Document Management Software & Tips for Better Document Control

Digitization has made it possible for businesses to come out of numerous manual processes and embrace the digital route. With something as substantial as payments even going the digital route, there’s no mistaking the kind of impact that the new digital world has made. 

Digital intricacies have also made their presence felt in the way international trade is done between importers and exporters of different countries in the world. With the advent of trade documentation software, it has become simpler to ensure compliance during a trade.  

The document control process is a very crucial part when it is about trade that spans across borders. With large order volumes and the costs involved being exorbitant, the process itself becomes all the more critical. 

What are Document Control Procedures?

Document control procedures refer to a set of methods or processes that are concerned with the creation of frameworks about how documents get approved, changed, or updated. 

Not just that, these procedures also govern the internal and external publishing norms while also providing information about how certain documents are considered obsolete. 

What is a Document Management Software?

A document management software or system enables the automation of controlling and tracking documents that are under the defined document control procedures. Right from the manual to every single document entered into the system, proper document management software offer a centralized system for easy document access. 

Document Control

While there’s no denying the fact that document control procedures offer a streamlined experience in document management and control, but given the sheer volume of data involved, incorrect document control can lead to added and unwanted complexity in the whole trade documentation process. 

If something like this happens, taking care of simple queries too can become a very painful task. Yes, there will be some platforms that will be able to carve through with ease, but if this complexity gets felt among the clients, then it’s won’t be a positive at all. 

This is exactly why there’s a need to ensure the right document control with constant improvements and monitoring. 

Here are a few ways to improve the overall document control process- 

• Eliminating Paper from the Process Altogether

Despite everything going digital, businesses still look for a sort of reassurance by still keeping everything in print with them. In an age where digital means a reduction in effort and time, the continued presence of physical print only adds to the time, as teams want to be ‘sure’ if the information entered into the system is foolproof. 

This can be taken care of with an OCR search tool that digitizes all physical documents into digital ones which can be searched with ease. Documents can also be easily searched for in formats like PDFs and simple image scans. 

With the right kind of customized metadata sets, businesses get a mechanism that allows them to answer a query straightaway rather than search for each one individually.

• Designing a Documentation Line

With evolving documentation, the need to design suitable infrastructure for housing that documentation also rises. A simple operation to take care of 3-4 simple document files will not amount for memory real estate more than two or three icons. 

Then there are operations that present the need for tags, folders, and other information that can be tracked down even if their listing is among multiple users. With the right document trail, it becomes very easy to reach individual files rather than having to go through every file individually. 

• Clear Definition to Document Access Roles

Documentation has a tendency to become more complex as a company scales its operations. This is why there comes a time when one document becomes important for a single team or department. 

The said document, however, is still crucial for overall operational efficiency without blocking notifications from other teams or clients.  It’s highly crucial to define the roles of people who will be accessing the said document for better document control within the document management software that’s in use. 

Conclusion

To ensure that document control is in its most efficient state, it’s very important to employ the right web-based trade documentation software to be sure that the document control happens as effectively as possible.

Trade documentation software by Trade Technologies allows the delivery of a seamless document control and management procedure that can be customized according to the needs of different businesses and varying scales.