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Fast & Easy Document Registration
21 March 2002

One of the most mundane tasks for any filing clerk is document registration. The work is repetitious and boring, and is often neglected by decision-makers who fail to realize the importance of this critical function. Proper document registration is the key to a successful Document Management System (DMS), manual or electronic. The good news is that with rapid improvements in document and imaging technologies, most of the document management processes have become significantly less labourious and more efficient. In manual systems, managing the entire document life cycle from point of entry to storage and archival is a difficult and time-consuming affair. For electronic systems, only the registration process requires human intervention to ensure each document is properly profiled. In addition, electronic document registration is much easier and has many more useful features that do not exist in manual systems. The other normal functions such as document retrieval, storage, distribution, and archival are fully automated or requires very little manual work.

 If you can minimize the effort of registration by using smart computer programs, then your document controller’s work becomes much more efficient and your documents become more productive and easily accessible. The risk of human error, missing documents and poor indexing is also minimized. Below is a checklist of some of the normal features you would expect from a good electronic DMS.

  • Improved metadata management including self-customizable index profiles, mandatory fields, pick & drop lists

  • Optional profiles for profile-heavy documents, including hard copy location references

  • Smart document type structures with categories and nested fields

  •  Scanning options, image viewers and batching tools

  • Edit capabilities that enable incomplete registration, recent listings, metadata copying

  • Ability to accept multiple formats and link multiple files to one record

  • User-friendly document profiler that allows for auto-generation of database indexes

Implementing the right electronic system not only gives you the technology, it forces you to re-think your existing registration methods. The system funnels all your important data – in multiple formats and locations - through a powerful electronic registration system. The simple step of registering all your important data – in multiple formats and from various locations - when planned and implemented correctly, will provide real advantages and save your document control team a lot of headache. For more information on document management solutions, visit the Centre for Document Management Research (CDMR) at www.cdmr.com.



Effortless fax and document management
14 March 2002

Your fax phone rings, the fax paper rolls out and you sort your messages manually. You then make multiple copies of the same message for distribution throughout your organization. The document moves sequentially through individual readers and frequently meets bottlenecks. If the fax is important, you store one copy in an already overflowing filing cabinet. Repeat these steps for each fax message and you have a major document control problem. If this sounds all too familiar, you are probably not maximizing the use of your computer network.

Faxing is a vital component of corporate communications, in some cases accounting for more than 50% of all documents stored. This is especially true for many architecture, engineering and construction companies and government departments that deal regularly with contracts, invoices, quotations and general correspondences. When smartly integrated with an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), the fax management solution offers many distinct advantages including automatic distribution, simultaneous viewing, timely retrieval and paperless storage. In fact, the entire fax document lifecycle – from receipt to archival – can be managed electronically with ease. 

Most electronic fax systems can export fax messages in popular image formats such as TIF, JPEG or BMP. The EDMS can then auto-capture the exported fax document without the need for additional conversion via scanning. This saves your organization tremendous time, improves space management and greatly reduces manpower requirements.

A good electronic fax and document management system should at least have the following features to enable real productivity gains.

  • Electronic distribution with user access security

  • Simultaneous viewing and rules-based routing to recipients

  • Incoming fax notification and detailed fax logs of every event

  • Easy to print, copy, email and re-distribute

  • User-friendly document profiler or register

  • Hard-copy location references

  • Electronic retrieval and archiving capabilities

  • Easy to associate/link to other documents in the system

Remember, simplicity and usability are the keys to a successful implementation as these systems are managed daily by clerical staff who may not be proficient with complex IT solutions. For more information on document management solutions, visit the Centre for Document Management Research (CDMR) at www.cdmr.com.



Pengurusan Faks dan Dokumen Elektronik.
14 March 2002

Mesin faks anda berdering, kertas faks anda dicetak keluar dan anda mengagihkan mesej anda secara manual. Anda kemudiannya membuat salinan faks ini dan mengedarkannya keseluruh organisasi anda. Dokumen ini diedarkan dari seorang individu ke seorang individu yang lain dalam organisasi anda dan kerap kali menemui masalah. Jika faks itu penting, anda akan menyimpan satu salinan faks tersebut ke dalam kabinet fail anda. Langkah ini diulangi untuk setiap faks yang anda terima dan anda mempunyai satu masalah besar dalam mengawal dokumen anda. Jika perkara ini selalu terjadi, anda sebenarnya tidak memanfaatkan sepenuhnya kegunaan sistem rangkaian komputer anda.

