We live in extraordinary times! A tiny microscopic virus has precipitated a crisis of such unimaginably large magnitude that it has affected almost every aspect of our lives – health, travel, social interactions, work, and business. The effect of this crisis is sure to be particularly long-lasting in the business sector where experts say that the reverberations might be felt for months or maybe even years. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a research report on disaster preparedness which says that 40 % to 60% of small businesses affected by a disaster never re-open! So how do businesses recover from a crisis? Better yet, how do businesses protect themselves from such a crisis in the future?
In its disaster recovery management guidelines, FEMA mentions that records or document management constitute one of the three key components of a disaster recovery plan. Documents are critical assets that are of immense value to any organization and losing them or not having access to them during a crisis can bring business operations to a grinding halt. Paper-based physical document management systems are more likely to put your business at such a risk. A professionally managed digital document management system, on the other hand, makes it easier for you to recover from the crisis. Let us look in detail at some of the reasons why paperless document management makes you better prepared to tackle sudden disruptions in business.
Digital document management can bolster your efforts to get back on track after the disruption as quickly as possible because of it
When a pandemic situation like the one we face today strikes businesses, they will be forced to switch over to remote working set-ups. This means that employees must be able to access documents and files even from an off-site location. With a paper-based physical document management system, such remote access is not possible, and hence maintaining business continuity can become more challenging.
During a crisis, business enterprises may not be able to carry out certain functions that they normally perform. In such a scenario, manual processes that are not supported by documents can get lost. A fully digital document management system implies that you can recover these lost processes through employee interactions and communications about them. Moreover, a paperless system will allow you to plan and structure process flows digitally and reduce the time needed for recovery.
Digital document Management systems with a storage architecture like Cloud will make sure that your data assets are captured and safely backed up in remote storage systems and can be readily retrieved any time and from anywhere. Most electronic document management systems have disaster recovery mechanisms in place so that there is no significant data loss even after major disruptions.
Using an electronic document system will make sure that you have the records to prove damages or losses due to the disaster. Your business may need these records to claim reimbursements from Insurance companies or to avail government support. In the aftermath of a crisis, organizations may also face the need to prove their compliance with regulations and digital records make it easier for them to do so.
Effective Document Management is a pivotal part of Business Continuity efforts as it ensures that your critical business processes remain operational even during a crisis. Digitizing your documents minimizes risk, reduces recovery time, and helps you continue delivering high-quality services to your customers. Rannsolve has proven expertise in document and data management gained through its extensive experience in working with clients across the globe. Enhance your document management efficiency and disaster preparedness by partnering with us!