What is a Document Management System?
A document management system (DMS) is a software solution that stores, manages, and tracks business content, such as documents and emails. It enables efficient retrieval, security, and sharing of documents, supporting compliance and collaboration. By storing business content in a central repository, it ensures users have a single source of document truth.
Efficiently manage documents
Spending too much time searching for documents that could be stored locally, or in outlook? Unsure if you're working from the most recent version of a document? Worried about content security and access to sensitive material? Or, perhaps reviewing which DMS is best suited for your business is challenging?
We hear this often. This is where Ascertus can review the DMS solutions suited to your needs and help to create a business case for internal alignment.
Document Management System benefits
How to achieve an ROI from iManage DMS
Efficient searching
Consolidating email and document content into a single repository combined with power search capabilities substantially reduces search time by 7 minutes per search.
Metadata assignment
A DMS solution can automatically assign metadata to uploaded documents, typically saving 3.5 minutes per upload.
Improved collaboration
Version Control ensures users are always working from the latest document, which can then be shared using advanced share features and changes audited.
Enhances security
Content is fully auditable allowing businesses to track documents through the lifecycle. Access rights can also be set to control the flow of informationl
DMS in the cloud or on-premises
We provide solutions, such as iManage DMS, for both on-premises and cloud setups, however there any many benefits to implementing a cloud-based DMS.
- Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Cloud-based DMS eliminates the need for extensive on-premise hardware, such as servers and storage systems, reducing the capital expenses and maintenance costs associated with physical infrastructure.
- Scalability: Cloud-based DMS solutions are highly scalable. They can easily accommodate growing amounts of data and an increasing number of users without the need for significant hardware upgrades. Businesses can adjust their storage needs and system capabilities as their requirements change.
- Accessibility: Cloud-based systems allow users to access documents from anywhere, at any time, as long as they have internet access. This is particularly beneficial for remote teams or organisations with multiple locations, enhancing flexibility and enabling collaboration across geographies.
Why DMS implementations fail
Document management systems may fail due to poor user adoption, inadequate training, and lack of proper integration. If a DMS isn't user-friendly or well-integrated with other tools, or if its benefits aren't clear, users may resist adopting it and continue using familiar, less efficient methods. In this situation it becomes challenging to achieve ROI, or the implementation can fail altogether.
The Ascertus solution
At Ascertus we work collaboratively. This means we work in partnership with our clients to:
- Establish the business needs and objectives
- Review appropriate solutions
- Build an implementation strategy
- Develop a bespoke onboarding program
- Train employees to ensure adoption
- Provide ongoing support and advice
Everything you need to make a DMS implementation successful.
Four steps to start your DMS journey
Book a meeting
One of expert consultants will discuss any business pain points and objectives.
Product demo
Based on the initial discovery we will tailor a solution and demo the benefits.
Project scope
Align on timings, budget and project structure, to support the Business Case.
Strategy defined
An in-depth implementation strategy is defined to ensure projects success.
DMS Resources
Download our FREE Knowledge Management eBook
Watch our iManage for Beginners tutorial
Learn how Eurotunnel's legal department gained efficiencies from DMS.
What is an example of a Document Management System?
One of the leading Document Management Systems is iManage. It is suited for Legal Practices, Accounting Firms, and corporate legal departments across many sectors, such as Financial Services, Energy, Oil & Gas, or Healthcare.
Is SharePoint a Document Management System?
Yes, but with several limitations. Without proper governance and management policies, SharePoint sites can become disorganised "document graveyards" where files are stored and forgotten, making document retrieval challenging. Also, SharePoint does not offer email management.
Which Document Management System is the best?
There are many document management systems available, so we take a consultative approach to understand which solution is best for you. Typically, we provide solutions to legal practices and corporate legal departments and find iManage is the most suited to their needs.
What our clients have to say
We don't expect you just to take our word for it. Our clients span a wide range of industries and sectors, in lots of different countries. See how Ascertus has helped them.
It’s clear to us that the Ascertus team has sound knowledge of iManage Cloud. They are working with us patiently and systematically to meet our system requirements. Their approach to working is very straightforward and professional – with a lot of emphasis on attention to detail.
Miriam Lindsay, Senior Legal Counsel
CARDANO
Ascertus clearly stood out for its professional attitude towards customer communication. Also, unlike many other organisations, the company lays equal emphasis on providing support services and delivering technology implementations. This approach clinched the deal for us.
Nikolaj Clausen, Chief Technology Officer
LUNDGRENS
Ascertus displayed great eagerness to understand our requirements and suggest approaches that would solve our problems. Executives from the CEO downwards were involved in discussions with us, which gave us a good insight into the company’s cultural attitude towards the delivery of support services.
Jurian Hermeler, ICT Director
NAUTADUTILH N.V
Ascertus continue to impress us with their knowledge and professionalism. Their deep understanding of the iManage suite allows them to efficiently resolve the complex issues that we escalate to them allowing us to focus on delivering benefits to our firm.
Steve Dalgleish, Applications Manager
SHEPHERD & WEDDERBURN
Implementation of iManage Cloud has been painless. Ascertus and our IT service provider worked collaboratively to deliver the solution to the firm. Our involvement was only in the initial design stages to decide things like policies for file naming and matter workspaces in the application. It could not have gone smoother.
Aoife Cullen, Office Manager
OCWM LAW
Learn how to work smarter and more securely with a Document Management System
Download our FREE eBook today to see how a centralised repository for matter-related information can help.