Before the advancement of scanners, papers were used for all documentation purposes. This led to clustering and storage was exhausted in no time. Moreover, the information was hard to organize and preserve as papers could get easily damaged. It was not the most productive of ways.
Then came digital scanners and managing information has never been easier. These devices convert the paper into a digital format which can be organized through certain software. Such software is termed an Electronic Filing System. The benefits of using such a file system include saving space and resources, and better productivity.
What are the Key Features to Look for in an Electronic Filing System?
Electronic Filing systems might have many different features but the two most important ones are the ability to retrieve information and capture it in the first place.
- Capture information from scanned documents- A good filing software ought to be able to scan digital documents directly. Features like automatic document separation, optical character recognition are quite handy.
- Capture information from printed documents- Electronic filing software usually has a virtual printer that captures the document and stores it in the filing system. However, you won’t be able to edit these documents.
- Save Function- A good filing software ought to be able to tie into the Save As a function of other programs. This makes it much easier to capture documents.
- Document Retriever- A good filing software should allow you complete access to the files and folder. As a result, opt for a filing software that stores the files in a regular folder. Many filing software makes it quite difficult and cumbersome to access the files.
What is an Electronic Filing Cabinet?
Electronic cabinets have a similar meaning to physical cabinets. The documents in an electronic filing software are organized into different cabinets. These cabinets are further organized into different folders and drawers. Thus, they serve as a great way to organize the content. Users can effortlessly navigate the system or use a keyword to search through the cabinet as well.
How to set up an Electronic Filing System?
The setup varies depending on the software that you use. If you use a database-based system, then you might need the help of a professional to set it up and maintain it. On the other hand, if you use software that organizes the files into regular folders, then it will be able to access the files that you already have and organize it. If you are on a network, then you need to place the files in a shared network folder.
What is the best way to Set Up an Online Filing System?
The best place to store files is your system as it allows complete access and control to you. However, considering the benefit of online filing systems, we would recommend using cloud-based services like Google Drive and OneDrive. This lets you keep the filing system on your personal device while mirroring it to the cloud. It results in a similar folder layout. However, Google Drive and OneDrive are not beneficial if you use a filing system that uses a database for storing files.
Which is the Best Filing Software?
This is a very common question and one that is hard to answer. Any filing software that lets you capture information easily while also allowing complete access to retrieve the information is good. If you want a name, we would suggest FileCenter DMS.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this read on the best electronic filing software. There are many great filing software to choose from and we leave it to you to decide upon one. For any queries regarding the content, do write to us.
