Month: February 2022

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Document Management System and benefits – PaperOffice DMS

Although the basic techniques of document management have been used in corporate document control for decades and have evolved over the years, the need for a document management system as well as the benefits and its application advantages are still underestimated. The benefits of using a document management system PaperOffice are described in the current article.

Advantages of electronic data management (document management DMS)
Advantages of document management system PaperOffice DMS

In the current article we would first like to explain the definition of the PaperOffice document management system and address the digitization of analogue and digital documents as well as demonstrate the influence of the document management system on the associated business processes when creating, managing, exporting and checking the documents.

Finally, we summarize the most important advantages of document management systems.

Table of Contents

What does a Document Management System mean?

A document management system (DMS) is used to store, manage and control the flow of documents within an organization.

In this way you can organize all information, such as paper documents, Windows files or emails, in a central location, your document management system, which employees can access easily and without any problems.

Including unique functions for teamwork and document sharing and an innovative program interface that is unique worldwide. The benefits of using a DMS are huge.

Including unique functions for teamwork and document sharing and an innovative program interface that is unique worldwide.

The management and control of the enormous amount of external and internal documents that are part of the business processes in public or business administration has become a challenge. This promotes the introduction of document management software that facilitates their management. The introduction of the DMS ensures significant reductions in search time, handling and cost savings, which are very important in our administrative processes.

Heart of a DMS

An advanced document management system has its “heart” in a database, where the information is stored in such a way that it can be found and retrieved in an easy and controlled way. The database setup can either be done locally at your place or on a NAS system, such as QNAP NAS or Synology NAS. But by storing the information in a structured way, we only have part of the equation.

Zusammenarbeit Dokumentenmanagement System PaperOffice und NAS von Synology
All of the information is stored in the database in highly secure encrypted form

The “brain” that controls the system is the workflow logic, which makes it possible to create dependencies between documents and processes and to link this information in flexible and previously defined flows.

An essential step in the implementation of such a sophisticated “workflow” is that as much documentation as possible is available in digital form.

Digitization and management of documents

When we talk about document management systems, we must not forget: the higher the level of digitization of the information that is part of the processes, the higher the level of control and automation that we can achieve. We have already written an article on the advantages of digitalization, click here for the link.

In the first step, you determine which documents are part of our processes. How we integrate them into our PaperOffice and which information is to be extracted and stored together with the documents in your database. Once the information is included, we define its lifecycle, how it will interact with other processes, and how we can integrate it.

Information comes from different sources

Most likely, we will come across information coming from different sources and in different formats. Some of it in digital form, stored in files or databases and some in the form of printed documents.

We have already published an interesting article on the topic of the paperless office. Here are our 9 tips again:

9 tips to achieve a digital office with ease
9 tips to achieve a digital office

What do we do with digital documents in pdf, doc, etc. format? Here the process is very simple. Drag the digital document into the PaperOffice interface. Or have your Windows folders easily monitored after documents have been received.

Here is a YouTube tutorial:

Documents in paper form can easily be scanned and converted into digital format thanks to the integrated scanner.

Thanks to the Optical Character Recognition program (OCR = Optical Character Recognition), we have already taken an important step. Using a scanner or other digitizing device, we not only convert the document into an image, but can also electronically “read” its content.

Not only is the pure OCR text included in the database, thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) called PIA, automation can either be specified manually or automatically.

Using the system, we recognize and define which document areas need to be read out automatically. Such as invoice number, date, products, amounts, etc. Accordingly, we have all the necessary information in our document management system.

The digitization of information via OCR makes it easier to integrate a wide variety of documentation into the management of processes and workflows.

Workflow and document management

As already mentioned, it is essential for advanced document management to have all information in a digital and structured form in a database. So you can search for all documents saved in PaperOffice like google. You can also set the rules on who can access, modify and delete/archive your information.