Faks adalah salah satu komponen penting dalam komunikasi sesebuah organisasi. Dalam sesetengah kes, merangkumi lebih 50% daripada jumlah dokumen untuk disimpan. Ini selalunya melibatkan sektor arkitek, kejuruteraan ,syarikat pembinaan dan kerajaan yang banyak berurusan dengan kontrak, invois, sebut harga dan koresponden am. Apabila di integrasikan dengan Sistem Pengurusan Data Elektronik, pengurusan faks ini menawarkan kelebihan  seperti pengagihan secara automatik, kebolehan melihat dokumen secara serentak, kepantasan dalam carian dan pengurangan dalam penggunaan kertas. Kesimpulannya, keseluruhan kitar hayat dokumen faks iaitu bermula dari proses penerimaan sehinggalah proses penyimpanan boleh diuruskan dengan mudah secara elektronik.

Kebanyakan sistem faks elektronik berkebolehan untuk mengeksport mesej faks kepada format imej yang popular seperti TIF, JPEG atau BMP. Sistem Pengurusan Data Elektronik (EDMS) kemudiannya mampu memproses dokumen faks yang dieksport ini tanpa memerlukan tambahan proses penukaran semasa mengimbas. Ini akan menjimatkan masa, mempertingkatkan pengurusan ruang dan mengurangkan keperluan tenaga kerja.

Faks elektronik dan sistem pengurusan dokumen yang baik sekurang-kurangnya harus mempunyai ciri-ciri yang tersebut di bawah bagi memastikannya memberi pulangan produktiviti yang sebenar.

  • Pengedaran elekronik kepada pengguna dengan kawalan keselamatan.

  • Penggunaan yang selari dan laluan terus kepada pengguna.

  • Notifikasi penerimaan faks dan butir-butir lengkap mengenai aktiviti-aktiviti yang melibatkan faks.

  • Kemudahan untuk mencetak, menyalin, menghantar email dan pengedaran semula.

  • Profil dan pendaftar dokumen yang mesra pengguna.

  • Rujukan kepada lokasi bahan bercetak (hard-copy).

  • Kebolehan untuk capaian semula dan simpanan rekod secara elektronik.

  • Kemudahan untuk menggabung/menghubung kepada dokumen-dokumen yang berada di dalam sistem.

Perlu ditekankan di sini bahawa, ringkas dan mudah digunakan adalah kunci kepada kejayaan memandangkan sistem ini diuruskan oleh pekerja yang mungkin tidak begitu cekap mengendalikan alat-alat IT yang canggih. 

Untuk mendapatkan maklumat lebih lanjut, sila lawati laman web Centre for Document Management Research (CDMR) di www.cdmr.com.



Instant Document Distribution with DocControl Systems
22 January 2002

New Distribution Features
The DocControl 2002 Document Management System now comes with an upgraded Distribution module that provides more features to manage both manual and automatic document distributions over a computer network. The new Distribution module enables users to disseminate paperless documents instantly to fellow workers. This includes high-quality document images and electronic files such as MS Word, MS Excel, HTMLs, PDFs, CAD, faxes, emails and other commonly used application files. In addition to its powerful viewers, DocControl Distribution tracks all distributions automatically; enables approve, reject or confirm read user instructions; maintains versions and security rights for sensitive documents; and smartly categorizes all incoming documents for each user. 

Practical Use in the Work Environment
In many Government or statutory organizations today, documents sent by the Director or department heads to workers are often either lost along the way or late in reaching their intended recipient. These distributions are usually manual with no proper procedures in place to track responses or expiry of the messages. With DocControl Distribution, the entire distribution cycle – from the time the document is sent until its final response is received - would have been tracked and logged. In fact, routine distributions such as specific incoming faxes or work instructions can be set for automatic distribution upon indexing, thus saving time for both the document controller and the distributor. These problems are also mirrored in many corporations where document distributions are sequential and slow, inefficient, and do not provide for simultaneous viewing.

DocControl and its Role in the KM Framework 
The DocControl 2002 Document Management System, of which the upgraded Distribution module is a part, is aimed at addressing the broader issues of knowledge management
(KM).  Knowledge management is the process of locating, evaluating, capturing and sharing knowledge throughout an organization. The DocControl System guides organizations in setting up a methodology for collecting and cataloging information, and making that information available for collaborative access by a wide variety of users. With DocControl, an organization’s document takes on a lot more importance than just a piece of information in some cabinet. The DocControl system is easy to set up, configure, use and manage.



DocControl & Konica Integrated Document SolUTIONS 
Oct. 16, 2001

Virtual Studio, a leading provider of document management solutions, and Jardine OneSolution (JOS) have launched a smart and affordable document solution for the effective management of business documents. The solution uses features from both the DocControl electronic document management system and Konica document copiers. Virtual is the developer of the DocControl software while JOS is the distributor of Konica copiers.

