Tag Archive: Document Management Des Moines

  1. Keeping Documents Safe from Prying Eyes

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    Keeping data safe today is a bigger concern than ever. Luckily, there are now more ways to keep it safe than ever before. Here are some ways you can add layers of safety onto the data that you’re responsible for.

    Digitize Your Documents

    Many companies put more emphasis on their cybersecurity, but it’s still hard copies of documents that are the most vulnerable to thieves. When you have an office full of paper documents, they are vulnerable in a number of ways. They may be left in a copier and seen by the wrong people. They may be picked up from a desk by a criminal. They may end up being lost and/or thrown away and become vulnerable to thieves looking for data to steal. By scanning and digitizing the documents instead, you won’t have hard copies to worry about keeping safe any longer.

    Shred Hard Copies

    Putting all of those hard copies in the trash after document scanning them leaves them even more vulnerable to thieves. Even if you’ve never had a problem with thieves in the garbage before, a massive data dump like this could attract attention and bring them to your outdoor cans. Shred everything that is going out, and bundle the shredded documents together to keep them mixed up.

    Cloud Storage

    With your computer systems intact and secure, your documents will be even more secure when they are stored in the cloud and accessed through your computer network. This keeps them safe from any disaster that could wipe out your computers. The safety of storage in the cloud has been shown time and time again over the years, and it’s the perfect long-term storage for your sensitive files. They can also be made accessible only to certain employees with this kind of storage, further guarding them against prying eyes.

    When you want to digitize your files and switch to a more effective document management system, contact us to find out how to get started.

  2. How Managed Services’ Innovation Will Benefit Your Business

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    Businesses of every shape and size are looking for practices and programs that will boost employee productivity and reduce operating costs. For many companies, hiring a manager to oversee this is unrealistic, since staffing another employee could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

    Over the years, many companies have developed strategies and software to help businesses achieve their growth and financial goals without having to staff another team member or assign management tasks to an unqualified employee. With managed services, you are given access to a provider with trained specialists in their field of support who work tirelessly to provide you with solutions to meet your goals.

    Managed Services

    There are several different kinds of aid that managed services has to offer businesses. Here is the variety of managed services to benefit businesses like yours:

    Print Management

    Print management allows your business to manage and optimize printers, usage, and supplies. A print management provider will offer solutions that help consolidate your print environment, streamline locations, manage remote printing, and improve document security. Print management also sets you up with an expert company to offer device suggestions and monitor your devices’ efficiency.

    Document Management

    Document management helps your business manage and optimize your entire document system. Management solutions include, but are not limited to, output processing, document scanning, workflow, and infrastructure. This system seeks to reduce paperwork and centralize document storage with digital documents. This system makes filing and collaborating significantly more intuitive and straightforward.

    Managed IT

    Managed IT is a service that monitors the performance of your business’ IT equipment and cloud services. Managed IT keeps networks and software up to date and will offer solutions to solve issues that come up. It is an excellent alternative to hiring an IT staff member or team.

    The benefits that managed services has for your business are endless. To learn more about these services, contact MMIT Business Solutions Group today!

  3. Navigating the Paper Trail with Document Management

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    Paperwork can be tough to track throughout a business office. Every company features a unique paper trail that documents go through that is dependent on their technology and organization practices. Whether it be papers moving from a file cabinet to a desk, from a desk to a digital document, or from one employee to the next, following the paper trail can be challenging.

    Document management is an efficient way to best keep track of the paper trail to ensure that documents are organized, shared, and secure. Here is how document management helps you keep track of business documents and data:

    Workflows

    A workflow is a path that a document goes on to reach a specific destination. Automated solutions allow companies to use powerful software to share documents and eliminate paperwork messes. These solutions:

    • Automate document processes
    • Add easy, yet secure rule-based sharing and monitoring
    • Increase officewide productivity and raise accountability
    • Help distribute work evenly

    Document management software will help relieve the growing number of paper that your office deals with and turn your workflow into a secure, sharing machine.