But we want to go even further and streamline our business processes. One of the pillars of our document management solution is the workflow engine. This allows us to specify each step of a business process with its associated activities and dependencies, as well as the departments and roles involved.

We can also define automatic notifications that will be activated depending on activities and events that occur throughout the process. All this not only minimizes the time spent managing tasks, but also minimizes the likelihood of forgetfulness and errors in the process.

Added value and benefits of document management

Below we list some of the most outstanding benefits of implementing a document management system:

  • Control over who can access the documents, when and what activities can be performed on them.
  • Central and easy access to all relevant company documentation and the possibility of multiple parties collaborating on the same document.
  • Security, not only in access control, but also in the custody and security that comes with the introduction of new technologies and databases.
  • Save time searching for documentation and costs managing and storing it.
  • Reduction of redundancies such as duplication of documents, photocopies, data recording.
  • Agility and automation of administrative tasks with the creation of workflows that allow the integration of documents and business processes in a controlled environment and clearly defined and monitored activities.
  • Not to forget the positive “side effect” of higher internal and external customer satisfaction.

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Digitization and digital invoice processing

The need for digitization is now an important aspect for everyone. In the current article, we take a closer look at information about digital invoice processing. The advantages of digitizing invoices. We will show you how you can implement everything and describe the impact of a successful implementation.

Table of Contents

Why is it necessary to digitize invoices and documents in companies?

Digitize incoming invoice processing: made easy with PaperOffice Document Management System
Digitize incoming invoice processing: made easy with PaperOffice Document Management System

That’s a question that more and more companies are asking: “Do I really have to digitize my accounting”? The answer is “Yes”, you have to. Among other things, because the legislature requires it to be so. More and more companies are faced with having to comply with the process documentation.

Legal regulations require compliance with the requirements regarding the receipt, processing and archiving of all test-relevant incoming documents.

In our current article we show a couple of practical examples. How you can easily solve digitization thanks to PaperOffice DMS. But first we come to the general advantages of digital processing of invoices.

What are the advantages of digitization?

In today’s world, where home office and digital media dominate, it’s still common to see paper bills piled up on shelves and on the table.

The main reasons for using paper are that employees find it difficult to accept digitization or to start with it. It lies in the challenges of dealing with change and digitization.

PaperOffice-DMS-im-Home-Office
Digitization brings many advantages

Physical document copy despite digitization

Many people like to keep a physical copy of the documents they work with. But the process of handling paper that has been rehearsed for years also plays a role here.

We have already written a detailed article on the subject of going paperless. Here we explicitly address the topic of digital accounting.

Manually entering the invoice not only means a lot of time, but also hidden high costs. Getting it right can save a lot of time and money.

Key benefits include:

  • Find any invoice in seconds / time saver

Because thanks to the digitization of your documents, you can find all the invoices stored in PaperOffice in a matter of seconds. You no longer have to laboriously leaf through thick folders. By digitizing all invoices in your company, you only need a few clicks to find them in the system.

This also leads us to the second point:

  • You benefit from optimized work / paper savings

You no longer need space for physical folders. From now on you can archive your invoices in PaperOffice. Reducing paper consumption leads to clean and tidy offices

  • Simplify processes in accounting / For example through workflows

By managing your invoices digitally, you save time and effort. As well as costs for the creation, delivery and processing. Do not make copies for advanced tasks, workflows, and forwarding. Everything runs digitally and is transparent and comprehensible.

Thanks to the digitization of your invoices, you will no longer miss valuable discount deadlines.

  • Set permission for access at the push of a button

Individual access rights to individual documents and folders ensure clear security. You can grant access to individuals or entire departments. Such as accounting.

  • Recognize contacts automatically

PaperOffice intelligently recognizes address data in the document content. Then logically links the document to your existing contacts. This enables, among other things, the display of all documents for a specific contact with just a few clicks.

  • Automated keywording

PaperOffice supports you with intelligent AI recognition and keywording. In this way, the invoice is searched for the most important document data.

