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Posted on November 5, 2009 by Chris Patterson | Posted under   Computer


Improving Business Efficiency with Document Control Software



For any company with a need to manage controlled documents, document control software has quickly become a essential tool to make their processes more efficient, and less costly. Well-designed electronic document control systems provide a safe and secure place for documents as well as a means for circulating only the current document revision while keeping old revisions on file. They also allow users to create new revisions, route them for approval and inform other users when a new revision supersedes the document they've been using.

Prior to the development of document control software, companies had to engage in highly labor intensive, complicated processes in order to ensure the highest quality in their documents. For example, individuals who had the authority to revise an existing document could do so as needed. All those collaborating on a given document would use a word template and have the ‘track changes’ feature enabled. Once the final document was ready for approval, the individual would print out the document and appropriate signature sheet. Sounds simple enough, but documents in these types of environments might require as many as five or more individual signatures. Only once all signatures had been gathered could the file be moved to the master file share.

Perhaps even more labor intensive was the process of ensuring that the appropriate employees who needed to read this document had done so. In some cases, a physical quiz would be distributed in order to measure employee comprehension. In others, a spreadsheet file would be distributed and subsequently marked by the employee after they had read and supposedly understood the documents contents.

The implementation of document control software has made this entire process of ensuring document control much efficient and painless. Email notifications generated by the software will automatically send a notification to the necessary employees any time a document is revised, approved, or created. Furthermore, an audit trail can be kept as the software tracks every time a user accesses the systems and performed an action on any document within it.

The issue of user comprehension is also solved by the document control software as document holds and electronic quizzes can be generated upon approval of a revised or new document. But perhaps the best benefit of the software is the use of electronic signatures with date and time stamps that allow users to approve changes from remote locations without having to physically sign a hard-copy form. Lastly, document control software makes auditing far less stressful and expensive as employees do not bill countless hours trying to track down physical signatures from scattered employees on specific documents.

The migration to document control software has helped many corporations and companies become more efficient and more profitable. The key features to look for include usability, a low learning curve, and a demonstrable return on investment.



About The Author:

Chris Patterson is author of this article on Document Control Software. Find more information about Document Control System here.



Tags: DOCUMENT CONTROL SOFTWARE, DOCUMENT CONTROL SYSTEM, DOCUMENT CONTROL MANAGEMENT, CAPA MANAGEMENT.
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