    Capturing

    Canon scanners are an essential part of document management being effective. Here are some guidelines for creating a scanning plan in your office:

    • Lessen manual document scanning by capturing only necessary information from a document
    • Automatically assign specific documents to categorize in different folders
    • Refine images and add enhancements to scanned documents
    • Turn all incoming documents to digital files
    • Set up workflow distribution based on document processing activities

    Security

    Are your documents secure when they go through your scanner? A document management provider can help you make sure that the right hardware and software is in place to protect your networks and devices from potential hackers.

    To learn more about how document management helps you stay on the paper trail, contact MMIT Business Solutions Group today!

  4. Tap Into These Multifunction Printer Capabilities

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    It’s true that your multifunction printer can print documents and make copies, but is your team overlooking some other capabilities. Read on to find out how much your multifunction printer can do for your organization.

    Protect confidential information.

    We’re all concerned about security, and frequent high-profile breaches aren’t improving our outlook. Your multifunction printer can be an invaluable tool in your security strategy, giving you more options for protecting your confidential information.

    • Data encryption is a multifunction printer feature that protects stored and in-transit information. Hackers are on the lookout for data as it flows through networks, and unprotected networked printers are prime targets. Data encryption solutions make information unreadable and useless to hacking attempts.
    • Data overwrite protects information stored on multifunction printer hard drives. Just like your computer and mobile device, your office multifunction printer stores information on its internal hard drive. Overwrite solutions make stored data unreadable to hackers.
    • Confidential printing solutions help businesses address the issue of uncollected documents. These features require users to input passwords or use ID cards to authenticate at the device before print jobs release.

    Improve office productivity.

    Your multifunction printer includes a document scanning feature, making it the first step for process automation and electronic document management. Users can complete tasks from start to finish directly from touchscreen controls. Routing documents to folders, email, and cloud services is simple, and OCR technology instantly converts a variety of documents to editable, searchable PDF formats.

    Bring professional finishing in-house.

    Outsourcing your printing requirements isn’t always convenient, but with a multifunction printer, it’s often unnecessary. Polished finishing features and exceptional printing mean you can produce professional-quality materials in-house, on-demand, and at a price that fits your budget.

    No matter what type of organization you operate, a multifunction printer can serve your needs with efficiency. Contact MMIT Business Solutions for more information today.

  5. Choosing a Multifunction Printer for Your Accounting Office

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    Accounting firms, once entirely paper-based, are rapidly transforming the way they handle information. The reasons for this radical change are varied and include greater efficiency, lower costs, enhanced document security, and improved customer service.

    Finding the Right Tools

    Your customers have access to digital processes that have changed everything from the way they shop to the way they manage their finances, and they expect you to do the same. Staying relevant in a digital business economy requires access to the latest technologies.

    Today’s offices rely on intelligent office equipment and document management solutions to successfully transition to digital processes. And since the need to print, copy, scan and fax is still very much a part of the modern office; a multifunction printer is an obvious choice. In fact, a multifunction printer is a preferred tool for bridging the gap between paper and digital business processes.

    Here’s what to consider when choosing a multifunction printer for your accounting office.

    Essential Features

    You’d be hard-pressed to find a business-grade multifunction printer without an intuitive touchscreen interface, but it’s critical to find a device that works well for your unique requirements.

    For seamless integration, look for these built-in features:

    • A user-friendly interface with prompts to assist even your most tech-challenged employees.
    • Customization features that allow your staff to automate repetitive processes and eliminate unnecessary steps
    • Easy connectivity to your existing platforms and applications
    • Password protection and other features to mitigate print-related security risks.

    Volume and Speed Capabilities

    A managed print assessment can help determine your firm’s current printing and document scanning volumes. You’ll want a multifunction printer that can keep up with demand, especially during high-volume events.

    The right multifunction printer can help your accounting firm make a smooth transition to digital processes. Contact us at MMIT for more information today!

  6. 5 Paths to Efficiency with Document Management

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    The way your office handles documents is so important that it can make or break your business. Just ask anyone who’s been impacted by a security violation or lost out on a critical contract due to missing documentation.

    Process inefficiencies are serious matters, but the good news is you don’t need to figure them out on your own. Here’s how document management tackles the problem of document-related workflow deficiencies, one issue at a time.

