The most major decision merited by the use of Document Management Systems is whether said technology should be self or cloud hosted. DMS software offers a wealth of advantages for its use, chief among them being the general management of all business related data. It offers a compact, centralized location for such data, with ease-of-access, security and full integration with other software. Cloud-hosted software’s reliance on providers and the internet itself may make it less reliable, but the superior advantage its offers outweigh the better reliability of self-based.
Cloud-Hosted
DMS software that is cloud-hosted is offered completely online. It syncs up to various operating systems, software, and devices. Smartphones and tablets have access as well as traditional desktops and laptops. Cloud-hosted DMS contains the standard provisions. It has metadata to record submission dates and user information relevant to documents, integration of fellow software, capture ability so paper sources can be scanned an copied, indexing for easy search access, storage and retrieval capability, as well as protective security measures. But it offers those benefits backed with the capability of anywhere access. This means the scanner app on a phone can capture a paper document and upload it during a business lunch. The convenience and availability of business data anywhere is incredibly valuable.
Cloud-hosted DMS avoids the high up-front cost of a self-based system, opting instead for affordable monthly payments. Despite the loss of complete control over data management, the fact that data is not leashed to one spot is a fair trade off. Cloud-hosted data also means the data is constantly protected. It is backed up digitally so that it is always available.
Self-Hosted
Many opt for self-hosting because cloud-hosting can be affected by the provider. It there are internal problems with the provisional company or the internet in general the data is unavailable. Self-hosted software is single-source. It is only accessible by logging into the servers and is relegated to the servers storage capacity. Cloud-hosting is unlimited in its scope. Self-hosting allows data to be managed completely by the user and provides additional security because of its closed availability. Especially fitting for companies that do not want everywhere to access to their data. It is costly though, bearing a high up front cost, installation fees, and other large fees for updating software. In a world that becomes more networked by the minute such closed-off technology may no longer have a place. This is why the benefits of cloud-hosted DMS cannot be ignored.
DMS Advantages
DMS in general is a vital component to have. Numerous companies including Lucion technologies vouch for its use. They advocate for the ability to gather data in one location. Also, the merging of paper data and virtual data.
The ease of access is also incredibly beneficial. No time costly searches, just a simple interface that uses more than one prompt. This optimizes business in the way they can look up and retrieve data. Perfect for a fast moving world of technological innovations.