This combination of both hardware and software provides customers with a total solution that comprehensively manages the entire lifecycle of all business documents, from the time they are generated until they are archived. The Konica copiers come with a multitude of features including advanced copying and faxing functionality and scanning options that convert paper documents into electronic format. Electronic documents are then profiled, stored, retrieved, archived, managed and distributed over a computer network by the DocControl system.

The system has been priced very competitively in view of the expected slow economic situation for the next few quarters and severely undercuts the price of similar foreign products. This competitive pricing carries through to consultancy and service & maintenance charges. With the growing utilization of computers and networks throughout the country, the affordable price tag means improved cost-benefit. In addition, DocControl is a scalable system that has demonstrated tangible benefit in a short period of time.



Electronic Document Management Systems and MS ISO 9000
October 2001

Introduction
The use of electronic document management systems (EDMS) worldwide have become increasingly prevalent because of many obvious advantages ranging from faster indexing and retrieval to easier storage and archival. One of its many benefits is to the Quality Control department of organizations that maintain or seek ISO9000 accreditation.  

The importance of documentation in Quality Control departments
The MS ISO 9000 family of standards specifies the fundamentals of quality management systems and defines the processes needed to achieve the objectives set by the standards. The processes and their procedures are in written form, i.e. documents. Furthermore, they require the documents to be controlled and records to be established and maintained to provide evidence of conformity. In fact, for the proper working of an ISO environment, one has to write down (document) what one does; does what one writes; and shows proof of this. The object here is to ensure that proper procedures are followed in every action; change is done with deliberate care and nothing is left to whims. Inevitably there will be a huge quality of paperwork. By moving from paper to the electronic system, this burden can be greatly reduced. EDMS features can cut across this maize of paperwork and provide the necessary controls specified in the ISO.  

EDMS enforces good document management discipline
The EDMS also provides a sure and efficacious way of dealing with paper work by enforcing good document management discipline within the organization. It provides safeguards to the integrity of documents and ensures defined procedures are adhered to automatically. It does this work by capturing unstructured data from various sources and presents them to users in a simple and easy format. Its extensive control features enable an organization to protect sensitive data, define individual access rights, versioning rights and other security features. In short, it gives the organization better control of their document and provides readily accessible proof of unconformity. 
The EDMS also provides speedy and easy access to information within the quality system. Users can check criteria, verify & monitor processes and take action for continual improvement of the processes from their workstations. In so doing it would simplify the work of an ISO accredited organization including matters of audits and reviews. It would accelerate the process of those organizations seeking new accreditation.  

Managing quality documents with DocControl

  • Control of Document & Evidence of Conformity: Not only are documents important, their creation, use and circulation must be controlled. This is required to safeguard the integrity of documents, define individual access rights within and organisation and ensure that the latest and approved issues are in use. Records too must be maintained to verify that due conformity is consistently followed. 

  •  DocControl Saves Time & Resources: The stress on documentation inevitably leads to an enormous amount of paper work. Clearly, great advantages in time and resources are gained by reverting to the electronic format.

  •  DocControl Displays Updated Documents and Logs Old Versions: DocControl can fulfill these requirements automatically by designating these documents as baseline documents with its specified approval process. By so doing it will automatically present the latest version of the document to the user while retrieval of outdated documents is still possible if needed. Records are easily retrieved and evidence of conformity can be demonstrated from DocControl’s audit trails because the system logs every action involved in the creation of a document, the revisions and its status. A report of the audit trails can be provided on command wherever required. Furthermore the system has a built-in document adequacy review function to prompt users to review this category of documents at periodic intervals.

The DocControl suite of document management products gives the Quality Manager complete control over all documents that comprise the quality management system. Procedures, work instructions, policies, forms, templates, workflow profiles and any business document can be managed throughout their lifecycle. DocControl lets the Quality Manager standardize procedures for profiling, storing, accessing, revising, sharing, securing and managing these documents. In fact, DocControl goes above and beyond compliance to provide your organization with comprehensive and flexible document management features that can manage both quality and non-quality business documents.

A Better Way to Achieve or Maintain ISO 9000 Standards
In summary, it can be seen that ISO 9000 and its quality management systems with its emphasis on process approach is document intensive. Documents are needed as a value adding activity to meet customer satisfaction, provide training, objective evidence, evaluation, etc. Moreover, their integrity must be secured and their flow within the organization must be controlled. A proper EDMS can do much to alleviate the burden of manual operation and paper work. More importantly, it can provide simultaneous and speedy dissemination of information, cut down errors created by human avarice and provide potential for the improvement of the performance of an organization.  

 

 

 

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