Efficient document management is essential for working entirely from a browser. So says Jan Stevens, ICT advisor at Woonwaarts. In an interview with CorporatieGids Magazine, he explains how his housing corporation is preparing for a browser-based future: “For us, that means a cloud strategy and the ambition to be working fully from a browser in a few years,” Jan begins. “The first phase of that journey is creating a central location for employees to share, retrieve, and collaborate on information. To enable this, we’ve optimized our document management processes.”
Accurate, Relevant, and Reliable
According to Jan, the core of document management is supporting business processes so they can run optimally. “A key part of this is having quick access to the right, relevant, and reliable information. This helps both the tenant and the internal end user. But document management goes beyond that—like simplifying the application landscape or better complying with laws and regulations.”
Leading by Example
To effectively support processes, document management must be properly executed throughout the entire organization. “You can set up a great system to create structure, but ultimately, its success depends on how well employees use it. This hinges on leadership setting the example. For instance, our executive director saves documents herself, creates meeting files from which she shares documents with stakeholders, and can easily retrieve information. This sends a clear message to employees that structured information storage has real benefits.”
Complete and Quick
Aside from employee behavior, a solid ICT solution is essential, says Jan: “Since the beginning of this year, we’ve been using E-Content from Archive-IT. In the past, information at Woonwaarts was hard to find. It was physically dispersed and our digital archive was incomplete. This led to confusion, like multiple versions of the same document. We also didn’t comply with GDPR, since documents lacked retention periods. Choosing a new ICT document management solution now allows us to access information faster, ensure it’s complete, and stay compliant.”
Organization-Wide Impact
Woonwaarts gathered input from teams involved in day-to-day and planned maintenance, as well as the move-in/move-out process. When asked if these departments benefit most from a functioning document system, Jan responds: “Yes and no. These processes certainly benefit, but it goes further. By deploying the system organization-wide, even our customer contact center staff can access maintenance information. They can retrieve documents that were previously unavailable and help tenants more effectively. In the end, the entire organization benefits from efficient document management processes.”
Engaging Employees
It’s important to involve the entire organization in implementation, says Jan: “We tried to align with the needs of end users and actively involved them in the project. The goal isn’t just to deliver a technically working system, but one that supports employees in performing their tasks and processes. A key success factor is engaging end users not only during the design and rollout, but also in the post-implementation phase. That’s when you can continuously fine-tune the system and processes for optimal results.”
Access Rights and Compliance
Revised document management processes also brought GDPR compliance. “Previously, we used an ‘open unless’ strategy,” Jan explains. “Now we’ve moved to a ‘need to know’ approach. Employees only get access if they really need it to do their job. We also now apply retention and deletion periods, and certain types of documents that don’t belong in a DMS—like ID documents—are automatically detected and removed.”
Structuring Information Intelligently
Looking ahead, Jan sees potential for Artificial Intelligence in document management: “Document systems that can intelligently structure and tag information on their own could bring real added value. Even more exciting is AI that can interpret the tone of a message and determine its urgency or response time based on that, helping us work more efficiently as an organization.”
The Next Step
With the first phase of the cloud-based, browser-first transition complete, Woonwaarts is preparing for the next step: “That involves cleaning up our archives,” Jan explains. “We’ll work with each department to find the most efficient way to migrate data. Once that’s done, we’re ready to fully realize our cloud strategy. This will give users the full browser-based experience, but more importantly, it will expand our collaborative environment. That means directly involving people in processes—working together in one unified environment. Not just internal staff, but external partners too.”
Source: Corporatiegids, 18-06-2019