You're managing a growing number of documents. What are the best tools for IT Operations to keep up?

If the volume of documents is increasing, the most effective approach for IT Operations to manage them is to utilize Microsoft SharePoint, which is considered one of the most fundamental and indispensable tools for document management.

Selecting tools, consider integration capabilities, user-friendliness, and security features to establish an effective document management system for IT Operations

There is no other effective way to manage, store, and control data if not on the cloud. The possibilities are limitless. In tiers of management and information processing the best way to keep up to date, synchronize data, share, collaborate, and edit on the go you'll need cloud storage. When data or information in an organization is easily accessible, results are faster and problems are easily identified anywhere anytime.

It always shocks me when someone says 'oh we have this file in x share and people are having problems accessing it as so and so has it open', we give them sharepoint/teams/onedrive and explain this location will let several people edit at once, then they don't use it. It is a feature people don't talk about, but it solves so many issues!

Any document management is made up of software, hardware, and human tools that support and keep up the operations. For Software tools - a robust EDMS that supports the organization's document control intents (note that document control intents for company A would not be same as company B), and such EDMS should also support auto-distribution and collaborative review as well as time-sensitive report powered by Power BI plug-in for report and data visualization. For hardware tools - good computer systems with fast internet connection, storage, LAN support, MFPs, and large format scanners (to convert hardcopy documents to soft copies). For human tools - please make use of experienced hands who know what to do with transmittals.

A good quality EDMS is import, equally import is knowing the key contacts in house and contractor side. This will help with allocation of responsibility for review, approval and workflows. An easy to populate MDR is also an important part of keeping track of documentation status.

Adding a robust DMS early on is the key to tracking documents and locating them in the future. A naming convention that everyone should follow should also be put into place at the beginning of rolling out the DMS. There's nothing more frustrating than having a system in which no one can easily locate documents.

You may also want to consider tools that can coexist with DMS or even a basic file share. DMS systems can get pretty unwieldy if the content isn't constantly classified and curated, making it hard for users to find what they need. Sensitive data like PII often just gets lost. Don't just stuff your documents into DMS and forget about them. You need to take a proactive approach to understanding your documents. Continuously understand your data. What is it, where is it and who has access to it. Make sure that documents with sensitive data like PII or IP are treated appropriately.

DMS is vital software for every company. DMS with multy functions and with limited number of users is more preferable, where only IT and DCC has an full access to the system.

This kind of system is appropriated for middle- large size company that need to be compliant with different regulation authorities or standard. The feature for audit trails, securities are appropriated to choose this kind of solution

I have found microsoft 365 very helpful as it provides various software solutions including sharePoint and OneDrive for document management. With Microsoft OneDrive for Business, you get a cloud-based solution that is designed to help you collaborate, share and store files more easily and on the move. It allows access to shared files from multiple locations through desktop and mobile applications.

In my experience, Microsoft 365 will do this job easily, this is because of its wide range of options which helps manage situations like this, let’s try Using Sharepoint, Teams, Dropbox etc all under MS 365 to make it easy in controlling a growing document control system.

Collaboration platform and document management system could be complementary… DMS is the long run system with archiving system. Collaboration is to offer the interaction and agility to teams

Confluence: Enables teams to create, share, and collaborate on documents, wikis, and other content. It integrates well with other Atlassian tools. Slack: While primarily a messaging platform, Slack integrates with various document management tools, facilitating collaboration and file sharing within channels.

Platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams have revolutionized workplace communication, making it more dynamic and integrated. The ability to collaborate on documents in real-time, combined with the convenience of instant messaging and video calls, fosters a more connected and efficient work environment. These platforms can significantly reduce email overload and improve project management. However, they can also lead to information overload and distractions if not used judiciously.

Code editor is a nice to have for ease the development and increase productivity but the in-depth knowledge of the language is the key point…

In my mind Visual Studio is the easiest to use platform although jupyter notebooks allows for easy collaboration across your dev team. Both support multiple programming languages. I frequently write python code in both.

In my experience any tool used needs to have versatility to handle each teams part and a great collaboration tool can handle version control as well as differentiating access to those in the need to know.

For IT operations that involve development or scripting, a good code editor is non-negotiable. Editors like Visual Studio Code offer powerful features that boost productivity and improve code quality, such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and integrated debugging tools. The ability to customize and extend the editor with plugins allows for a tailored development experience. However, the vast array of features and options can be overwhelming for beginners.

MS Excel has already been a good help to keeping records of all your documents but if you add extra codes to it's function, it will be more easier than usual. Try to spice it up by adding macro to your log sheets. Knowledge in VB codes is needed to do so.

Utilizing document templates and employing mail merge to integrate information with customer data in the CRM has proven highly beneficial. For instance, it helps save time effectively.

For development teams, maintaining up-to-date documentation is a perennial challenge. Documentation generators automate this process, ensuring that documentation evolves alongside the codebase. Tools like Sphinx and Javadoc extract comments and annotations from the code to create comprehensive and current documentation, which is essential for onboarding new team members and maintaining code quality. The main drawback is that they require consistent and well-formed code comments to be effective.

To manage a growing number of documents in IT operations effectively, consider cloud-based solutions like Google Drive, Dropbox or Microsoft One Drive and SharePoint within the comprehensive framework of Microsoft Office 365 (O365). Additionally, implementing a managed print solution is crucial for scanning, archiving, and indexing hard copies, seamlessly integrating them into the digital ecosystem. This approach streamlines document management, ensures secure cloud storage, and facilitates collaboration, providing a robust solution for handling the increasing volume of documents.

The situation described indicates that the business needs to evaluate its business processes before choosing the most effective digital tools/systems for their business' particular needs. I would be questioning why the number of documents is increasing - is it a rapid business expansion into new workstreams or the ineffective business processes? Effective standarised business processes and requirements (forms, templates etc.) enable a higher level of automatisation (MS Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI dashboard reports, AI, Machine Learning integration) and data loss prevention.

I cant emphasize enough the importance of simplified operations mapping before implementing any tools for your organization. This initial mapping step allows for a meticulous examination of processes, identification of potential bottlenecks, and the establishment of clear connections between different components. Moreover, it aids in assessing the specific needs and requirements of the organization, paving the way for more fit-for-purpose solutions.

Beyond the tools, the human aspect of IT operations cannot be overlooked. The adoption of any tool or platform requires change management, training, and ongoing support to be successful. Additionally, the security implications of any IT tool should be a primary consideration, especially in an era of increasing cyber threats. Tools need to be evaluated not just on their features but on their ability to protect sensitive information and ensure business continuity.

In the past 7 years, i have been using MS excel to record all documents and just making separate folders for document keeping. It is the easiest and cheapest way to keep records. Just make sure to always have a backup in case there will be problem with your computes.