AI PIA intelligently reads the data out of the document. Then file the document with full keywords. If necessary with your test or automatically in the background.

  • Embedding / export function for tax consultants

You can easily hand over your invoices. With account assignment and keywording. Thanks to the advanced search, you have everything you need for the export. Like all the bills from last month, for example.

Including the folder structure, PDF file, Excel file with all information. As a result, your accountant or accountant can easily import the documentation.

  • Fast editing options

Accounting can be implemented quickly in the future. Not only can you find all documents immediately, you can also edit/classify them directly, for example. All legal requirements are met thanks to audit-proof archiving. Checking and approving is thus child’s play.

Digitizing invoices is essential for a number of reasons. Many companies are also already convinced that digitization of invoices is the future. This must also be accepted today and now.

Nevertheless, many still fear that this step is associated with a lengthy project. Which will be difficult, expensive, risky and destabilizing. The good news is that ultimately, thanks to PaperOffice, this is no longer the case!

What should be considered before digitizing invoices?

First of all, it is important not to confuse or reduce digitization to the scanning of incoming invoices. So that they can then get into the workflow process for validation, payment and archiving more easily and quickly. Digitization is much more.

Advantages of OCR text recognition

Automation can be done thanks to OCR text recognition. For example, with artificial intelligence (AI). In this way, learning functions are becoming more and more powerful and reliable detection algorithms.

Elements that appear on the invoice can be identified and extracted from the document immediately. The document is stored and can be made available to the accounting or ERP system.

The financial service provider benefits from reliable information in real time. For example, with digitization.

How do I implement invoice processing?

If you manage your invoices with PaperOffice, incoming invoice processing is completely electronic. You will already receive the incoming invoice digitally, i.e. by email or by scanning it. This makes no difference.

Digitize incoming invoices with DropMail, how?

If you already receive your incoming invoices in digital format, we recommend the DropMail module integrated in PaperOffice. This allows you to create a personal DropMail email address in PaperOffice. You only send invoices to them.

All invoices that are sent to your DropMail address as an email attachment are automatically archived in PaperOffice. With definable storage rules and no work.

PaperOffice recognizes the invoice and reads out the relevant data. As a result PaperOffice then files the invoice in the appropriate folder. Further approval processes, tasks and workflows are optionally started, thanks to the intelligent AI.

The information gets to all employees. Thanks to the involvement in the process, of course. The invoice workflow runs automatically.

Step-by-step digital invoice processing:

Digital invoice processing with paperOffice Document Management System is clearly structured
Digital invoice processing shown step by step

What does the future of invoice digitization look like. Where is the journey going?

First of all, the digitization of invoices brings significant and immediate increases in productivity. Moreover digitization not only frees employees from a time-consuming, dense operational task. Besides, problems of delay and dispute due to manual error will be solved.

The inherent costs of storage, searching and losing important paper documents are drastically reduced. In addition, the rationalization and automation of the validation and control processes in the entire accounts payable process.

From purchase request to payment, you multiply these benefits even more.

What are the advantages?

Overall, the cycle time for document processing can be reduced by 5. Management costs by 80%. With these figures, you immediately understand the urgency of digitizing invoices. Ultimately, these numbers are not the only ones to consider.

What does a company achieve thanks to digitization?

Through digitization, the company manages to free up important human and financial resources. Be it to absorb the growth of activity with constant resources. Or to mobilize your teams in transformation projects.

For employees, the digitization of invoices is not an enemy. Above all, the ally. These make their work more interesting and create added value for the company’s financial management.

Can paper be destroyed after digitization?

First of all, it is very important to note that the factors for digital archiving of documents must be observed. According to the GoBD, paper documents may be destroyed. Unless they have to be kept in the original in accordance with foreign tax or tax regulations.

These include, for example, opening balance sheets and building law documents.

The GoBD also says that the paper documents should be withdrawn from further processing. Also, the file may not be changed after the scanning process.

