SharePoint DMS: Turn Office 365 and SharePoint into your Document Management System

Published February 28, 2020

Martin Hülscher General Manager International d.velop

SharePoint Office 365 DMS header

The situation is common in everyday office life: a customer inquiry leaves you needing quick access to documents such as invoices, written correspondence or specific e-mails. You often have to switch applications to get the content you are looking for. The solution: A SharePoint DMS.

Most companies nowadays use SharePoint – which gives them an ideal platform for collaboration and document management. However, the standard version itself is usually insufficient so that SharePoint requires other functions that make it easy for people to use for the tasks in their day-to-day work.

Enhance SharePoint with integrated ECM

As is often the case, third-party providers have stepped in here to fill this gap with enhancement solutions. For instance, its special features include technical applications such as SharePoint-based contract management and invoice processing.

Integration into principal business applications

All staff can work with the same information without leaving their familiar environments. d.velop integrates SharePoint Online (Office 365) with Dynamics 365, SAP or Salesforce, and ensures that every single piece of information about your business transactions is available – across the borders of departments and locations and irrespective of the system in which they were created. Employees can also edit and forward the documents from their usual applications directly.

Dynamic structure of digital folders

The principle behind the digital document dossiers from d.velop is simple: all documents the company or organization accesses in digital or paper form are stored in SharePoint.

No matter which file system option you choose, digital files give you constant and instant oversight of all your important information.

The files can represent all kinds of objects from your business including, for instance, customer files, supplier files, order files, machine files, contract files or personnel files. One helpful tool in the rollout of the system is the predefined templates, which have been developed on the basis of many years of experience. However, the file systems can also be based around existing organizational structures. Regardless of which of the two options you choose, digital files give you complete oversight of all your important information.

Create and enhance files automatically

Newly scanned documents are automatically analyzed, and the information is autonomously allocated to the corresponding existing digital document dossiers.

Another special feature: documents imported as scans or in any other format are analyzed fully automatic and the information is autonomously allocated to the corresponding existing digital document dossiers based on this information. Where necessary, new file folders are created automatically based on the identified properties without any need for input from the user. When your inbox receives hundreds of documents on a daily basis, this leads to enormous time savings.

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Optimize cross-system processes

Digital document dossiers also help to optimize processes. For instance, users can easily integrate their Office or ERP systems into their digital workflows through d.velop document management. And staff always work within their familiar user interface with no need for training in new solutions.

Modeling processes as digital workflows gives them a much greater degree of flexibility. Business processes constantly have to be adapted to changing market requirements and in ever faster cycles. Modeling these processes as digital workflows gives them a much greater degree of flexibility and allows them to run automatically. This improves process quality within the company, standardizes the processes and increases transparency for areas such as status overviews, documentation and reporting for instance. It also reduces processing times and costs, increases the availability of information and eliminates media gaps.

Integrate other Office 365 apps

The Microsoft Office 365 platform offers a range of additional apps that help you to work with file folders and documents and provide extra functions where necessary.

  • Microsoft Flow enables you to create internal workflows for obtaining approvals quickly.
  • Solutions such as Microsoft Flow let you create internal workflows for obtaining rapid approvals or send out notifications once deadlines have been met.
  • If you need staff to gather information for a service folder using a mobile device, you can create a quick solution with PowerApps.
  • PowerBI helps to display and visually prepare all your information in interactive real-time dashboards. Office 365 and DMS from d.velop – the strategic platform for clarity and optimal processes.

In combination with the web-based d.velop document management system, Office 365 becomes a strategic platform for centrally managing documents and information. It ensures that the same information is always available across departments and locations. Likewise, it improves process workflows and enables you to adapt them to changed requirements with speed and flexibility.

Are you curious how to enhance O365 and SharePoint with ECM functionality, such as metadata-driven navigation and structured file plans? Watch our webinar!