How to determine if a document management system is future proof

No one can predict direction of technological progress in next five, ten or twenty years. The desire to keep up with times and use latest proven technologies is best way to develop forward thinking and prepare for future.

If you're choosing a document management system (DMS) for your business, or planning to upgrade your system, it's important to choose a solution that will meet your business needs now and in future.

The following list indicates what to consider when building a scalable document management system (DMS).

Functions of document management system of future

1. Modern mobile web interface. A document management system should work equally well on Mac or Windows operating systems, as well as on various mobile devices used by employees. The rise of bring-your-own-device programs has made this even more important. Your employees should be able to seamlessly switch between their work laptops, phones and tablets without wasting a second. Choosing a document management system that only runs on one platform can greatly limit capabilities of your equipment and the productivity of your staff.

2. Native mobile applications. A future document management system should offer native mobile apps optimized for iOS and Android. Native apps built for specific mobile platforms have faster response times and a familiar look and feel. Mobile browser apps may not display correctly and are not very user friendly.

3. Open communication standards. In future document management solutions, interfaces should support communication between Windows programs, HTML5 web clients, and native mobile apps. Look for a system that uses open communication standards and HTTP/HTTPS in combination with REST (Representative State Transfer).

4. Compatibility with cloud and local servers: local document management systems must support leading database server technologies, from latest versions of Windows to MS SQL, MySQL and Oracle.

You should also choose a solution that offers a cloud option, even if you don't plan to move your documents to cloud yet. The availability of cloud ensures that you are ready for future. Then there will be no business disruptions when switching to cloud software. No changes to your workflow are required, and no additional training is required for administrators and end users.

Migrating to cloud software eliminates need to purchase new hardware. In addition, responsibility for maintaining security, providing data backup, and developing a technical infrastructure that can grow with your organization moves from your IT team to cloud service provider.

5. Scalable architecture. A comprehensive document management system allows you to start with multiple users in one department and gradually expand system for users in other departments without impacting performance. The key to this flexibility and scalability is system architecture that handles document access and user actions using web services.

Cloud-based document management software expands scaling options. The cloud supports teams of all types and sizes. Storage capacity and number of user licenses can easily be increased if you hire more employees or as storage needs increase.

The choice of on-premises or cloud software, open communication standards, and native mobile applications are essential components of a future-proof, high-performance document management system. No matter how fast your company grows, DocuWare is a future-proof solution that will grow with your needs without major changes or time-consuming retraining.