    1. Productivity

    The average office employee devotes nearly half of their time dealing with documents. Document management replaces the office paper shuffle with streamlined digital workflow solutions, making your documents faster and easier to file, retrieve, and distribute.

    2. Collaboration

    Email is a notoriously inefficient way for employees to collaborate. A document management solution lets your staff collaborate in real-time with no concerns about missing or outdated information.

    3. Version control

    Back to #2. Recent surveys reveal that employees rely on email to share documents as often as six times a day. What are the odds that someone is working with outdated information? Document management deploys version control solutions that show who accessed a document, what changes occurred, and when everything happened. Throughout the entire process, the integrity of the original document remains intact so that no information is lost during collaboration.

    4. Cost control

    Managing paper documents is a costly undertaking, and the labor alone can cost your organization nearly $20,000 in a year’s time. Take back that lost time and money by bypassing paper in favor of electronic document management.

    5. Turnaround time

    How would like to shave a week off your next project? Instead of chasing people around to sign paper contracts, clinch the deal with electronic signatures.

    Ready to start saving time and money? Contact us at MMIT to learn more about document management today!

  7. Prepare for a Mobile Workforce with Document Management

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    The increasing rise of mobile workforces in the U.S. has changed the way companies manage information. Recent studies indicate that freelancing, contracting, and remote working will only increase in the next few years, with predictions that up to 40% of U.S. workers will fall into one of these three categories.

    Will You Be Ready?

    The workforce U.S. businesses must prepare for will look almost nothing like it did even ten years ago. Organizations must accept this inevitable paradigm shift and replace outdated processes with solutions like document management.

    If you’re hoping to be prepared for the changing U.S. workforce, here’s what your document management arsenal should include:

    1. Automated forms

    Manual data entry can derail your plans for digital workflows. Enabling electronic forms is one of the best ways to get projects off the ground, get your product into the customers’ hands, and get paid faster. Eliminating manual data entry reduces errors, saves time, and gets information into your document management platform quickly and efficiently.

    2. Document scanning

    A mobile workforce must be able to dial into your workflows quickly and from any location. Scanning files to a document management system makes critical information accessible from any location with secure internet access. Your remote team can collaborate from a variety of locations, route documents with ease to workflows or individuals, and keep track of changes.

    3. Mobile printing

    A mobile workforce requires a printing solution that won’t compromise security. A successful mobile printing solution should allow users to print and scan wirelessly, print from documents stored in the cloud, and protect documents from unauthorized access.

    Is your company ready for the coming change in the way people work? Get in touch with us at MMIT to learn more about document management solutions that can help make sure your organization is well prepared for whatever the future has in store.

  8. 4 Document Management Benefits for the Agricultural Office

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    The agricultural industry is no different than any other when it comes to managing paperwork. Like every other sector, business processes center around documents, and all of them must be managed properly to keep costs down and projects moving in the right direction. Here’s how agricultural offices can benefit from a robust electronic document management solution.

    1. Start moving away from paper.

    Electronic document management systems provide agricultural offices a way out of paper-based business processes. Here’s why it matters:

    • Paper requires a substantial investment in storage solutions like filing cabinets, bankers boxes, and off-site storage when archived documents begin overtaking valuable office space.
    • Paper-centric offices must rely on hard copy communications like postal services, faxes, and hand-carrying documents from one department or office to another.
    • Managing paper documents—printing, copying, filing, retrieving—takes valuable time away from value-added projects.

    2. Achieve faster access to your documents.

    Searching for paper documents is a notorious time-waster. When multiple office locations are involved, the difficulties are even greater. Document management gives employees faster access to critical documents by capturing information from converted documents and making them easily accessible from any location. Keyword searches give users access in just seconds.

    3. Reduce costly processing errors.

    Mistakes are commonplace when offices rely on manual data entry. Document management eliminates these errors through the scanning process and Optical Character Recognition software. Audit trails keep track of current changes but still maintain the content of the original document, reducing the chance of errors caused by redundancy and outdated information.

    4. Automate repetitive processes.

    Automating agricultural workflows saves time and money, and reduces the chance of errors due to missing documentation or approvals. Document management combined with workflow solutions can fine-tune your daily processes to help your team get more out of each day.