Audit-proof GoBD-compliant versioning

Which is given at any time thanks to the versioning in PaperOffice. The document must be accessible and evaluable for the duration of the retention period.

PaperOffice thus meets all required standards through certification and testing of all software requirements according to GOBD.

Retention period

The question of the retention period comes up again and again with our customers. Because there are no clear instructions on how and whether the original invoice should be kept. First of all, you should contact your responsible tax authority, i.e. the responsible auditor.

What documents are accepted?

Documents with legal relevance, such as contracts, are still required to be retained in the original.

To get to the point:

The tax office accepts electronic receipts. The court in dispute only originals.

This has to do with the fact that a signature can only be checked for authenticity on original documents. We recommend never throwing away the original.

Conclusion

It turns out that for the successful processing of incoming invoices you have to consider several aspects.

Let’s summarize:

In order to completely banish paper from the process, you have to implement end-to-end digitization of all incoming invoices. Improvements come from automating the process as much as possible.

Such a digital document has a bundle of advantages for the company. Tailor-made software ensures significantly more productivity in the company.

So, digitizing invoices is an important step in transforming your business into a paperless office. It saves time and labor. Increases the quality of your work results.

Take advantage of all the advantages of a digital office.

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Digital office made easy

Would you like to reduce paper consumption in your company, digitize your data or learn how to go paperless and digital in the office? In this article, we have selected some steps that can be very useful to achieve a digital office.

You only need to follow a few steps to achieve the digital office goal
Digital office – it’s that easy

This article also lists relevant information about paper and how to minimize it, what exactly is necessary for the digital office, what hardware you need for it and what a process for implementing the digital office can ultimately look like, just like your data get under control in the company.

Table of Contents

Technology is getting faster and faster

At a time when technology has pushed us to contact the world through our smartphones, it makes less sense that we still use paper in many of our daily activities.

Today we are used to dealing with digital content (music, photography, TV series), but the digitization of documents is not yet widespread in the work and business environment. Nowadays almost all businesses have access to computers and mobile devices, so why do we keep filling our offices with paper?

The main reasons for the continued use of paper lie in the challenges of dealing with change and digitization. Many people like to keep a physical copy of the documents they work with.

In the course of change in digitization
In the course of change in digitization

However, if your employees start eliminating or at least reducing paper consumption in the offices or the entire company, you will also improve processes, increase productivity by digitizing data, use paperless methods and thus reduce costs.

It is very important for all companies to strengthen the competitiveness of the company by making it paperless or digital and by ensuring that the employees can also work flexibly from home, especially in the currently difficult times such as the need for home office due to Corona able to work in the home office. Ultimately, the company must keep up with the digital age and realize the path to the digital office.

Why should you reduce paper consumption in your company and change to digital office ?

A digital and paperless office is a goal that more and more companies are certainly striving to achieve and offers many benefits beyond cost savings and reducing a company’s carbon footprint.

It is estimated that an employee who spends a total of two hours with documents uses an average of 10,000 sheets of paper per year (Federal Environment Agency data, state Germany). For this reason, it is important to use solutions and tools that improve both access, management and localization of information. However, any change in the business process takes time and requires a gradual change in corporate culture. In addition to the positive impact on the environment by reducing the consumption of business paper, the digitization of documents and company data offers many other advantages.

Here are some of the benefits of digitization:

More efficiency in document management by using document management software

Company information is more accessible and it is easier to trace the provenance of digital documents and know who modified them and when – the first step towards a paperless digital office.

Greater information security through the use of document management software with a database storage system

The security of digitally stored information is far superior to the security of documents archived on paper. Be careful not to use a cloud solution in your company, because cloud-based DMS solutions and DMS software are a security gap.

