Organization is a key element of managing a successful business. Although every company has unique organizational needs, the way you track, store and manage your internal documents can greatly impact the efficiency of your operations. Many small businesses turn to a document management system (DMS) to streamline these business processes.
There is a wide variety of small business DMSs available, including free and paid versions. However, the best document management software for your business will primarily depend on which features you need.
To help you choose a DMS, we spoke with small business owners about what benefits and features you need.
A document management system is an integral part of your filing system. It is comprehensive software that helps you convert your office into a paperless one. This is better not only for the environment but also for your business, because a single point of access for all your documents can streamline workflow and increase productivity.
Document management platforms often include scanning capabilities to convert your physical documents into digital files. This saves time that you might otherwise spend manually inputting all your information into a computer. The best software even has formatting capabilities to quickly convert your scanned documents into preferred or industry-specific templates.
In addition to scanning documents, most DMSs let you import your current digital files into one unified system. These documents can be word processing files, spreadsheets, PDFs, images and more.
After you have successfully imported a physical or digital document into your management system, anyone with the appropriate permissions can access it. Most document management software allows you to set permissions and restrictions for access and editing. This allows your team to track and collaborate on documents.
DMSs are beneficial for small businesses in many ways. With paperless document management, small businesses can streamline their operations, save time and reduce errors. Jim Collins, principal at Datamation Imaging Services, listed better security and backup for disaster recovery as some of the primary benefits. He also said businesses can benefit from lower rent costs due to less required office space and an increase in productivity due to immediate access.
DMSs can benefit your team by instilling an organizational flow for everyone to follow. CEO and founder of United Capital Source, Jared Weitz, said this organizational and paperless process can bring small businesses freedom and peace of mind. Weitz, among other business owners, also listed scalability as one of the biggest benefits of a DMS.
“Your business will grow in time, and having proper documentation established will make this growth more fluid,” said Weitz. “The same goes if you plan to sell your business to a new owner or go through an acquisition. Having everything in a single system takes time to establish, but will save you countless hours of work in the future.”
Even if you can comfortably manage your filing by hand right now, that may not always be the case. You will likely need a DMS as your business scales up. Converting to a paperless office early on will simplify your process later down the line.
FYI: A well-maintained document management platform can ensure you do not lose records or damage important documents.
Before choosing a document management system for your business, you should assess your document management needs. Not every document management program will fit your business, so identifying which features you need will help you narrow down your options.
In addition to your current needs, be sure to list which advanced features you will want to implement later as your business expands. It is essential to choose document management software that can grow with your business, or you will eventually have to switch your software.
The No. 1 feature to look for in a document management system is security. The last thing you want is to digitally file all your documents and then suffer a data breach. Look for software that places a high emphasis on protecting your information.
“Find a solution with a security plan that is established, yet flexible when needed,” said Weitz. “If you are [in] a heavily regulated industry such as finance or medical, you need security as a top priority. This looks like having the option to extend access to certain employees or groups.”
In addition to security, Collins listed ease of use and uptime as key DMS features. You should be able to easily access, manage and navigate your files as needed. Be realistic about the resources you can dedicate to manage your DMS. If you don’t have a lot of resources, Collins recommends researching web-based DMSs instead of using an in-house management solution.
Since multiple departments will likely be using your DMS across your company, digital marketer Erica Gilliand said the system you choose should have collaboration and integration capabilities. Look for features like real-time live editing, file-sharing tools, integrations with other plugins, and the ability to add or restrict user access to certain documents.
Gilliand also listed version control as a key aspect of document management. You should always have the latest versions of a document on file, whether you are viewing or editing it.
“Having the ability to download documents in other formats and going back to older versions in ‘history’ is super important for small businesses, because oftentimes someone will delete something, and going back to revert to the old version can save time and headaches,” said Gilliand.
Weitz added that small business owners should be sure there are check-in and check-out files to track who last viewed or edited the content. This can reduce the potential of business errors.
“The last thing you want is an old copy of [an] engineering drawing to be shared with a supplier and built off of by mistake,” Weitz said.
The pricing for document management software depends on the type of hosting you need and how many people require access. Small businesses can choose between cloud-hosted and on-premise software. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages.
Did you know? Most of the top document management system providers offer tiered plans with varying levels of features and support, so the best plan for your business depends on your needs and the number of users who need access.
Although many DMS features are necessary for businesses of any size or industry, there are a few notable features that small businesses should especially look for:
As a small business, you probably don’t have a full IT team ready to troubleshoot and support your DMS. Find a DMS that has a comprehensive support team to accommodate your support needs.
Weitz said you will need software that can quickly upload all your information and support your expected growth.
“Manually typing in all the files that you currently have would be a nightmare, so it is best to find a solution that offers scanning capabilities or an easy way to update what you have now with what you are moving towards,” he said. “Be sure that what you invest in today will support you as you reach your goals. I have seen many businesses invest in a small option only to outgrow it immediately.”
Mistakes happen – your business needs to prepare for them. Since a poor reputation can destroy a small business, it is essential to find a secure DMS that has good security and disaster recovery features.
