right here: SharePoint. So, how does it work?

What is SharePoint?

Before looking at the main steps of using SharePoint, let’s start by establishing what it is.

SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform designed to integrate with Microsoft Office. It offers a web-based space where you upload documents for immediate sharing with those you need to see them. Most people use SharePoint for storing version-controlled documents, such as Excel Worksheets and Word documents. It is also an excellent choice for organizing, sharing, and accessing information from any device.

To use Microsoft SharePoint, all you need is a browser, such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. As a result, you easily direct users to specific documents that require their attention. After the disruptions that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, SharePoint has become one of the go-to tools for enhanced collaboration in document management. 

Document Management System in SharePoint: Benefits to Expect 

Although there are multiple options for managing your documents online, SharePoint has more benefits. The most notable is its flexibility. As a collaborative platform, SharePoint acts as a form of intranet, running inside the company’s website. This design makes it pretty easy to share, schedule and do a lot more.

Below are other benefits to anticipate for using document management system in SharePoint:

• Centralized administration
• Built-in multi-purpose functionality
• Customizable
• Site consolidation
• Enhanced document security
• Easy integration with existing apps
• Enhanced documents management and collaboration
• Easy to use

5 Tips for Effectively Using SharePoint

Now that you know the main benefit that comes with using a document management system in SharePoint, the next step is implementation. So, here are the main steps to follow:

1. Identify Document Management Roles: This is the first step and, perhaps, the most important because it sets the pace for the subsequent actions. So, make sure to have a good team for implementing the document management system in SharePoint.
2. Plan the Document Organization: After selecting the preferred team, you should organize the documents of interest in different locations, from libraries to sites. Using SharePoint servers to organize the documents is an excellent idea. You can also do this in subfolders and folders. Then, determine how the documents will be moved from one location to another at different stages.
3. Plan Content Types and Workflows: Content types make it possible to organize the information under consideration based on various categories. This is referred to as metadata, and it allows you to see all the documents in specific categories during searches. 

On workflows, the Document management system in SharePoint allows you to plan to track the movement of files from one participant to another. You will find this vital, especially where documents require approval in different stages.

1. Plan for Content Governance: You can do this by defining the degree of control for different documents depending on type and location. For example, you might want only the staff in the accounting unit to access specific financial records. You might also want documents in a particular location; say a library, checked for approval before payment can be authorized.
2.  Draw Clear Policies: For every content type in your data management system in SharePoint, it is prudent to craft a policy that explains auditing, retaining procedure and handling. Therefore, the policy must rhyme with the company, state, and federal legal requirements.

Using your document management system in SharePoint is an awesome method of enhancing the operations in your company. The lovely thing about it is that you can apply it in a wide range of organizations, from manufacturing to service organizations.

Make sure to carefully follow the steps outlined in this post for its implementation. Starting small to gain skills and insights about SharePoint is also recommended before using the platform for all your organization’s documents. You can find fitting a fitting document management system here: https://documentmanagement.systems/