Document Management Software – Delivering Pathways for Modern Integration

by Lauren Ford | 3/28/16

Organizations are constantly under pressure to do more with less. The challenge is finding a cost-effective solution that will streamline every facet of a business process in order to make things run smoother, and thus become more profitable.

Document management software enables companies of all sizes to handle critical business data with ease, providing fast and efficient ways to file, route and work with documents to streamline decision making processes.

As a multi-faceted solution, document management software integrates with office equipment, including MFPs and desktop scanners, streamlining document indexing and workflow initiatives. But it doesn’t stop there. Document management solutions can integrate into your most common business applications, creating a single point of access so you can spend less time on the information hunt.

Integrating business processes creates a number of benefits; cutting costs, saving time and improving data collection and communication with both internal and external parties. But in my opinion, the most important benefit of integrating document management software is the ability to recognize and respond to daily opportunities across departments more quickly. Let’s explore some of the most common document management integrations:

1. Accounting Software and Financial Packages – Improve the quality and efficiency of financial document management by directly integrating with financial applications such as QuickBooks. This type of integration creates a single, highly efficient document process, eliminating manual data entry while streamlining data capture. Easy to use and intuitive, the typical accounts payable and receivable process is instantly improved through user initiated data pushes, automatically creating bills, customer invoices and performing three-way matching. These user triggered data pushes automatically pre-populate data that is instantly shared with other existing business applications.
2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – A custom button placed on the detail screen of a CRM platform, like Salesforce.com, calls for instant and seamless integration options including core web scanning capabilities. Document retrieval can be initiated, passing screen information, such as the account name or ID, into an integrated search, retrieving any applicable documents the user has access to. From there the documents can be viewed, printed, emailed or annotated. Additionally, built in document workflow engines can deliver proactive automated notifications of an impending deadline, ensuring account management due dates are never missed and milestones are always hit.
3. Electronic Signature Transactions – Integrating document management software with third party e-signature services, such as DocuSign, enables users to achieve the benefits of digital business – including faster speed to results, lower costs, and a better customer experience. This type of integration enhances web and mobile interactions between users and their data by seamlessly managing the secured digital signing of documents with contacts outside of an organization. Users can monitor contract revisions within the document management database, and send the final agreement directly to a vendor, client or partner for countersignature. This “hands off” approach to contract management combines secure digital signatures with revision control and advanced workflow capabilities, expanding the possibilities of document collaboration.

Enabling data to flow between existing applications and a document management database, companies can realize their full potential through the benefits of their software investment.

Marketing Communications Manager Lauren Ford is the dynamic voice behind Square 9 Softworks. Delivering highly effective messaging across reseller channels, end user communities and outside agencies, Ford develops, drives and executes communication plans that effectively support Square 9’s overall marketing goals and objectives. To learn more visit www.square-9.com.