“A DMS can provide a cost-effective disaster recovery system for critical information and data so you can be back on your feet faster than your competition,” said Collins.
Bottom Line: As your business grows, you will need to train new hires on your document management system. Employee onboarding will be easier if your DMS is simple to implement, navigate and understand.
“There are many misconceptions about document management systems, and the main misconception is that they’re complicated. This is simply not true,” said Collins. “A good DMS is very simple and easy to use. It is a tool to help employees find important content or documents when needed. If you’re using a cloud system, it’s a great way for employees to access content from anywhere, whether they’re remote or traveling.”
Do your research to find the best document management system for your small business. Weitz recommends making a request for a proposal (RFP) for the top vendors you are considering.
“Once you have this information, schedule a demo with each one so that you can be very clear on how the software functions from a usability perspective,” he said. “Everything might sound great on paper, but the system may not be intuitive or easy to navigate.”
Before you invest in a DMS, assess current issues within your business and determine what is needed to solve them. In the process, include employees who will use the system in the future to ensure the DMS solutions will benefit them. Additionally, consider the future growth of your business and whether the DMS can support you along the way. [Learn about how to choose the best Microsoft document management system.]
After you have identified your current business needs, conduct thorough research on vendors and their offerings. Avoid vendors that offer a cheap one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, search for vendors that have experience in the industry, prioritize security, provide customer support, and integrate well with your current systems and applications. Consider features, prices and solutions for each vendor before settling on one. It also might benefit you to talk with the vendors directly.
No matter how many documents are stored in your DMS, it is still a huge loss if they are lost or stolen in a data breach. Security should be a high priority when searching for a DMS. Vendors that offer strong security features for their products are worth considering. Make sure to speak with vendors about how often security features are updated and when you’ll know about upcoming updates.
Additionally, consider the access control options available with each vendor. To avoid unwanted access, choose a DMS that allows admins to set permissions, such as read-only, open access or limited access. Admins can manage controls through each employee’s profile.
With any technology, there is always the chance of user error, updates that mess with operations or users who need assistance. Tech and product support are essential to consider before choosing a DMS vendor. Look for a vendor that offers multiple channels of support, such as phone, online messaging and email.
Additionally, consider the hours of support offered and whether or not that fits the schedule of your daily operations. You wouldn’t want to go with a vendor whose support hours fall before or after your hours of operation if there’s an issue. Find out how long it will take to answer a support request and if there are any additional fees.
Additional reporting by Sean Peek.
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Transitioning to a hybrid work model was never going to be easy. When the pandemic forced lawyers to adapt to working from home, it started to dawn on the industry that those attorneys might not be excited to return to spending hours commuting to their office. After the work-from-home years resulted in absolutely gangbusters productivity and — more importantly — profitability, the days of the five-day office workweek were numbered as four- and even three-day office plans proliferated.
Get it? Days were numbered and… oh, never mind.
There are a lot of ways to build a hybrid system: from asking associates to show up on the honor system, to having lawyers claim certain days of the week to balance the in-office staffing throughout the week, to Cravath’s flexible 3.5 model.
And then there’s the dumbest of all models: mandating a Tuesday-Thursday work week.
What’s to be gained? Yes, the whole office is in one place at one time, but it also makes the place a ghost town on two days of the traditional work week. Permanent four-day weekends — to the extent “weekends” exist in Biglaw — aren’t the actual selling point of hybrid work models. What the associates (and a lot of the partners too, truth be told) appreciated about working from home was the flexibility of crafting their own schedule. It was about being at home Wednesdays because that’s the day grandma isn’t able to watch the kids. Forcing mandatory days on lawyers misses the whole point.
And the firm gets little out of it either because the advantages from hybrid work are gained in hoteling offices. When everyone shows up on the same days, there’s no opportunity to budget space and maybe cut back on square footage. Which brings us back to one of the low-key drivers of the “get back to the office” firms: how much time is left on the lease? These deals aren’t all public knowledge, but dollars to doughnuts says the firms most eager to have every office filled at once are locked in for the rest of the decade while the ones leaning into hybrid work are on the cusp of shaving a couple of floors off their ledger.
In any event, “mandatory hybrid” is the worst of all hybrid worlds.
Skadden Arps went with this stupid model and has already started sending passive-aggressive memos about lawyers not following the square-peg, round-hole model.
Now comes Ropes and Gray, where we’re hearing reports that multiple associates are receiving calls from the firm staffing team whenever they aren’t in the office on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Which, of course, could be for a million reasons. I don’t have access to my Biglaw-era billing diaries but it wasn’t uncommon for me to be out of the office for a full-day meeting with a client on one matter without partners on another matter knowing. My secretary could let everyone know, but of course Biglaw as a whole has drastically cut back on admins so that may not be an option anymore.
In a more rational office policy, the firm could see that lawyer pop up on a Monday to check in after being out Wednesday and think nothing of it. But now the firm is wasting resources checking up on people in pursuit of a vain “100 percent attendance” policy. One tipster reports, “General unhappiness around this and surprise that the firm is going this far to enforce the policy.” Obviously.
