GRM EDM - Document Web Hosting
Next week we'll get back to news in the document management industry, but I'd like to spend one last day discussing the new services offered by our digital division -
GRM EDM. Document Web Hosting is an important step towards greening and digitalizing your office, and GRM EDM makes the transition simple. In most organizations, documents and records reside in multiple locations, in a variety of media formats, and are required by a number of different applications and business processes. As the volume of information grows it's become increasingly difficult to effectively and securely manage content, as well as to store and retrieve paper documents, electronic files, print streams and email messages.
Implemented as a flexible, adaptable Software as a Service application that is tailored to the unique requirements of each organization, the GRM Online Records Center™ addresses long term EDM issues to protect you from data loss, business interruption, and high legal costs and fines. Our technology platform includes secure encryption, mirrored data centers, multiple communications options, automatic fail-over capabilities, and industry-standard physical and network security. And as an outsourced service, there are minimal upfront costs, ongoing maintenance and upgrade expenses are eliminated, and GRM can have you up and running in a matter of weeks.
GRM EDM - Smart Web Portals
Continuing with this weeks theme of Electronic Document Management, I'd like to discuss another of
GRM EDM's services - Smart Web Portal technology. GRM’s Smart Web Portal technology combines content, back-end applications and services to put information to work seamlessly across functional areas and departments. It integrates the GRM Online Records Center™ with operational systems, applications, email and business processes to streamline work activities and provide improved customer service, both internally and externally.
The Web Portal not only allows organizations and their employees individualized access to documents and applications based on their job function and need for information, but also makes it possible to integrate back-end systems with document content. Using rules defined by business processes, companies can automate collaboration and information flow, thus optimizing the interaction of functional areas.
GRM EDM - Workflow Tracking
Today I'll be continuing with my overview of GRM's new Electronic Document Management Division -
GRM EDM. The new division offers every Electronic Records or Document Management Services your business needs, and one of the most important of those services is GRM's Workflow Tracking Program.
GRM’s Workflow Tracking service is an enterprise solution that automates business processes, optimizes workflow, enhances collaboration between functional areas, accelerates document-centric processes, and allows organizations to easily adapt to ever-changing conditions. Integrated with the GRM Online Records Center™, Workflow Tracking streamlines almost every business process.
GRM EDM - Document Imaging and Scanning
For those of you who may have missed it yesterday, GRM officially announced the launch of their new digital division -
GRM EDM. If you're interested in the full details on the launch, please feel free to have a look at the
press release that was sent out yesterday afternoon. Over the course of the next few days, I'll be walking our readers here at the GRM blog through a number of services that the new division offers. First up on the agenda, document imaging and scanning.
GRM’s Document Imaging and Conversion solution simplifies the entire document capture process – document preparation, scanning, indexing, and conversion. Data that resides on paper, or most other types of digital formats can be easily converted to whatever delivery format you require. Upon completion of the conversion, we can offer you web access through the GRM Online Records Center™. Our customized scanning service allows organizations to successfully free-up the information held in your paper files and use it anywhere, any time.
GRM EDM
Today we officially announce the launch of our new electronic document management division, GRM EDM. As the business world moves further and further into the digital age, we felt that it was the appropriate time to create a division catering solely to EDM, as well as to helping businesses with traditional document management programs to tradition to new, electronic ones.
New services offered through the department will include electronic document & records management, document imaging/scanning and conversion, web hosting powered by GRM EDM’s on-line record center, business processes automation, web portals, workflow tracking and image enabling. The new EDM division will host a new website,
www.grmedm.com, which will offer everything from service offerings to knowledge base of white papers and case studies. Customers will also be able to utilize the website to access GRM’s on-line records center.
Obama and Document Management
There's an interesting article running on
CMSWire.com that discusses the potential impact President Obama's new administration will have on the document management field. During the campaign he spoke of a need for better digital medical record storage, and many industry insiders feel that their business could have a prominent place in his agenda.
From the article:
"US President Obama faces many challenges as he enters the executive office. His new administration is set to tackle the economy and many in the document management industry are looking to them for signs of increased regulation when it comes to records management and retention. While such a topic may not seem like it would be a priority for the new president, those immersed in the industry know that good knowledge management is key to solving some of the biggest problems facing the country. Like the economic crisis."
PDF Reigns Supreme
According to a new report on OneStopClick.com, the PDF file has become the leading format in the electronic document management industry. Many factors have contributed to the PDF's prevalence. The format is ideal for sending and viewing files online, easy to convert to from Microsoft Office Files, and familiar to the majority of the American workforce.
According to the report:
"PDF has become the format of choice for long-term electronic
document management, it has been revealed.Studies carried out by AIIM found 90 per cent of organisations are using the PDF file format for the storage of scanned documents, while 89 per cent are converting Microsoft Office files to the facility for distribution and archive. Earlier this week, IT industry analyst Gartner stated that electronic document management initiatives can improve operational efficiency while delivering environmental benefits."
