In today’s fast-paced business environment, having a reliable and efficient document management system (DMS) is crucial for organizations to manage their documents effectively. Many organizations have been relying on cloud storage solutions such as Google Drive or OneDrive for their document collaboration needs. However, using these cloud storage solutions come with their own set of challenges.
Document Management System vs Cloud Storage Solutions: What’s the Difference?
A DMS is a software solution that allows businesses to manage their documents and files in a central location, providing features such as version control, access control, document collaboration, and retention policies. DMS is specifically designed to help businesses manage their documents and streamline their workflows. On the other hand, cloud storage solutions like Google Drive and OneDrive primarily offer storage space for files and folders, and while they offer some collaboration features, they lack the comprehensive document management features of a dedicated DMS.
When Should You Pick Docuflo Cloud Over Google Drive?
Now comes the big question – how do businesses decide which is better for them? Here are the top five challenges faced by organizations when using Google Drive or OneDrive and how a DMS such as Docuflo Cloud can help overcome them:
- Limited Access Control Function: One of the biggest challenges of using Google Drive or OneDrive is the limited access control function. Once a user is granted access to a folder, they can edit or delete documents within that folder. This creates a risk of sensitive information being accessed or modified by unauthorized users. A DMS like Docuflo Cloud provides full-fledged access control functions, allowing organizations to restrict users’ access to specific documents or folders.
- Compliance and Security Risk: Compliance and security risks are major concerns for organizations when using cloud storage solutions. The security standards and compliance requirements in Malaysia may not be met by cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or OneDrive. Docuflo Cloud, on the other hand, complies with Malaysia National Bank Compliance and uses secure encryption methods to encrypt files, ensuring data security and compliance.
- Versioning and Duplication Risk: With multiple users working on the same document, versioning becomes a challenge, and the risk of duplication of documents is high. This leads to inconsistencies and confusion among team members. A DMS like Docuflo Cloud provides standardized version control features, ensuring no duplication or mismatch of versions.
- Backup and Retention: Google Drive or OneDrive does not provide backup or retention features, which can be a problem when archiving documents. A DMS like Docuflo Cloud provides backup and retention features, ensuring healthy storage space and easy retrieval of archived documents.
- Monitoring and Control: Google Drive or OneDrive documents are stored in the public drive everywhere, making it difficult to monitor and control the documents. A DMS like Docuflo Cloud provides a centralized repository for all active and non-active documents, allowing organizations to monitor and control documents effectively.
In addition to the challenges above, here are some other reasons why Docuflo Cloud should be considered when trying to improve your document management and collaboration processes:
- Improved Collaboration: Docuflo Cloud provides a centralized platform for all team members to collaborate on documents. With version control, users can keep track of the changes made to a document, who made them, and when. This ensures that everyone is working on the most up-to-date version of the document and avoids duplication or version mismatch.
- Enhanced Security: As mentioned, Google Drive and OneDrive have limited access control functions, leaving documents vulnerable to unauthorized access, edits, or deletions. In contrast, Docuflo Cloud offers robust access control and encryption methods to protect sensitive information from cybersecurity threats.
- Streamlined Document Management: Docuflo Cloud provides a user-friendly interface to manage documents, including searching and viewing documents from one source. This ensures that the documents can be easily found by searching the metadata or through content search. Additionally, with automated document expiry date notification, document controllers can easily track the validity of their documents and take necessary actions accordingly.
- Regulatory Compliance: Docuflo Cloud can comply with regulatory requirements, such as Malaysia National Bank Compliance, by providing secure encryption methods to encrypt files. This ensures that the documents are securely stored and managed to avoid non-compliance fines and penalties.
- Cost-Effective: Adopting Docuflo Cloud can provide cost savings for businesses. Instead of having to invest in multiple cloud storage solutions, Docuflo Cloud provides a comprehensive solution for document management, collaboration, and security.
In summary, while cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or OneDrive may be suitable for simple document collaboration needs, they may not be sufficient for organizations with more complex document management needs. A DMS like Docuflo Cloud provides advanced features such as full-fledged access control, compliance, standardized version control, backup and retention, and monitoring and control, making it a more suitable solution for organizations that require advanced document management capabilities.