Whether digital or paper-based, documents are a crucial part of most businesses. However, managing them and finding the information they contain can be challenging.
Fortunately, the right software can alleviate these problems and help businesses to run more efficiently. Choosing the right document management system is essential.
Automated Backup
If your business depends on data for operations, you must ensure it’s always backed up. This can protect you from the consequences of a disaster, such as fire, flood, theft, or ransomware attacks. Automated backup software can help you keep your data secure and ensure it’s never lost or deleted due to human error.
Automation makes scheduling and running automatic backups of files, folders, servers, and even whole computer systems easier. It also ensures a faster restore process and reduces the risk of accidental deletion.
Backing up files to the cloud is a great way to keep important information safe and secure. Modern cloud storage solutions use the latest encryption protocols to keep your data secure in transit.
Automated backup software makes a complete copy of your data and then transfers it over the internet to a cloud backup vault. Then, the software applies the latest encryption to the data so it’s secure until you need it again.
This process is incredibly reliable and easy to use. It is a time saver when you want to restore a full disk image of your computer or transfer all your data and applications to a new device.
You can customize automated backups to meet your needs, including how often to run them and where they’ll be stored. For example, a high-volume e-commerce store may need continuous backups, while a small consultancy might only need weekly or daily backups.
Once your backup software is installed and configured, it runs automatically at scheduled times. It backs up all of your files and folders and then transfers them over the internet to the backup destination. This can take a while, but it’s typically done in batches and only copies files that have changed since the last backup.
Some data backup apps will also create additional copies of files that have been edited in the past. This is a great option for tech-savvy users who don’t want to risk losing a file they’ve worked on.
Adding an automated backup solution to your document management suite can help you and your clients secure important data and reduce the chances of data loss or other issues that could harm their business. In addition, it can help you expand your service offerings to include a broader range of document management services, such as document scanning and emailing, archiving, and compliance reporting.
Access Control
Access control systems provide the foundation for protecting data and ensuring employees can access information needed to perform their job. Access controls can be implemented in many ways. You can use turnstiles or gates, electronic locks, or a combination. Some of these methods can be ADA-compliant, and some can provide other features, such as recording who enters and exits the building.
In addition to physical barriers, you can protect sensitive documents with digital security solutions requiring users to present their credentials. This can include a card, fob, or token that generates a unique code to verify their identity.
Other methods include biometrics, fingerprint readers, and voice recognition technology. These types of access controls are a step above standard turnstiles and can be used for more sensitive data, such as patient health records or trade secrets.
Some of the most effective document management security solutions incorporate several features, including a document project manager, workflows, usage permissions, metadata, and backup and restoration. These features can automatically classify, manage, and organize files in order to facilitate easy retrieval.
Metadata, sometimes called indexing, can be applied to document properties to facilitate searching and retrieving key information that helps users find relevant files quickly. This can reduce staffing requirements and ensure the proper files are accessible at the right time.
You can also automate the process of adding and removing access rights, and some software integrates to make it easier for people to log in with their existing credentials. This makes access controls more flexible and essential for businesses that must keep pace with changing compliance regulations or customer demands.
Access control is an essential part of any document management system, and you need to select a solution that will work well for your business needs and goals. Getting the right product will give you peace of mind and save you money in the long run, as it can automatically scale to meet new business requirements and eliminate the need for costly manual staffing and maintenance.
Fraud Detection
Document fraud is rising, with fake documents used for everything from applying for a loan to traveling illegally. It costs global economies billions of dollars each year.
To fight fraudulent documents, businesses must use document fraud detection tools that can identify forgery and forged information. The software will detect obvious signs like spelling errors, font formatting that is unusual, and blurred text.
A good fraud detection tool should also be able to automatically verify the authenticity of the documents and validate the information in them. This includes determining the date of the issue, identifying low-quality images, and comparing them to real photos from the same time frame.
Using this technology, businesses can save time and money by detecting fraud more quickly than ever. It can help eliminate back-and-forth with applicants, minimize pain points for applicants and your operations teams, and reduce the risk of evictions due to fraudulent document requests.
Fraud detection can take on many forms, including account-related fraud (new accounts created by fake identities), payment and transaction fraud, and identity theft. Companies in the financial sector are especially vulnerable to financial fraud and need to rely on effective detection solutions.
The best providers offer a full suite of anti-fraud features you can customize to your industry and the type of customer data that matters most to you. This way, you can choose the tools that are right for your business without sacrificing performance or security.
This is an important feature for any business, as it gives you the opportunity to ensure that every single payment on your site is legitimate. You can set rules to block suspicious IPs, and flag strange-looking devices or email addresses on blacklists.
The goal of any fraud detection strategy is to stop fraudulent transactions from occurring in the first place. This is achieved by analyzing data to paint a clear picture of each individual transaction and then taking action to protect your customers. A good fraud detection tool will do this for you, and you can also add in additional controls to limit the impact of false positives.
Reporting
The most essential part of any document management solution is reporting. This is where you get the real insight into your business that allows you to make more informed decisions and save money.
Reporting can be various things, from the simply written account of an event like a project status report to a spreadsheet or dashboard focusing on quantitative information such as sales numbers or budgets. Regardless of the type of report, a good reporting tool will help you create and disseminate reports efficiently.
In a traditional system, you must print and distribute countless documents for every team member and client. Not only does this add up quickly, but you also have to worry about how the documents are stored and whether they’re easy to find.
Using an effective document management system lets you easily track and locate documents with advanced search features. This will help you avoid the dreaded “Where did I put that?” question and ensure that only authorized people can access the necessary files.
You can also ensure the documents are securely backed up and accessible in an emergency. This will minimize the risk of a devastating disaster, such as a fire or flood, destroying your files.
Another key benefit of a sound document management system is document version control. This feature helps you keep track of all the changes made to your documents, ensuring everyone has access to the most up-to-date version.
Depending on your company’s needs, you might store your documents in the cloud or use an on-premises solution. An on-premises option will usually require you to invest in your own servers and storage space, but it also means you’ll have to maintain these yourself.
Today’s top document management solutions provide many security features designed to protect your files from data breaches and other cyber threats. These include encryption, watermarking, digital rights management, and restricting access to specific users or roles. In addition, these systems can also automate the generation of version numbers for your documents.
Ameritechnology can guide you through the process of transforming your business network into a well-run data-driven machine, while lowering costs, increasing efficiencies, and significantly reducing the risk of data loss, with redundant data recovery systems in place. Your business will run smoother, and documents will be an asset, not another headache for your organization. For more information, visit our website or contact us to get expert advice from our team.