Document Destruction Practices - Carton Shredding
GRM offers you the flexibility of shredding documents currently housed in your office or at our off-site storage facility. Either way, all you have to do is identify cartons designated for destruction with GRM’s unique “GRM Shred Me” label.
Once your order is processed, we will then dispatch our pick-up and delivery fleet along with authorized personnel to retrieve the cartons for destruction. We guarantee that each document will be shredded within 24-48 hours of retrieval, and a Certificate of Destruction will be issued for your records upon completion.
Document Destruction Practices - Bin Rotation
Why use open wastebaskets or recycling bins when
GRM can provide security containers for the safeguarding of critical information? You have two styles from which to choose: a 200-pound capacity, heavy gauge plastic mobile toter or a 100-pound capacity, stationary executive console. Both are locked and tracked by advanced bar code technology. Customized rotation schedules are available and all rotations are performed by GRM personnel and vehicles. Document shredding or destruction is performed within 24-48 hours of retrieval, and a Certificate of Destruction is issued upon completion.
The Three R's
Most of us had the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" drilled into our memory in grade school. It's the basis for good recycling, and according to
this article on Processor.com, it's also the key to an environmentally friendly document management program. Countless amounts of paper is wasted each year on unnecessary copies made in a commercial setting - and a comprehensive document management program from
GRM can help cut back on how much your business contributes to the problem.
From the article on the three R's:
"Reduce, reuse, and recycle is a common battle cry for those who want a greener world. This same call is now quite commonly being applied within corporations with regards to the management of the ever-growing expanse of corporate information. Just as there is the need for both corporate and individual responsibility to reduce waste and pollution, a truly green content management strategy needs to be addressed at the highest strategic levels of corporate architectural decision, as well as deep within individual technical implementations. The good news is that there is plenty of room at all levels to reduce, reuse, and recycle content that will ultimately result in reduced operational costs, an improved operational process, and a reduced carbon footprint. "
Inneficient Document Management Wastes Tiime and Money
A recent study conducted by business management prof Dr. Peter Richardson found that nearly (and in some cases more than) half of most offices managerial time is spent dealing with managing electronic and hard-copy documents. According to the study, poorly managed document flow is one of the number one causes of wasted time, energy and lost capital at a business. That being said, investing in a professional document management facility like
GRM or our new EDM division is a sure-fire way to streamline your company and save countless money.
From the start of an article on the study on
ITWeb.com:
"Business management professor Dr Peter Richardson has discovered that as much as 50% of managerial time is devoted to document management. That amounts to more than four hours per day, or more than 120 days each year. Inefficient document management can impact companies' performances and lead to their failure. Dr Richardson, who is based at Queen's School of Business, in Ontario, Canada, points out that 40% of the time that business people spend on documents delivers "little or no value". He estimates the time spent finding, reviewing, writing, editing and sending documents costs businesses about $50 billion each year in lost productivity in Canada alone."
DAM vs. WCM
This morning I stumbled on an interesting (and oddly entertaining) article on the differences between
digital asset management and web content management - neither to be confused with online document management. It points out an important thing, which is that many business owners can be confused, and subsequently put-off by EDM and similar practices because it all sounds too techy.
Here's a clip from the opening, but follow the link for the complete article:
"To begin, digital asset management (DAM) is too often mistaken as just a more elaborate form of document management or Web content management (WCM). Part of the confusion comes from WCM and enterprise content management (ECM) vendors who promote their systems as DAM tools, when really all they offer are generic repositories for binary files. For some customers, this “DAM-lite” approach might work, but enterprises that need to carefully manage rich media assets will require something much more specialized— which is what DAM provides."
Online Document Storage
One of the recent trends in document management is online document storage. These services and programs offer some of the benefits of traditional document storage centers, minus several that are crucial to most businesses. Although employing an online storage service or particular software that organizes and backlogs your files can be helpful, these programs still do not eliminate the problem of the massive amounts of hard copies most businesses still produce on a day to day basis.
One may consider using an online document storage program in conjunction with a more traditional storage center, but using a storage facility that offers scanning services and digital delivery effectively cuts out the need for both.
Environmental and Cash-Flow Benefits
According to a new report out of the UK today, employing a good document management program can afford your company both environmental benefits and increase cash flow. The article, which was published on
OneStopClick's website, addresses why an office manager, corporate executive or small business owner should want to invest in a document management program. Reducing your companies carbon footprint is a great thing, but I imagine that the financial benefits offer even more appeal.
From the article:
"According to IT industry analyst Gartner, the technology can also decrease costs by reducing paper-based processes.Mark Gilbert, research vice president at the group, said energy savings can also be achieved through diminished paper production, distribution, usage and disposition, and transit through the postal system."Organisations are realising that process improvements and the move away from paper to electronic processes can also bring green benefits," he commented."
