Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for a document management application with multiple versions or price plans

Not all businesses need the exact same set of document management tools. Some document management providers offer several levels: one meant for small home-based business, a professional one for small- and medium-sized businesses and the enterprise level for larger businesses. Home or basic levels start out at around $200 per user per year, professional levels run from $350 to $500 per user per year, and the enterprise levels are higher still.

I recommend: Choose a web-based document management system with three pricing plans, each of which has several options, from NetDocuments. Pick from one of three versions of the Dokmee document management software from OfficeGemini.

Opt for all-in-one document management applications with a per-user fee

If all of the options some document management providers offer confuse you, choose a provider that offers an all-in-one service for one price. Prices range from $300 to $400 per user. The benefits of these plans are that they are easy to use and come at a flat fee which doesn't increase due to circumstances beyond your control.

I recommend: Pay a fixed price for each concurrent user of Worldox to give your users easy access to important data. Choose Ademero, an all-in-one document management system with a per-user fee.

Choose customized document management programs to get a service and price suited to your business

Some document management providers don't list pricing on their websites. These businesses will work to quote you with a customized price based on the level of products and services you require, which may save you money if you are a really small or really large company. This benefits you because your document management system can grow as you grow, and you only pay for what you actually use.

I recommend: The subscription service at SpringCM allows you to pay as you go, so you only pay for what you really use. Pay a customized, yearly subscription fee based on your specific computing environment when you sign up for the document management services at Alfresco.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're unsure about which electronic document management software to choose, look for one that allows you a free trial period before you start paying to be sure you've made the right choice.

Guide to How to Select Document Management Software

An easy to follow reference guide for companies looking to buy a document management system

By Pankaj Taneja

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select Type of System

There are different types of systems available depending on the size of your organization and its needs. You first need to decide which is most suitable for your context.

I recommend: For mega corporations with highly specific needs and huge budgets, and which are ready to dedicate in-house servers and staff, enterprise systems like Documentum are suitable. For mid to large scale organizations, which are ready to face the development and maintenance of open source software, Knowledge Tree is an option. For small to mid sized organizations, modern web based solutions are suitable because they require no in-house staff and effort, and offer flexibility and a large range of features. HyperOffice is a good web based solution, in that it has powerful document management capabilities, and has many integrated tools (intranet, email, calendars, projects) which tie well with document management.

Draw a Features List

Based on your company's needs, come up with a list of 'must have' features, and a list of 'good to have' features. The first list will be the bare minimum you expect from your system, and the second list will be those features for which you may shell out extra, depending on the cost benefit ratio. You can read on to see what features the author of this article feels are essential from a small to mid sized business context.

I recommend: You may need to do a little research to see the range of features offered by various document management systems, and which are the ones relevant to your context. Some easy to follow resources are Online Document Sharing Reviews, & DocManage.

Check for 'Must Have' Features

Every document management solution should have certain basics to be truly called as such. Make sure you go through the solution and see that these features are included.

I recommend: Centralized storage is important for manageability of documents, and reduction of duplication. Remote access ensures that files are accessible no matter what office location employees are at or even when traveling. Collaboration features like versioning, document locking, commenting, change notifications, & audit trails ensure that people can work together on documents effectively. Access permissions ensure that administrators can finely manage who can see what information and what they can do with it. Automatic backups ensure that there is no risk of critical business information being lost.

How Secure is the Application

Security is a top consideration because data critical to the company will be parsing through the document management system.

I recommend: Password protection is the first level and bare minimum security measure. Look out for providers who encrypt data using the SSL 128 bit encryption standard to safeguard data. Automatic backups ensure that your data is always backed up in case of loss. Anti virus and Anti Spam may be relevant depending on the type of software and where it is hosted.

Get Shortlisting

Now that you have defined your needs and know exactly what you want from your solution, its about time u start looking around for applications themselves.

I recommend: Browse well known directories like Web-Based-Software. The SAAS option is particularly beneficial for smaller companies. It allows them to get the power of big business solutions at reasonable monthly costs. Moreover it also saves them from the hassles of setting up, updating and maintaining the solution.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for 'integrated solutions' because a document management system never works in isolation.
• •  The system should offer some scheduling and project management capabilities so that tasks can be set up and resource documents be linked to different milestones.
• •  The ability to attach contacts and documents let you keep tabs on what information is associated with what employee, partner or client.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick and choose from various document management tools

A good document management system does the heavy lifting of letting each user easily find and access the files they need. Add-ons include providing access via email or mobile devices. Other options might include: employees being able to remotely approve something by providing a digital signature, taking advantage of the scanning capabilities of your multi-function printer without having to constantly stand at the copier and the ability to export data to searchable CDs.

I recommend: Choose the specific modules you need from the Interwoven document management solutions. Install the main product suite from Questys Solutions and then pick any of the add-ons you might also need.

Find open source document management software

Open source software is software that allows users to customize the software code. This type of software is often free or lower cost than other types of software. Choose this type if your IT department is capable of taking advantage of the freedom this license allows, or if you just want to benefit from the lower price.

I recommend: Choose the KnowledgeTree Community Edition if you want an open source document management application. Opt for the Epiware Document Management Software GPL edition for another open source document management solution.

Choose a web-based document management for easy sharing of documents from multiple locations

Collaborate with colleagues in different locations and share documents with co-workers and even clients using an online document management system. Such systems have security options to keep your data safe from unauthorized users. This type of system is also a good choice if you don't have a computer network.

I recommend: Collaborate, store and backup your documents online with the HyperOffice online document management system. Find a lower cost online document management system that lets your guest users view documents without charge from DocumenTree.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When evaluating various document management programs, take into consideration your industry. Some programmers gear their programs toward specific industries or offer customizable options.
• •  External hard-drives often come with the software needed to operate them. Businesses on a low budget may find that this type of document storage works best.