SmallBusinessNewz

Oce Business Services surveyed business executives about their document management habits and revealed some interesting information.

The survey appears to have been aimed more at larger corporations than small businesses, but I think the information is worth noting for our  audience as well, if for no other reason than to get you thinking about how you manage your own documents.

90% of senior executives surveyed that are involved with their companies' document management see managing documents throughout their lifecycle (creation through disposal) as important to improving business performance, but only 12% think that their own  companies are doing it efficiently.

    "Executives surveyed indicate that their most urgent business goal is to improve operational efficiency closely followed by reducing costs," said Oce Business Services President and CEO Joseph R. Marciano. 

"The executives see document management processes as having a high impact in meeting these and other goals," added Marciano. "This is particularly the case with processes such as digital imaging, as well as methodologies such as document lifecycle management and document performance management."

The survey focused on six document management processes including:

- document imaging
- records management
- enterprise-wide print/copy
- mail and shipping
- automated print/mail workflows
- legal discovery

According to the survey, executives tend to believe that document imaging (converting paper to digital) has the largest impact across a wide range of business goals, such as cost reduction, competitive advantage, customer service, and regulatory compliance. Records management is seen to have the biggest impact on overall efficiency.

Your document management methods can have a tremendous effect on the organization and productivity of your business. Is your system efficient?