PaperOffice Document Management System - Security of your data comes first
PaperOffice document management software – security of your data comes first

Don’t forget the most important factor – you are completely dependent on the provider when using a cloud-based system. If the provider itself has problems in the data center, for example, the company using the service has no influence on when the DMS software can be used properly again. In extreme cases, this can lead to failures, which in turn result in delivery bottlenecks, customer complaints and additional costs for commercial users. Should a hacker attack come into question, all your data will end up in the hands of strangers. Isn’t that anything but security when it comes to company data?

Dependence on data protection from the cloud-based DMS provider

Another factor that has been on everyone’s lips since the GDPR came into force in 2018 at the latest is data protection. DMS solutions and DMS software are used to process, manage and store documents that often contain sensitive, personal data. In the event of violations of the GDPR, the legislator provides for high fines.

Cost reduction

Document digitization has a direct impact on reducing the costs of your business, not only because you no longer buy as much paper, but also because you save on printer maintenance and the purchase of ink and spare parts.

In addition, the bottom line is that as soon as you use digital data, your employees work much more efficiently in the office and invest the valuable time gained in a sensible and targeted manner in the company.

Work space-optimized

Significantly reducing storage space through digitization and/or reducing paper usage leads to cleaner and tidier offices.

Remarkable improvement in the working environment among employees

Businesses that choose to digitize their documents through the use of appropriate document management software receive great benefits in return, such as:

  • Larger free physical space
  • Faster document search
  • Better organization of documentation
  • Resulting in less time spent searching for documents and less stress
  • Sustainability and competitiveness
  • Simplified communication and task solving
  • Productivity of your company increases
  • And the most important thing is – you are on the right path to the digital office

What steps do you need to follow to reduce paper consumption in your office?

We have listed a few steps that will accompany you on the way to the digital office:

Step 1: Choose a strategy and analyze your processes and processes of your employees

You may wish to scan and digitize all previous documents, or transition to a paperless office/system by a certain date, as well as employ digital data to continue and work efficiently in the future. The first option requires more time and resources. Ideally, you and your team will decide how to organize electronic files and set up a continuous scanning process step by step so that all future documents are digitized.

Step 2: Allocate a budget and consider new hardware

If you have decided on some kind of transition to a digital office, the second thing to consider is your company’s budget for this project.

How much will the transition cost? What are the benefits? Do you think you need to increase the storage space on your computer or would you rather use a dedicated server or an external NAS system? Need to buy more scanners? What will it cost? The budget should include all of these expenses.

Step 3: Decide where to store the information

If you’ve already decided that your physical files are now going to be digital files, the immediate question is where are you going to store those digital files. Will you store them in a database locally or on an external NAS device?

Perfect data storage partner are QNAP NAS and Synology NAS
Use QNAP and Synology NAS as data storage

Or do you not want to have the data storage or the database in your company in order to avoid fire, robbery, etc., but using a cloud solution is out of the question for you for legal reasons. Then of course the solution with the use of the database on a dedicated server, which is assigned to you alone, is a very good solution.

Dedicated PaperOffice server at Strato in Berlin

This choice depends on your needs, the way you work and the resources of your company.

Our tip: Do not use an external cloud, because the use of a cloud is never secure. We always say – the cloud is someone else’s storage space. You don’t want to put all your information and thus your most valuable asset in the hands of strangers, do you?

Step 4: Digitize invoices and gradually implement paperless accounting

The issuance of invoices as such is also part of the digital office, although not only to be seen in this context. Digitization and proper processing are a problem and must also be well planned and implemented.

Anyone who maintains their invoices digitally and also creates their digital bookkeeping recognizes greater potential for savings and can make the general accounting process more efficient. There are now numerous workshops on our YouTube channel for this, as well as other articles that will help you to work more efficiently and in compliance with the law.

Conclusion of digital transformation

A modern and efficient digital office is not an overnight achievement for many companies, but it is also not a utopia. To finally achieve digitization of your documents, you need to establish paper reduction policies and find solutions to get rid of everything you no longer need.