    Ready to learn more? Contact us at MMIT to find out how your agricultural office can benefit from a document management solution today!

  9. Control Document Lifecycles With Document Management

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    Does your organization have firm control of its document lifecycles? Without proper management, accurate processing is complicated. Missed steps can slow projects to a crawl, and the resulting customer dissatisfaction is often devastating to company reputations.

    What if you could automate the lifecycle of your documents? With fewer errors and faster turnaround times, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. Read on to learn more.

    Control the document lifecycle.

    Document management offers better oversight of the entire document lifecycle. You’ll have better control of project outcomes and improved efficiency in every department. Consider these advantages:

    • Faster access to your most important documents.
    • Improved collaboration among all concerned parties.
    • Access to project documents anytime and from any location with secure internet access.
    • Greatly reduced incidences of manual data entry errors, skipped steps, and missing documentation.
    • Faster approval processes.
    • Fewer incidents of document misrouting and missed communications.
    • Automatic alerts to inform team members when action items require their attention.

    Deploy electronic form solutions.

    When used as a part of your document management strategy, electronic forms can be used to gather and organize information on web-based forms. With user-friendly design features, drop and drag functionality, and customizable rules and requirements, your team will catch onto the technique and advantages of electronic forms very quickly.

    Secure your proprietary information.

    No matter what business you’re in, your files include sensitive information. Document management systems include easy-to-implement permission settings to keep unauthorized users locked out. You can even set internal limits for sensitive data in key departments. Document management allows your team to edit, share, manage, and store your documents in secure cloud repositories with convenient document scanning.

    If you need help staying on top of your company’s document life cycles, get in touch with us at MMIT Business Solutions today! We have a suite of document management solutions designed to meet your organization’s unique requirements.

  10. Document Management Delivers a Fast ROI

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    Is your small to medium business still relying on paper-based processes? SMBs have been traditionally slower than larger organizations in their adoption of electronic document management.

    If you’re among the list of small business leaders experiencing pushback when it comes to paperless office initiatives, read on to find out how the benefits significantly outweigh the perceived risks.

    What You’re Facing

    Managers often cite the same concerns when document management discussions surface. Among them are:

    • Business disruption — Adopting new business processes may be disruptive to current projects and daily workflows.
    • Process integration — Fears that the new software will not integrate with existing platforms.
    • Budgetary issues — Concerns that, once begun, further financial investments in programming will immediately follow.

    The Real Story

    State-of-the-art document management solutions are designed to help your business save time and money. Plagued by inefficiency, businesses that still rely on paper-based systems may find themselves left behind by the competition.

    Electronic document management delivers a fast and significant return on investment, allowing your business to focus on core business objectives. Here’s a list of key benefits:

    • Capture information contained on paper documents and route to digital workflow solutions.
    • Scan your documents to a variety of traditional document formats like Microsoft Word, searchable PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, TIFF, RTF, and more.
    • Scan and route documents directly to network folders.
    • Scan and automatically route information to existing workflows.
    • Scan and save to cloud-based repositories like Google Drive, Evernote, and Dropbox.

    Deploy Other EDM Solutions

    Once you’re off and running, deploying other document management solutions can help make your business even more efficient.

    • Use electronic forms to create applications, questionnaires, timesheets, sales orders, registration forms, and more.
    • Rules-based printing helps companies regulate printing habits to reduce costs.
    • Secure mobile printing allows users to print and scan with confidence from their mobile devices.

    Ready to learn more? Contact us at MMIT for a consultation today!

  11. How Document Management Helps CPA Offices Manage Information

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    CPA offices know what it’s like to manage thousands of critical documents. They also know what’s at risk if one of them goes missing, even temporarily. The methods CPA offices use to manage and store documents are changing rapidly, and accounting firms who want to keep pace with customer expectations and compliance mandates are embracing electronic document management solutions.

