EDM is the acronym for Electronic Document Management. It is a system that manages the entire lifecycle of a document.
Electronic management, which also involves the new concept of Electronic Content Management (ECM) is trending, especially if we consider that more and more, professionals are working remotely, from the most varied environments.
Thus, access to documents and information must be virtual.
If your business needs to reduce costs, storage, and file space, have information security, avoid loss and misplacement, and prioritize sustainability and organization, it’s time to adopt an EDM tool and ensure competitiveness.
After all, how do EDM documents work and why should you adopt them in your company? Check out the answers to these questions and learn everything about Electronic Document Management.
What is EDM?
EDM is a system that captures, stores, manages, edits, validates, accesses, distributes, and archives documents and digital information.
In short, it’s a tool that encompasses the entire life cycle of documents, from their creation to their end, definitive archiving or deletion.
In this way, EDM allows companies to organize and manage information much faster and more efficiently than using physical documents.
In fact, with so many technological resources available, it is contradictory not to use digital documents.
After all, in addition to the work of searching for documents in archives, which makes the process time-consuming, there are issues such as papers and information loss and misplacement.
Additionally, this tool has advanced security features that help protect sensitive information.
Using an organized and easily accessible platform, all documents can be accessed by authorized parties.
By dismissing physical documents, electronic management contributes to the environment and allows information to be accessed from most different places.
How does EDM work within companies?
Although it seems that EDM is a useful tool only for storing and sharing receipts and contracts, this feature encompasses companies’ entire knowledge management.
In this way, EDM is a strategic solution for both documents and processes. Thus, electronic management enhances ways to receive, process, review, store, retain or delete files.
Within organizations, EDM unifies documents, providing monitoring and control. In practice, the implementation, when the document is physical, occurs with scanning. That is, scanned and converted into a digital format. It is then indexed – arranged in an index so that it can be found easily later.
For greater security, digital files are stored on a server or in the cloud, facilitating access and sharing from anywhere.
It is worth emphasizing that within an EDM technological solution, it is possible to create filters so that only authorized people may access the information.
Benefits of implementing an EDM tool
The role of Electronic Document Management is to facilitate document access and sharing.
In this way, there is greater agility in the entire professional’s work cycle, generating greater productivity.
But, it’s not just that. Having files organized and in digital format provides:
● Reducing costs associated with printing, storing, or retrieving paper documents;
● Control of the flow of information and documents;
● Organization of documents in digital folders;
● Quick and easy access to information;
● Greater security and access control;
● Reduction of human errors;
● Better collaboration and overall company efficiency;
● Compliance and regulatory compliance;
● Transparency of administrative acts;
● Search for content within documents;
● Assertiveness in the decision-making process;
● Viewing the document without the need to download it;
● Maintenance of the company’s information and knowledge base up to date.
In addition to these benefits, there are unlimited possibilities for indexing, response speed, and transaction accuracy supporting professionals’ tasks.
Where can I apply the EDM?
Basically, EDM can be applied in the most diverse sectors and departments. After all, it’s about managing documents and information – components present throughout any organization.
Management improves business processes, streamlining activities and generating productivity.
Although we always deal with private companies, government agencies also benefit from the use of the EDM, being an excellent resource for managing public records, licenses, certificates, and taxes, among others.
In private companies and other sectors, the use is also quite wide, as examples:
● Accounting: centralization and control of invoices, receipts, and other documents;
● Legal: managing documents and processes, contracts, intellectual property records, and court records, among others. And, the EDM ensures compliance with existing and applicable laws and regulations;
● Healthcare: storage of medical and patient records, laboratory and imaging results, ensuring access to up-to-date information, coordination, medical history, security for sensitive information, and a single source of true information;
● Education: student records, grades, attendance, scholarships, and other documents. EDM in educational institutions eliminates the need to keep paper files and ensures traceability and security. In addition to assisting in internal administrative processes;
● NGOs and non-profit organizations: manage grantee information, donors, grant application, reporting, and operational efficiency.
The practices for implementing EDM are many and can be adapted to the different needs of each company.
In summary, any type of business benefits from the adoption of electronic document management.
Electronic Document Management has evolved
Although the acronym EDM is still widely used, this concept has evolved into ECM, or Enterprise Content Management. ECM is an evolution because it made EDM more complete by adding workflow and BPM tools.
Currently, an ECM solution has huge value for organizations because it allows for managing all of its transactional content. In other words, it is a pillar for optimizing processes, enhancing efforts, and improving decision-making.
ECM not only takes documents off the paper, but adds intelligence, transforming them into strategic information.
In general, ECM allows you to create forms, and diagrams that facilitate understanding of the process, alert configuration, and attachment of documents along the ongoing process, among other features.
Fusion Platform, Neomind’s complete tool
Neomind works with an all-in-one platform system. That is, the Fusion Platform natively includes all the tools for managing your business processes, documents, and indicators.
Regarding EDM/ECM and the document management concept, this environment is unique to facilitate the orchestration of business documents. After all, it has corporate mobility.
In addition, the tool is customizable to meet the demands and complexity of your processes and business.
Easily integrating with other solutions, Fusion is user-oriented. Therefore, it is not necessary to be a developer to automate processes. With a single solution from Neomind, your company is digitally transformed. Try Fusion Platform free for 15 days, or talk to our representatives.
Do you have any questions or would you like to know more about this or other topics? Let us know here in the comments!
