How to Choose Your EDMS Software?
An EDMS quickly becomes essential for many industrial companies to ensure access to up-to-date information, maintain compliance with standards, and increase operational efficiency. Industry often generates a large volume of technical documents, procedures, reports, and production data, all subject to strict regulations, which makes EDMS particularly useful to avoid errors and delays. But when it comes to choosing software, the decision can be particularly tricky, as the market offers many solutions. So, how do you choose your future EDMS? Aletiq helps by revealing the key criteria to consider and the common mistakes to avoid when deploying the software.
Essential Criteria for Choosing Your EDMS Software
If it can be particularly useful on a daily basis, you may be wondering how to choose the right EDMS. First, know that several key criteria must be considered to select a solution that fits your needs. Here are, in our view, the main criteria to keep in mind in the industrial context to make an informed choice:
Data Security
Make sure the software provides robust security measures (such as encryption and strong authentication) and fine-grained access management. The solution must comply with data protection standards and ensure document backup.
The system should also allow you to define precisely who can view or edit each document. Strong authorization mechanisms ensure that only authorized personnel access sensitive documents. This permission management is essential to protect confidential information while facilitating collaborative work.
Usability and Ease of Use
Favor an intuitive, user-friendly interface, close to the tools your employees already know. Software that is easily adopted by users encourages regular use. Ergonomics is crucial to generate team buy-in.
Compatibility and Integration
Your EDMS must integrate smoothly into your existing IT environment. Check compatibility with your tools, business applications, and common file formats.
Flexibility
A good EDMS must adapt to a wide range of needs to ensure maximum adoption and be useful across multiple teams.
Traceability and Archiving
A good EDMS must keep a full history of actions on each document. This traceability makes it easy to track who performed an action and when, ensuring archiving that complies with legal requirements.
Want to learn more before making your choice?
Read our article on the applications of EDMS in industry!
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing or Deploying
Even with these criteria in mind, some mistakes can compromise the success of your deployment. Here are the most frequent pitfalls to avoid.
First, do not overlook the needs of end users and, by extension, do not choose an EDMS without involving your team. They are the ones who will use the tool daily, so it is crucial to gather their requirements and feedback beforehand.
A common mistake is deploying software that is too complex or unsuitable for your operational needs because the existing business processes were not analyzed. Once again, involve your teams to ensure the chosen solution fits your workflows.
Also, don’t forget the integration of the EDMS with your business software: it must align with your existing systems. Neglecting this aspect can lead to double entries or fragmented information. Check compatibility with your management systems and collaborative tools.
Finally, take security and compliance into account: thinking an EDMS project is purely technical and ignoring security issues is risky. Some solutions offer less advanced security features, so make sure you select software with a sufficient level of protection for your needs. Also, take legal obligations into account from the very start.You now know how to choose your EDMS and which mistakes to avoid. Remember that selecting an EDMS is a strategic project for any company. By understanding what EDMS is and the benefits it brings, rigorously analyzing your needs, and evaluating solutions against objective criteria, you maximize your chances of making the right choice.
With the right approach, the EDMS you select will become a valuable ally to optimize your document processes and strengthen the performance of your industrial organization. And if you would like to try our Aletiq EDMS today, don’t hesitate to contact us to request a demo!
