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Cody Kremers, Electronic Content Account Manager

Ensuring Your Document Management System is Future-Ready

Notice the headline of this article. I specifically wrote “Future-Ready”, NOT “future-proof.”  If someone tells you that their software is future-proof, you may want to consider running the other direction because this is an inaccurate depiction of software.  No one can predict the exact technology advances that will occur over the next five years.  If you are in the process of choosing a document management system or are looking to upgrade, consider if that solution will solve your issues today and in the future. While we don’t know what future technologies will be, we do know where the industries are heading and what direction technology is going.  Let’s touch base on a few trends in the industry and apply them to a document management solution.
  1. Mobile: A future-ready document management solution needs to offer mobile support.  If it doesn’t, not only will you and your business be unprepared for the future, you are already behind.  Welcome to 2019; mobile is everything.  Your document management solution should be optimized for both Android and iOS.  Please don’t fall for the trick that many solutions offer a “mobile experience.”  You’ll  need a solution that has a Native Mobile application. This means that the mobile app is built specifically for mobile devices, not just a website that is thrown on a phone.  While websites on phones work, the experience will not be user friendly and often does not display properly.
  2. Compatibility with cloud and on-premises servers:  We won’t dive into the details on pros and cons of each method but what is important is that your solution should be able to support both.  Different businesses have different needs and have reasons to go cloud or on-premise.  Those business needs might change overtime and having a solution that allows you the flexibility is very important.
  3. Scalable Architecture: A solution needs to scale with your business.  Can we start small and support a core group of users or one business area such as Human Resources?  Can the same system be expanded to all of the business areas and support hundreds of users?  If the answer is no to either of those questions, you may want to consider looking at a different solution.  The software architecture should be built around the ability to scale based on business growth.
We are going to be having a series of Lunch & Learn events in 2019. Please register if you’d like to learn more about Moving Towards the Paperless Office. Interested in learning more?