How businesses can streamline document management in SharePoint for improved productivity

Data has always been essential for business success. The quality of information and how it’s used in an organisation is what delivers its competitive edge, driving intelligent decision making and uncovering valuable insights to provide better customer experiences.

However, the rapid rate at which information is created in the modern working environment means that companies are at risk of being overwhelmed by their own data. In fact, research shows that 31 per cent of Australian organisations are indeed overwhelmed by the amount of data their business generates, while 45 per cent said they don’t understand their data because it’s too complex or not accessible enough. 

To avoid falling into this trap, it’s essential that organisations take steps to ensure they have intelligent processes, technology, and best practices in place to guarantee that their information is securely and accurately captured, classified, accessed, actioned, and created without compromising on the user experience. One of the most effective ways companies can achieve this is by investing in smart, digital document management solutions that leverage modern technologies, such as automation, to streamline document management, personalise processes and workflows, and improve productivity.

Solving the data deluge with intuitive document management from Ideagen OnePlace Solutions

Ideagen OnePlace Solutions is committed to helping people in business do more, simply. More than one million companies worldwide use Microsoft 365 , and it continues to be one of the most popular platforms for business. It’s a powerful solution, and many organisations benefit from its simplicity and close integrations between applications.

However, for more productive and innovative processes, Ideagen OnePlace Solutions takes this even further. Ideagen OnePlace Solutions lets people engage more successfully with business systems built on Microsoft 365 for better document and information management as well as improved governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), which is essential in today’s evolving flexible work environment.

How does Ideagen OnePlace Solutions achieve this?

Every document has a lifecycle, starting with its creation and ending with its archival (or deletion) when it reaches obsolescence. Some documents and information become a record, whereas other content is simply archived. Documents and information can also be disposed of or destroyed at certain times, depending on organisational and regulatory information management or records policies.

In its lifecycle, a document will be accessed, changed, classified, and more, with each engagement with the document potentially changing its metadata. Smart, digital document management solutions simplify this process, automating workflows, and ensuring that every step of the document lifecycle is recorded.

However, one of the most important steps in the process is the capture and creation of information; in other words, the start of the document lifecycle.

Every document needs to be created somewhere and somehow. On the surface, it may seem like common sense to start with a blank document; however, this can impede productivity, especially when documents might already exist that use the necessary format that could streamline document creation. This is particularly pertinent for activities including project management , legal matter management , and even contract management, helpdesk, or marketing planning activities when the same format is required for specific documents.

Common questions for people to ask might be, “where have I done that before?” or “what existing document is the best starting point?” Instead of sending users searching for good examples, a better approach is to have templates available that leverage learnings from other documents. And, it’s essential best practice to have these easily available for users.
Ideagen OnePlace Solutions automates and streamlines this process, letting employees use familiar applications and engage with documents where they work. With Microsoft 365, augmented by solutions including OnePlaceDocs,

Ideagen OnePlace Solutions makes it simple for users to create new documents from a template where they prefer to work, rather than having to find a location in SharePoint. Additionally, Ideagen OnePlace Solutions automates the creation of metadata alongside documents, ensuring a digital audit trail is created with each document for improved GRC.

Templates can be easily created for use when developing proposals, non-disclosure agreements, and technical designs, among other applications. By empowering employees to start document creation with templates that are pre-populated with relevant information, businesses can drive greater consistency.

Together, this delivers benefits for individual users and the organisation as a whole. On a personal level, each user can operate within the applications and functions they prefer to work in, without compromising on productivity or compliance. This simultaneously drives productivity and improves compliance across the broader business, as each individual contributes their efficiencies to the wider success of the company.

Ideagen OnePlace Solutions delivers systems and content in a personalised manner, building on the foundations of Microsoft 365 including its sharing capabilities and ability to manage different document versions.

By using Ideagen OnePlace Solutions for improved document and information management, organisations can simplify and enrich the document management experience, while enabling their users to better engage with business systems and connect with processes and technology .

Ideagen OnePlace Solutions delivers business systems in a personalised way, empowering users to access and preview content, as well as check in and check out documents all from a single pane of glass.

For more information on how Ideagen OnePlace Solutions can help your organisation optimise its document management and avoid the data trap, contact the team.

Sources:

https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/data-skills-research/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/983321/worldwide-office-365-user-numbers-by-country/