How government workers can stay efficient with a DMS

Cities and communities attribute a large part of their success to the hard-working individuals behind the scenes. These individuals are faced with a wide range of responsibilities. And because of this heavy work, government work can often be draining.

Government workers have to work efficiently to make sure all their programs and initiatives are running smoothly to leave their constituents satisfied. With the right tools and technology, government employees can streamline their daily duties to be more productive.

Technology can help

Technology is the key to developing an efficient workflow. What used to be bulky and hard to navigate is now simple and easy to implement. Even just 10 to 15 years ago, email was one of the most impactful pieces of technology. Today, using email is second nature, and almost anything is possible with the right technology. The challenge has become narrowing down what technology an organization needs.

A document management system (DMS) is becoming increasingly popular across every industry, but especially in government. There are countless systems available, ranging from simple solutions that store documents to complex options that automate workflows and generate helpful reports.

Using a DMS in your government organization will help your team to reach new levels of efficiency.

Reduce human error with automation

In the government sector, you are regularly faced with tedious tasks like processing licenses, sending approvals to the right people, saving documents to a specified location, and making sure your internal and external documents follow compliance regulations. These processes—along with the countless others specific to your department—are all prone to human error.

Human error is inevitable, yet can still have lasting effects on an organization and its productivity. For example, employees may have to double and triple check their work then have to redo a project once the mistake is caught. That will prevent them from moving on to their other work and have a negative impact on efficiency instantly.

A DMS can greatly reduce human error by using automation. Consider all that goes into maintaining compliance. The regulations vary, but you may be required to hold onto a document for a certain period of time or ensure that only authorized employees have access to certain information. Even the best employees will make a mistake at some point such as accidently destroying the wrong document or filing it in the wrong location. But with automation, you can always trust that your compliance rules are being followed because human error has been diminished.

Instead of the employees working on tedious tasks manually, a computer can automate all those things that often trip them up. So employees can spend more time working on things that require their thought and attention.

Central and standardized filing system

A DMS can greatly benefit employees by providing them with a central repository for all government documents. Instead of making trips around the office to gather each document they’re looking for, they’ll be able to effortlessly access all of them with a DMS.

Do you need to collaborate on a document with your team? No problem. With the centralized storage and standardized filing system that a DMS provides, every team member will have access to the required documents without wondering if they’re putting them back in the correct location. Interdepartmental work doesn’t have to be challenging and hold up your efficiency any longer.

Flexible work environment

Most employees know themselves and recognize what environment holds them back, and which one helps them flourish. When employees can work where and how they want, they’ll be able to find an efficient workflow. Remote work may not seem practical for every government agency with the projects that need to be accessible by everyone.

Because a DMS provides centralized document storage, anyone can productively work from home or in the office. There are a variety of reasons why employees may need to work remotely. Whether they’re in the midst of a global pandemic, an employee needs to stay home to care for a sick family member, or the stellar new hire has a long commute, remote work is possible and easy with a DMS.

Using a DMS in your government agency will empower your employees to work productively. The right technology can have a great impact on the work you produce and will make your job as public servants more efficient than you ever imagined.

Katie Casaday is a marketing content writer at eFileCabinet where she specializes in computer software and document management topics. She graduated from Utah State University with a BA in Global Communication.