The hybrid work model is the new norm. Employees enjoy the flexibility of working from remote locations and at the office. This popular way of working emerged because it offers myriad benefits to both employees and employers – and not just during the pandemic.
Hybrid Work Model Benefits
- Efficient use of time
- Increased work satisfaction
- Higher productivity
- Lower operational costs
- Improved work-life balance
It does come with challenges, though. Documents are at the heart of most activities that organizations perform regularly as they march toward their goals. Document management activities were greatly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This forced organizations, large and small, to innovate at an unprecedented pace.
To successfully transition to an electronic document management system, organizations must rethink their storage for the age of hybrid work. Doing so ensures that both remote and in-office employees can easily access, manage, and share their documents.
Document Management in a Hybrid Workplace
Traditional document management practices must make way for modern digital alternatives so remote employees are just as productive as their office-bound counterparts.
Without the capabilities provided by leading electronic document management solutions, employees must rely on a patchwork of tools to carry out their tasks. This leads to unsafe practices such as sharing documents with colleagues using personal file-sharing accounts.
It’s important to use tools to implement collaborative tools to mitigate poor document management. Management systems, like Microsoft SharePoint, can meet the needs of everyone from large global enterprises to small businesses at a reasonable cost.
Benefits of a Document Management System
The benefits of using a document management system in a hybrid workplace stem from the centralization of document storage and the resulting ability to effectively control document access and sharing using easily enforceable policies.
Document Management System Benefits Overview
- Back up & disaster recovery
- Reduced storage space
- Increased productivity
- Improved compliance
- Enhanced security
- Easy retrieval
SharePoint as a Document Management System
Microsoft’s SharePoint document management solution enables seamless collaboration across an organization. It’s a popular solution in both the private and government sector.
- Widely Used & Highly Compatible Software
SharePoint is a part of the Office suite making it compatible with other Microsoft software. It’s used by some of the world’s largest businesses – making collaboration easier. In 2020, Microsoft reported that over 200 million users relied on SharePoint.
- Available on Mobile Devices
Having SharePoint on mobile devices adds a layer of convenience when you’re working on the go. It’s available on both iOS and Android – allowing you to easily view and share documents even when you are unable to access your computer.
- Increased Productivity
SharePoint saves users time and boosts productivity. It transforms processes like notifications, approvals, and complex workflows. The fast system makes it easy to find, change, manage, and share documentation.
- Large Storage
The available storage is enough for even the largest company. Limits are based on the plan or subscription.
- Offers Advanced Searching
SharePoint makes it easy for users to quickly find the documents they need – even if they forget where it lives. You can find what you want by:
- File name
- Metadata
- Content
- Phrases
- Cloud Data Safeguarding
Microsoft makes it easy to protect your data and meet standards. For example:
- Data is encrypted while in transit and at rest.
- Protect data with two-factor authentication.
- Microsoft ensures SharePoint follows regulatory and compliance standards.
- Information is backed up in at least two datacenters to mitigate issues from natural disasters or outages.
Implementation in the Hybrid Work Model
You can bridge any document access, management, and sharing gaps within your hybrid work model by implementing a document management system – thereby empowering employees to be equally productive everywhere.
Be sure to have a well-thought-out plan when you roll out SharePoint to your team. Otherwise, you will be rushing to mitigate barriers, such as:
- Failed user adoption
- Disorganized content
- An increase in staff training
- A lack of security protocols and processes
This implementation mistake can cost a huge lump sum. If you need help integrating SharePoint, or other IT solutions, into your business we recommend partnering with a reputable managed service provider.
Be sure to do your due diligence when researching companies. Use this checklist to find the perfect partner.
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