There are a lot of different types of documents that flow through any given business on any given day. Some may be for all eyes to see, like a staff memo. Other documents, however, may be much more sensitive. These documents require certain people to action and edit them or may only be for the viewing of specific staff members. Needless to say, managing document storage and ensuring the right people have access can be a tall order for businesses that are already swamped with countless other tasks.
5 Reasons to Integrate Your Agency Management System with a DMP Today
Luckily, there is a way to integrate your agency management system (AMS) with a document management platform (DMP) to create a cohesive, simple, and effective solution for managing documents without a bunch of additional headaches. Why is this layer of integration so important? Here are a few reasons why agency management and document management go hand-in-hand.
1. Easier Audits
Just the word “audit” is enough to make some people cringe. Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate the need for audits completely. However, a combined agency management system and a document management system can make future audits a whole lot less painful.
This combination works together seamlessly. The AMS tracks details like how much time has been spent on a project while a document management system provides backup to those numbers. If someone was shown to be working on a document at a specific time and date, the document management system can confirm that information in the event of an audit. This can be helpful in the case of both external audits as well as smaller, internal audits like confirming amounts on an invoice.
2. Better Insight into Workflows
Every business thinks their workflows are efficient until they find out that they aren’t. But how does a company discover if a workflow is efficient or if there are bottlenecks in the process that can be improved? An integrated document management system combined with AMS allows decision-makers to take a more in-depth look into the journey of a document as it travels through the workflow. How many people are touching the document? Do some people have to access the document multiple times?
With this additional layer of insight, businesses can improve workflows by discovering bottlenecks in the process and simplifying things to increase productivity.
3. Improved Security and Compliance
There are several businesses where document security isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, but instead, it’s a “must-have.” Healthcare businesses that must be HIPAA compliant need to ensure the security and privacy of their patient’s information. This is not a negotiable thing, either. Fines and penalties for failing to properly secure, store, and share information can be significant.
With a document management system, certain rules can be set regarding who can access what documents. The system can even be customized to redact certain information for some people while giving others full access to the documents. Within AMS, people may have different reasons to be involved in a process. However, they may not all be required to see the same information. A document management system can help protect privacy and ensure compliance without limiting the capabilities of AMS.
4. Smarter Team Collaboration
Every workflow has a series of steps where multiple employees may need to follow up on the work of others. While some workflows can be improved or streamlined, it may be impossible to eliminate the need for multiple hands to touch a single document. A document management system ensures that the most up-to-date version of the document is available in the cloud for employees, wherever they may be located. This means that no one is stepping into the process and wasting time working on an outdated document.
Over half of workers say that poor collaboration is the biggest time-waster at work. With document management systems, staff can see if the people that need to handle a document before they have done their part. No need to view and analyze a document when the information is available. This allows for faster follow up and less wasted time merely checking in to see if a document is ready for their attention.
5. Better Data for Better Decisions
When it’s time to make an important business decision, it’s nice to have hard data on your side. A document management system can show who is doing what, how much, and how often in areas where AMS may not be able to deliver that insight. This can provide a lot of valuable information for future decisions. Perhaps it’s important to find the most productive employee when considering promotions, or maybe one process within a workflow is taking longer than expected.
Without agency management integrated with a document management platform, this kind of data wouldn’t be available.
Discover This Powerful Combination Today
AMS and a document management system are like peanut butter and jelly. Alone, they are great tools. Together, they are an incredible combination. To see a demo in action, please contact Intellinetics today.