    Managing Accounting Data With Document Management

    CPA offices can realize improved document control, lowered costs, fewer compliance-related issues, and an overall uptick in productivity with electronic document management. Here’s how:

    1. Improved business processes and staff productivity. Your CPA office is the first place clients call when they need help locating critical tax documents or other financial information. Paper-based storage solutions require searching through filing cabinets or even off-site storage facilities. Workflow solutions like digital document management put critical client files just a few clicks away. Not only will your customers be happier, but your staff will have the tools and the time they need to resolve inquiries quickly and with greater accuracy.

    2. Better preparation for audits. Paper-based audits are always time-consuming and overly complicated, with auditors and CPA staff shuffling paper and searching through filing cabinets and banker’s boxes to find needed documents. Document management solutions make audits smoother and far less likely to interrupt your workflows. When documents are just a few clicks away, the entire process improves.

    3. Improved compliance. CPA offices must maintain mandated confidentiality standards, but paper is notoriously difficult to track. Who has viewed a document and when? Document management systems provide the required audit trails, with accurate records of who accessed financial documents, when, and what actions were taken.

    Your CPA office’s ability to control information is only as good as your document management solution. Contact us at MMIT Business Solutions Group to learn more today!

  12. Are You Keeping Your Documents Secure on the Cloud?

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    Many businesses are turning to the cloud to maximize productivity and take advantage of today’s technologies. But if you’re using the cloud today, you could be jeopardizing your company’s data security without realizing it if you’re falling prey to some of these common mistakes. Read on to learn if you’re using the cloud in a way that could make your business more vulnerable.

    Are You Compromising Your Security?

    The cloud is just like a storage company—you can rent a unit from a provider, and they’ll hand over the keys and say, “Good luck.” In this analogy, it becomes apparent that there are security needs that your provider will handle and some that you will be responsible for. Sure, your provider will make sure there are surveillance cameras and a locking gate to the compound, but if you leave your unit unlocked, you’re responsible for a loss.

    A cloud-based document management system works in a similar way. Although your services provider will give you some level of security, you and your employees need to stay vigilant. Here are some of the common security mistakes that companies make—and how to avoid them.

    1. Complacency: IT experts are well aware that the number one reason employees end up causing security problems is complacency. It may seem like your company would be the last to be hacked, but it can (and does) happen to anyone, particularly because personal data is so valuable. Don’t ignore update reminders or use weak passwords. Don’t let your technology get too outdated to be secure. Don’t become complacent.
    2. Lack of information: Many companies simply don’t have the knowledge they need to keep their cloud data safe. Make sure you understand how to use your service and that you’re asking the experts when you’re unsure.
    3. Document transfer carelessness: Sure, your document is safe in their electronic “home,” but what about when they’re in transit? Be aware of your network security, email security, and other factors when you’re sharing documents from your document management system.

    For more information about the cloud and document management, contact us today.

  13. Two Steps to Secure Documents

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    In today’s business world, it’s nearly impossible to operate a company without relying on information networks. The internet has become an integral part of how companies communicate internally and with customers, and without your network, your production comes to a screeching halt.

    And yet, too many companies leave their systems vulnerable to ever-increasing attacks from sophisticated hackers. In 2015, Statistics reported that the financial burden of cyber attacks on businesses was related to the disruption of day-to-day operations and information loss. Data breaches and hacks are in the news regularly, and with large firms such as Target and Sony in the crosshairs, how can you be sure you’re not next?

    Are Your Documents Vulnerable?

    Whether you use the cloud or a shared drive to share and access files, your documents could be at risk. Unsurprisingly, unsuspecting employees often facilitate data loss and hacking through insecure habits that create “doors” into your company. Here are the two crucial steps you need to take to keep your documents secure.

    1. Implement smart policies: Your employees won’t do what they don’t know they should do. Train employees on the basics of keeping information safe in the internet age, including how to identify phishing and scams, password safety, secure sharing, and email smarts. These simple tools could be the difference between a data hack and security for your company.
    2. Use managed IT services: Managed IT services can keep your entire network secure with routine monitoring and up-to-date firewall configurations and OS patches. More companies than ever are turning to managed IT services to meet the challenges of modern data security. Managed IT can ensure your business’s data security, and ultimately, your success.

    If you’re interested in learning more about how document management can help your company keep information secure, contact us today.