Document management software from PaperOffice can support you in digitizing documents and implementing a digital office. DMS solutions are complete solutions that offer a consistent infrastructure. As a result, business processes are mapped transparently, workflows can be carried out digitally and all important information can be easily viewed.

Thanks to the DMS solutions, you are also able to process and store digital documents and content in an audit-proof manner, for example to save yourself trouble during company and tax audits.

9 tips to ensure that the digital office actually works

In short, it is about the digitalization of a wide variety of documents in the company, such as contracts, receipts, delivery notes, incoming invoices, i.e. everything that is on paper. In addition, not only the paper on the past, but also the future paper comes into question.

Communication is also a relevant partner in the digital office. You don’t have to worry legally, just pay attention to a couple of “subtleties”. Certain documents, including the folder structure and in PDF format, can easily be handed over to the tax consultant or colleagues as a self-supporting archive – this is done with just a few mouse clicks.

So that the “digital office” project can be implemented, we have summarized 9 tips that should definitely be followed.

9 tips to ensure that the digital office actually works
9 tips to ensure that the digital office actually works

Tip #1- Carefully analyze your company’s operations

If you deal with the topic, you should thoroughly analyze your processes in order to also implement digital processes. This can take days or even weeks. As a next step, it is important to analyze both sides, meaning incoming documents and processes as well as outgoing ones. Internal protocols or notes must also be taken into account.

We always recommend after the introduction of a DMS – do not make a big cut into the world of digitization. Gradually convert your employees or departments to the DMS system or paperless work. Your employees will not panic by that way and can slowly get used to it.

Tip #2- Good hardware is crucial

If you want to make the transition to a digital office, you shouldn’t skimp on the hardware. Database setup locally, use of NAS devices or dedicated servers – decide step by step what would be suitable for you. Answer these and you’re one step closer to the paperless office. Do not use any cloud solutions, because the cloud does not offer any information security and storage in a cloud is not GDPR compliant.

Tip #3- Folder Structure

A well thought-out folder structure is the be-all and end-all to make it easy to find yourself again after the changeover.

Organize your digital folder structure easily according to your existing “real folder structure”. Simply look around the office and duplicate your existing shelf with the folders step by step.

Tip #4- Scan existing documents

Documents that already exist in paper form are best scanned and archived digitally. Use a multifunction printer/scanner for scanning and directory monitoring or mass archiving for large amounts of documents. If you use a scanner with an OCR function in a digital office, the DMS system will simply read the text and save even more time when archiving.

Tip #5- Design documents digitally

Avoid using paper as far as possible: meetings, minutes, incoming mail, outgoing invoices and notes can be created directly in PaperOffice. We recommend the implementation of tasks and workflows on digital.

Tip #6- Avoid printing out the documents

The material and labor required for this cost money that you can use more sensibly. Documents that already exist in digital form can be released in the network or sent to third parties with password protection.

Or create an email address thanks to the DropMail function, to which your customers should only send you invoices, such as john.smith_inout@paperoffice-mail.com, and thus archive everything automatically in your designated folder.

Helpful YouTube tutorial:

Tip #7- Start automating your business now

Thanks thanks to AI most important document data in the document is intelligently recognized, extracted and used for keywording, for instance.

In other words, this saves time and therefore money.

Tip #8- Be consistent

In the beginning it is always difficult. You have been rehearsing for years processes and they are new for the time being. Don’t fall back into the old pattern.

Stay consistent and experience the digital office.

Tip #9- Conclusion

Operational processes are now transparent and comprehensible.

The PaperOffice software saves your electronic documents with reference to the underlying process and additional document keywords. In this way, a digital office only brings advantages for your business, thanks to PaperOffice you can make your customer relationships more transparent. You can run digital solution of the processes through digital workflows and automation. Digital workflows and automation help you with this.

It saves time and work and increases the quality of your work results. Take advantage of all the benefits of a digital office.

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