So, you’ve decided to invest in a Document Management system to streamline and simplify document filing, storage and retrieval in your business. Congratulations! But before you can sit back and start reaping the benefits, you need to choose the right provider to work with and deliver your project on time and on budget. But if you haven’t got a recommendation from a trusted source, how can you make the right choice?
Choosing the wrong provider could mean that you are left struggling with a system that doesn’t work how it should or feeling overwhelmed from a lack of training on your new system. You could find yourself trying to work with a company that doesn’t offer help when you need it or support your long-term goals, any of which would be a disaster.
To help you find the right company and ensure a successful project and working relationship, here are the 5 things to look for when choosing a Document Management provider.
- The ‘Taste Test’
- Big Picture Thinking
- Implementation + Set-Up
- Training + Support
- Customer Relationships
1. The ‘Taste Test’
Also known as eating your own dog food, this refers to an organisation who uses the products and solutions that it sells to its customers. If your provider doesn’t think their product is good enough to use in their own business, why would you want to use it in yours?
Providers who use their own solutions are incredibly knowledgeable about the Document Management system they sell, how it works, and how it can transform the way you work and carry out day-to-day tasks. They will also have discovered the best ways of working, the best integrations, and the quickest and easiest ways to do everything, all of which benefits you.
2. Big Picture Thinking
Does the provider understand how their solution fits in with your business as a whole, as well as how it works in a particular department? Do you need a scalable system that can grow with your business? Do you need a solution that can integrate easily with existing in-house systems?
A good provider will address these issues early on to ensure that their system is future proof and the right fit for your business. It should scale with you as you grow, and integrate with your existing technology to reduce manual tasks such as data entry and improve accuracy.
3. Implementation + Set-Up
Before implementation takes place, are you confident that your provider has a clear understanding of your needs and goals? Have they scoped, researched, listened to, visited, observed your business and employees? Do they know what works and what doesn’t? How will their solution improve your processes?
When you are ready to implement the new Document Management system, how quick and easy will this be? What can they do to ensure minimal downtime during implementation? Who will manage the project?
A good provider will do their research and be able to answer all of these questions, giving you peace of mind that your project will be delivered on time and on budget with minimal disruption to your business and employees.
4. Training + Support
What kind of training is available on using the new system? Do they provide regular training/refresher courses or free training for new users? Do they have an IT Support Team to help with any problems that may arise in the future? Do they offer free upgrades? Do they pride themselves on providing excellent customer service and responding to queries quickly? Will they regularly check in you to make sure that everything is working as it should be?
A good provider knows how important it is for all users to be trained and feel confident when using the system to get the most out of it, and to know where to turn for help when they need it.
5. Customer Relationships
People buy from people. And your new provider and their team are the people you will be working closely with. Do they focus on building strong, long-term customer relationships? Will they continue to be there to support you in the future? Are they always at the end of the phone?
A good business will happily put you in touch with some of their customers if you would like to find out more about them and what they are really like to work with.
In Conclusion
If you would like to find out more about the Invu Document Management system, please call Jack Wright on 01285 810606 or email jack.wright@yourdms.net, and he will be happy to help and explain what makes YourDMS a great provider.
If you would like to speak to our customers and hear what they have to say about working with us, let us know, and we would be happy to arrange it. You can look at our customer testimonials here too. Let’s talk.
