Document Management is the Keystone of the Digital Workplace

You've probably heard it before; document management is one of the most important elements of a digital workplace strategy. In fact, according to the 2018 State of the Digital Workplace report, for organisations with 500-2000 employees, document management is rated as the number one most essential digital workplace technology.

But why is document management so important?

If your company is set in its ways, and refuses to move away from their internal folder-based filing system, you're probably not actually aware of the time you're losing searching and gathering information. But it's not just about arranging information so you can get your work done faster, it's about revolutionising the way you work and implementing digital workplace processes across the board, and addressing the common pitfalls of digital transformation.

What exactly do we mean by that? Read on.

1. Deconstructing Document Silos

Decentralised information is a real problem for many businesses. Whether your company is still working with an old school filing system and are physically handing notes out in meetings, or your team still have their own folder on their desktop and a bunch of email threads with attachments - there's huge room for improvement.

Just like a silo, if your documents are built vertically upon each other with many different versions, visibility isn't transparent and due to the placement of the files (desktop, third party software or folder based cloud storage) not everyone has access, you're going to run into problems.

When managing documents, digital workplaces need software that guarantees the right people have access to the most up to date version of a document at all times - or one source of truth.

How does PIQNIC facilitate this?

• Metadata: you can group information from multiple sources into smart searches that automatically update as new information becomes available. You'll always have access to the most up-to-date info at all times by searching for what it is, not where it is.
• Version Control: We've made version control easy and logical. New versions can be added simple by drag n dropping them and selecting if it's a major or minor version. You can even be notified when new versions are available.

2. Removing the Chaos of Document Management

There's no denying that document management can only be described as chaotic. The recent 'The State of Digital Workplace 2018' found that 20% of employees avoid sharing a document with a colleague because it is difficult to find, while 23% of users say that it takes them 5–10 minutes to find the latest version of the needed document.

We've all been there. That moment when you're frantically trying to recall what a particular document was called, so you can find it buried deep in an old email thread. Plus, it's always just when you need it most that you can't find it, which never looks good in front of a client.

You can almost empathise with people who decide to omit sharing files whatsoever - it's just too far in the too-hard basket.

How does PIQNIC facilitate this?

• Instant file sharing: Instead of using email, quickly add documents and files to a file share, add users and presto! If you need to create file shares with non PIQNIC users, no problem. Just add their email address. Messaging is available so there's no need to email back and forth.
• File sharing connected to document management: PIQNIC can automatically capture and classify any file in a file share and save it to PIQNIC. Say goodbye to lost documents.
• Metadata filing: Metadata is the difference between a stock-standard alphabetical filing system, and a smart file management tool. Metadata is a set of fields and values used to classify and organise documents and give a detailed preview of what a document contains. You'll find your files faster than ever.

3. Addressing Collaboration Barriers

If you're a part of a digital workplace, you'll already be aware of the importance of collaboration to get the job done, and we don't just mean internally. Often project managers, contractors and clients themselves need access to certain files and the ability to edit the working version of a file.

However, it's near impossible to collaborate effectively if your communication, file sharing and collaboration tools are spread across several apps. That's digital chaos.

A great example of collaborative tools becoming a pitfall for a digital business, is the need for software that can support remote work. As a manager, you want to be sure that when an employee is working from home or out of the office, you're able to manage their workload and keep up to date with their tasks. In other words, full transparency.

To facilitate a top-level view of work in progress, and to maintain effective communication between managers and staff, you'll need a single platform that can do it all, rather than multiple third-party single purpose apps.

How does PIQNIC facilitate this?

• Team & work management: Instantly see what's happening with your teams, tasks and projects. This includes project updates, communications and progress indicators.
• Work-centric communication: Make sure your communications and information isn't spread across several apps and doesn't get buried in endless messaging threads. On-topic, instant communication with notifications you can control.

4. Nurturing Digital Workplace Culture

Having a streamlined document management system isn't just about making sure that your information is easily accessible and organised - it's about the bigger picture too.

You can't simply roll out new software and expect every single employee to embrace the change (see our blog: Rolling out software? Sort out your own backyard before inviting people to the PIQNIC). You'll need a platform that has the ability to change employee's working styles through helping them get used to working in a digital environment - and that means making everything easier, not harder.

How does PIQNIC facilitate this?

• Quickly create or edit roles for your company: Easy to follow permissions, assignees, access polices, available searches and document capture rules makes deploying new users and updating existing super easy and fast. Your staff don't have to manage their permissions - it's automated.
• Easy to use process builder: build your process step by step from the beginning to completion. Each step can have its own rules, decision, people and information. Use of natural language makes it easy to become a workflow master.
• Customised notifications: you choose what you get notified about and by whom. A nice way to join in on the action without all the distractions.

Designed for the digital workplace, with users in mind

Everything we do at PIQNIC is tailor made for the digital workplace, with proven methods of collaboration, file sharing and communication combined to make the ultimate platform. But we weren't just thinking about the features when we built PIQNIC, we were thinking about the users.

Every aspect of PIQNIC has a smooth user experience, with the goal of full transparency and making your life easier.

Ready to give it a go? Why not book in a free consultation and we'll talk you through the benefits.