What is document management?
Document management refers to the set of procedures and measures aimed at producing, storing, and retrieving any type of information, regardless of its format. This includes both structured and unstructured data, which are key elements within the information flow, and whose integrity must be protected. This management facilitates better handling and utilization of the information that every organization needs for its daily operations, especially when dealing with hybrid files, which combine both physical and digital data formats.
What is hybrid document management?
Information remains the most valuable resource in organizations, yet it is not always given the necessary recognition. Strategic decisions that define the direction of companies are made based on information, making it crucial to have a single, reliable source.
This is why the need to implement document management solutions has intensified, aiming to promote greater use and leverage of information. Only through these solutions can the reception and management of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data be properly handled.
When facing the complexity of managing information in a hybrid office environment, where both paper and digital data are combined, hybrid file management becomes key. In this context, we find:
- Digital documents: When a certified digitization is carried out, the digital document becomes the original, sometimes even leading to the destruction of the paper copy in certain situations. If the digitization is not certified, this type of document will lose its legal validity and will only be useful for internal use.
- Analog documents: As a rule, these are considered the originals that legislation in many sectors requires to be kept for long periods of time.
From file management to information management, we see that the hybridization of the environment affects both document management and workspaces. Therefore, it is essential to have a strategy, methods, and adequate resources to manage information throughout its lifecycle (collection, processing, access, management, measurement, storage, integration, preservation, and distribution). The digital transformation of hybrid file management is a crucial aspect for the success of this transformation in workplaces. The benefits of implementing this technology become quickly evident. Some of the most notable include:
How will hybrid offices manage their data?
Visionary business leaders are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing to transform how data is stored, archived, processed, and extracted. Unlike traditional data processing systems, which follow static logics, AI algorithms improve as they analyze more data, allowing them to identify trends and patterns and provide useful projections for managing hybrid files.
1. Automatic Document Classification and Processing
While OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology helps identify text, AI surpasses this by reading and classifying the information contained in hybrid files. Subsequently, workflows are automated based on this classification, achieving a much higher speed than a human could.
2. Data Extraction
An AI-based document management system can extract data with unprecedented accuracy, which is crucial in a work environment where online collaboration and the exchange of hybrid files generate an increasing amount of information.
3. Document Grouping
AI can also group hybrid files by topics without prior classification, helping organizations better understand the relationships between documents and making connections and inferences that might otherwise go unnoticed.
4. Advanced Document Security
In the hybrid environment, protecting data is one of the main challenges. AI-powered hybrid file management systems can enhance security by identifying and classifying documents with sensitive data, preventing them from being stored in unsafe locations before processing.
5. Data Analysis
One of the most fascinating functionalities of AI in hybrid file management is its ability to perform advanced analysis and generate value from the collected data. Cognitive platforms as a service (PaaS) elevate document management by enabling the use of methods like machine learning and predictive analytics to make informed decisions and improve business processes.
Maximizing Collaboration
The pandemic has made it clear that organizations without efficient document management systems suffer a greater impact. The need to access information from any location, such as home, and to have the necessary tools to collaborate effectively across the organization is more critical than ever. It is time to break down information silos. An appropriate solution for managing hybrid files addresses the collaboration challenge from three perspectives:
Between employees and departments: Document management systems allow employees to collaborate on the same document simultaneously, regardless of their location.
With clients and suppliers: Hybrid file management systems enable the secure exchange of data and documents with clients and suppliers, facilitating cooperation without resorting to less secure methods, like email.
Within organizational systems: Document management solutions integrate seamlessly with other business systems and applications, providing a comprehensive view of information and promoting interdepartmental cooperation.
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