But this is also inevitable. Any hybrid policy focused on getting everyone under the same roof on the same days will descend into paranoid surveillance eventually because the policy itself indicates that the firm cares more about where lawyers are than flexibility. If a hybrid plan isn’t about empowering attorney flexibility, then it’s not really a hybrid plan — it’s a mandatory attendance policy dialed back to three days out of necessity to keep up with competitors offering real hybrid work.
And that can only work for so long.
The Biglaw Firm That Ended The 5-Day, In-Office Work Week Announces 3 Mandatory In-Office Days
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
Biglaw, Hybrid Work, Ropes & Gray
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Learn Git with a hands-on, step-by-step approach using these sites.
Git plays an important role in software engineering. It's an unwritten rule that if you code, you must use Git. The version control system optimizes developer skills in many ways. It manages code and facilitates team collaboration on projects.
There are several online resources you can use to learn Git. These resources are interactive and you can use them to learn how to use Git, for free.
Git is an open-source version control software system, widely used in tech. Its distributed architecture allows users to store copies of code locally and in remote repositories.
Git helps developers manage complex projects by maintaining multiple source code versions. It uses a remote repository that works as a lifelong code base that developers can reference.
Git complements a developer's experience with features that make coding and collaboration easier. The following are some free resources you can use to learn Git.
The Learn Git Branching website offers a visual and interactive way to learn Git. The lessons challenge users to achieve literacy levels as they learn. Users start with the basics and move to more challenging exercises.
The step-by-step demonstrations guide users to have fun while learning. It's also exciting for users to see how Git works under the hood. Learn Git Branching has no registration requirements. You can start learning right away after finding the site.
GitHub Minesweeper offers another interactive platform to learn Git. The website teaches users professional Git workflow using a bot as a teammate. It is free, and you only log in using your GitHub profile.
GitHub Minesweeper allows users to practice the Git workflow using real-world scenarios. Users learn Git through theory and hands-on lessons. The practice exercises expose users to in-depth knowledge coupled with foundational experience.
Users have access to detailed documentation and screenshots that explain each step. The website categorizes lesson plans into levels named Rounds. A user must complete all rounds to master Git concepts.
Oh My Git is an open-source game that teaches you Git as you play. It has an interactive interface that visualizes the internal structures of Git repositories.
OhmyGit is suitable for beginners. It features playing cards that move around the interface. The cards respond to the user's actions. The cards help learners learn new commands and perform tasks like listing Git branches.
The cards have a short description and an icon which helps the learner remember them. User can see their actions and their results while playing. The approach helps a user understand the commands and their effect.
As the learner advances, they move to an integrated terminal. There they can execute and test different commands. The integrated terminal allows players to play with and learn advanced Git features.
The Oden Project is one of the best platforms to learn Git for free. Alongside its open-source coding curriculum, the platform has a Git course for beginners. Learners can program and use it to enhance their projects.
The Oden project interface leans more on documentation than interaction. It provides learners with documentation on Git. Learners learn the basic Git commands and how to apply them on Git and GitHub.
The course comes with blocks of code and screenshots of expected output. This helps learners know what to expect when they try the code on their text editors. There's great knowledge to get from this course, whether you are a beginner or wish to refresh your skills.
You will learn how to create repositories, pull and Push files to GitHub, and take code snapshots. You will have access to their Git cheat sheet, which has 70% of commonly used Git commands. You will also learn Git best practices, such as how to set up and document your README.md.
The Bitbucket cloud offers a great space to learn Git. They have a themed tutorial that takes a novice to an expert in a series of exercises. The learner has a mission to learn Git by following a tutorial. The tutorial includes tasks such as tracking down your team's space stations.
On Bitbucket, you learn the basics of Git and its uses. You will learn how to use it as a developer and how to collaborate in a team. You will also learn foundational skills such as Installing Git on Linux and other operating systems.
Next, you will learn how to set up a repository, and essential Git commands. You learn skills like undoing git commands and rewriting the history of branches.
By the end of the tutorial will learn collaborative Git commands. These include using git clone to clone projects from the GitHub repository. You will also learn how to use git config to manage Git.
Git Immersion is one of the best places to learn Git. The website teaches learners the fundamentals of Git through labs. There are around 50+ labs that teach from beginner concepts to advanced topics.
The concepts range from the fundamentals of Git to how to use Git in collaboration with teams. The labs have user-friendly documentation and screenshots to guide a user. Each lab has a description of the goal you aim to achieve and the commands to apply.
Labs also have tutorial links that users can download and use. The whole setup encourages the user to independently set up and try the concepts.
Learning Git opens developers to a productive source code management approach. The best way to learn Git is to immerse yourself in interactive learning platforms.
Git is widely popular in the IT industry. Almost every tech company uses version control software to manage source code. It's, therefore, an essential tool for you to learn. How about you start with the above-named interactive resources to learn Git.
Sandra is a Technical writer who enjoys programming. She has an extensive background in Journalism and Full-stack web development. For leisure, Sandra enjoys a good thriller, reading and hiking mountains.