Document Management Strategies for Higher Education

Posted by Doing Better Business on Dec 22, 2021 8:30:00 AM

Staff and student retention is still a problem for higher education organizations and the ongoing pandemic has made it all the more difficult to manage the day-to-day tasks of running a college or university. In fact, over half of faculty members have thought about changing jobs — or retiring altogether — in the wake of the pandemic. Large numbers of faculty chocked their new restlessness up to feeling tired and stressed, and some of that undoubtably has to do with digital fatigue.

Digital fatigue spans a number of technologies from videoconferencing to simply dealing with emails and other digital communications. One of the best ways to thwart this insidious hazard is to streamline work processes to make it easier for teachers to do their jobs and simpler for administrative staff to support them.

One of the best — and most cost-effective — ways to tackle digital fatigue is to employ easy to use, targeted software solutions such as document management.

The Benefits of Document Management for Institutions of Higher Education

Universities and colleges alike understand the challenge that mountains of paper and documents pose. Storing, searching for, and protecting this information can be a burden on budget, a strain on staff, and a negative impact on the quality of learning provided, which in turn can impact student retention.

Document management solutions (DMS) offer a smart, cost-effective way to maintain control of paperwork and reduce staff frustration and stress to help you attract — and retain — the staff and student body that can help your institution thrive. Here are just a few advantages:

Better, Less Frustrating, Record Keeping

Universities must keep track of huge numbers of documents — from student intake forms and transcripts to health records, scholarships, human resources documents, and even classwork. That doesn’t even begin to touch on billing, invoicing, or third-party relationship management.

Manual entry of any or all of these documents can set you up for costly errors. Digitizing documents using a DMS provides a host of benefits, including:

  • Rapid access to the files you need — when you need them
  • Better document security and data protection
  • Access control to prevent unauthorized access
  • Secure archiving, sharing, and storage
  • Version control for further protection against errors
  • The ability to automate processes for optimized workflows and reduced frustration

In addition, creating e-forms can make the application process simpler for rapid, more accurate onboarding of new students.

Higher Security for Peace of Mind

Schools process a great deal of sensitive and personal data relating to students and staff alike. From financial information to health records, higher education organizations receive much information that is attractive to hackers. Furthermore, schools must be compliant with several data privacy and protection regulations, include HIPAA, FERPA, and others.

A DMS gives your organization complete control over documents to:

  • Reduce the possibility of deleted or lost information
  • Manage access to documents on a need-to-know basis
  • Restrict access at the touch of a button
  • Monitor suspicious activity around the clock
  • Track and record activity
  • Get insight into activity with data analysis

In addition, a robust DMS will offer inherent security protocols that will help you maintain compliance with the appropriate regulatory guidelines. Developers are always monitoring the threat landscape for evolving issues and updating and upgrading security features as they are made available. When you use a DMS, your provider will automatically update and install any patches and upgrades as soon as they are released to ensure the utmost in data security.

Doing Better Business Has the Document Management Solution for Your School

Colleges, trade schools, technical schools, and universities can gain distinct advantages from using a document management system. By simplifying and automating workflows, you can improve your student service and relieve pressure on overburdened staff simultaneously, all within a secure, compliant document environment.

At Doing Better Business, we work leaders in the field of document management, such as DocuWare, Laserfiche, and Content Central to bring you a diverse range of choices to custom-fit your needs, challenges, and budget. In addition, our systems will integrate with business systems and application currently in use for even more convenience and a smaller — and less frustrating — learning curve.

Take your higher education organization to the next level. Contact a representative from Doing Better Business and learn how our document management solutions can transform your organization for the better!

Topics: Document Management, education

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