Information security and document compliance should not be seen as a hindrance, but an important aspect of the business that needs to be well managed.
Done incorrectly it can result in delayed production, hefty fines, damaged reputation and even law suits. Done correctly with the right tools in place, it can improve customer experience and ensure accurate data that benefits the entire business.
With GDPR and the Data Protection Act, organisations need to have measures in place to protect employee and customer information. There also needs to be a way to prove these laws are being met.
A Document Management System stores all this information in one centralised and secure system. With data protection and high level access rights, only authorised employees can access sensitive information.
As data is efficiently organised and categorised, finding all the required information stored on any one person makes Subject Access Requests simple. Search by name of employee and all related information is found in seconds.
To meet with document compliance regulations, there are legal requirements attached to document types such as invoices and CVs, meaning they have to be stored for a set period of time. For organisations with a high turnover of staff or that process large volumes of invoices, this can mean a lot paperwork and therefore a lot of storage. Paper takes up valuable office space and off-site storage costs will soon mount up.
Storing this data in a cloud Document Management System is the perfect solution – it requires no physical space, has lower associated costs and is highly secure. Retention rules are applied to each document based on type and date. They are only kept by the system for as long as needed, ensuring data is not stored longer than is legally required.
With hybrid working here to stay, employees are working simultaneously from more locations than ever before. Collaborating, editing and commenting on documents stored across SharePoint, DropBox, Network Drives and One Drive, how can version control be effectively managed?
With our solutions, users are only ever able to see the latest version of a document. While being edited, it is locked and other users can only read the document until it is stored again.
Once stored, it automatically receives a new version number and will be displayed as ‘current version’ making it clear which is the latest document. A full document history can also be obtained to provide evidence of compliance when needed.
Whether you’re preparing for an external audit such as ISO 9001, or you simply want to monitor document usage, having the ability to track changes to documents will improve processes, reduce frustration for staff and increase business agility.
With digital document management software, documents are available quickly and easily to auditors, providing the ability to search by any category such as product, document type or supplier.
Document compliance can also be shown in an audit by displaying when a document has been opened and edited, by who and when.
This all creates transparency of processes, drives accountability and ensures rules are being followed.
Read about how our client The Woodland Trust compliantly manages Gift Aid forms to ensure audits run smoothly.
