Document Management Technology – Choosing the Right One

With so many technological document management options available, it is important to determine what solution is right for you and your particular situation. The best way to determine which solution is right for you is by asking the right questions. Having the right questions in mind may be more important than the answers that you find.

The key to finding the best document management technological solution is asking the right question. This means you must consider as many potential solutions as you can possibly generate and ask numerous questions including the following:

– What costs are associated with each solution?

– How much time and effort is required for implementation?

– What will be the effect on the company, managers and workers?

– What are the possible barriers to implementation?

– What is the likelihood of success?

– What are the potential risks?

There is a three-step process that will greatly assist you in selecting the best document management technological solutions. In the initial step, you should aim to collect a wide range of solution ideas. Work to compile a list of creative options that vary in a number of ways. In the next step you should narrow down your wide-ranging list by selecting best four or five possible document management solutions. In the final step, you should select a final solution as well as one or two alternatives.

Generating a long and varied list of possible document management technology solutions will offer you a drastic advantage over the usual approach, which is to come up with just a few alternatives to choose from. By developing specific criteria for you decision and by assigning particular weights to each one, you will absolutely bring objectivity to your process and will be able to avoid the temptation of simply selecting the easiest answer.

If you limit yourself to a few alternatives it is much more likely that you will overlook the best document management technology solution. The first three or four ideas that come to mind may not be your best solution. Generating an all-embracing list is a better way to start. This way, you will improve your chance of exploring more unusual and innovative document management technology solutions. Try to generate a list of twenty possible solutions and then ask yourself the following:

– Were you able to avoid making comments or passing judgment on the possible solutions as they were raised?

– Were you able to think outside your own expertise and experience?

– Do you understand each possible solution?

– Did you go for a high quantity – at least 20 possible solutions?

After generating a comprehensive list of document management technology solutions, you can now determine which option that you have collected is the best. It is highly unlikely that every option is capable of producing the specific results you want or need. The following sub-tasks will allow you to compose a short list of the best possible options:

– Develop a criteria for you selections and assign weights

– Apply the criteria

– Choose the best four to six technology solutions

When you are developing your criteria and weights to use in your decision-making process it is important to clearly define each factor. Next, apply this criterion in terms of "weight". In other words, how important is cost? Is it the only factor driving your decision? Or are there other equally important factors? The weighting percentage used should total 100 percent.

Weighting the criteria is important because it helps you choose the best document management solutions. This is an effective tool due to the fact that it compares your potential solutions objectively as well as guarantees equivalent consideration for alternative solutions. The problems that you identify and the solutions that you select will define the course of your document strategy. Use the ideas in this article to strengthen your decision-making process and select the best document management technological solutions to suit your needs.

Leave a Reply