Comprehensive Media Storage
Keeping a back log of your company's important files and information is becoming more important with each passing year. Using an external hard drive is an easy and convenient way to back up all of the digital information in your office, but what is the point if a fire or natural disaster strikes your building? Keeping your backed up data in the same space as the original copies doesn't make sense, and document management centers provide a solution. Find a company that offers secure, off-site media vaults in which you may store older external hard drives and other back-up materials.
GRM's media storage program is one of the very best in the New York Tri-State. We're set-up to handle all forms of multi-media storage, and have proudly worked with production companies of all shapes and sizes. Our vaults not only offer the protection of being in a separate location, but also provide a far healthy environment for electronics than any office space. With computer controlled temperature and humidity and a minimal amount of dust and dirt - why would you trust your data to be stored anywhere else?
A More Litigious 2009
This article, which was posted on British website Out-Law.com, spends a lot of time on the merits of an effective document management program for your business. Why is that so important in 2009? Well, the author makes a pretty good point.
"Recessions have a habit of triggering litigation. For example, corporate failures upset loan repayments and insolvencies spark competing claims among creditors. But other lawsuits are caused simply by a change of heart: cash is more valuable when business is bad. In prosperous times it was easier to ignore transgressors or make problems disappear by writing a cheque."
One of the main suggestions for dealing with a "more litigious 2009," is preparing for difficulties in the first place. A document management program - and in particular a comprehensive EDM system - are the simplest way to guarantee that all of your ducks are in a row. If someone like
GRM is employed to keep tabs on your transactions, files and online data, when a lawsuit hits you there won't be a huge gap before finding vindicating information. Follow the link for the complete article.
Challenging But Beneficial
According to a brief article running on
OneStopClick.com today, employing an electronic document management program for your business is initially challenging, but well worth the additional effort. There's certainly a learning curve involved, but if you work with a well-established company like
GRM and our new EDM division, you will always have an expert available to problem shoot your initial issues.
From the article:
"According to office equipment supplier Ricoh Americas Corporation, tracking and tracing critical documents effectively is vital for many industries, such as construction, health care, legal, insurance and manufacturing. Executive vice president at the firm Hede Nonaka said: "Effectively managing document work flow can be a significant challenge for organisations due to the unique requirements of each business process."
ProMail
Automated email monitoring and archiving service for Exchange Environments,
GRM ProMail Exchange powered by GRM EVault provides a cost effective service to monitor and archive email within Microsoft Exchange environments.
As a completely Web-based managed service solution, GRM ProMail Exchange captures, monitors, and archives all email for organizations mandated to adhere to regulatory requirements. For more information about GRM EVault and other GRM services please contact your local GRM sales consultant or visit our
website.
Electronic Medical Records Management
There's a new article hosted on
LoHud.com about the evolution, uses and practicality of electronic document management for medical facilities. Sparked on by recent news that President-Elect Obama hopes to re-organize the countries medical records into a more streamlined, digital-database, this author examines what that might mean, how it might go and how the idea has evolved so far.
GRM has handled electronic and hard-copy document management programs for hospitals and medical facilities for years, and it's always interesting to hear what people in the area have to say about it.
From the article:
"Data-based medicine and electronic records-keeping are not new concepts. President George W. Bush insisted in his January 2004 State of the Union address that "by computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs and improve care.'' His goal: Ensure that "most Americans have electronic health records within the next 10 years.'' The effort has had only modest success. The nonprofit Commonwealth Fund issued a report in July that found 98 percent of doctors in the Netherlands and 89 percent in Great Britain use EMR - compared with 28 percent of U.S. physicians. Early last month, slightly better use was reported: Just under 39 percent of U.S. doctors use electronic medical records, the National Center for Health Statistics found; yet only 4 percent of 2,000 doctors questioned said their systems were fully functional."
E Waste
Are you aware of the amount of "E-Waste" that's been accumulating since the advent of computer technology? There's been a lot in the news recently on the relevant and somewhat hard-to-believe statistics surrounding the subject.
- 235 million Electronic Units have accumulated in storage over the past 20 years
- Approx. 40 million computers became obsolete in 2007
- The majority of computers that are "recycled" are actually outsourced to other nations.
GRM currently provides a definitive hard drive destruction process that will both get rid of your Drives and ensure that the sensitive data within will never fall into the wrong hands. Follow the link above to learn more about the practice on our website.
ESI Isn't Just for Lawyers Anymore
Welcome to 2009. We'll be kicking off the new year here at the GRM document storage blog by sharing an article from
WWPI.com on the merits of electronically stored information, eDiscovery and how these trends have found their way into the day to day operations of businesses outside of the legal field.
According to the piece, "Personal digital assistants like the Blackberry, notebook and laptop computers, even cell phones with text messaging are all subject to data discovery requests. Managers, lawyers and IT professionals (whether in-house or outside vendors) must work together to create an in-depth understanding of a company’s electronic document trail."
This is an excellent point, and managing, cataloguing and handling the ever-increasing amount of digital data a business handles is a slippery slope.
GRM has worked with legal professionals and many other business sectors for years on instituting and catering to digital data storage needs.
