The Truth about Open-Source Document Management Systems

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As a Small and Medium Business digitizing documents and stepping out of using paper documents scares most of us. This is because the cost of an electronic document management system is quite prohibitive. If a solution can be found that is affordable for Small and Medium Businesses, especially in Africa, then the uptake of digitization would increase. could an open-source document management system be the solution?

An open-source document management system is a free system that allows users to secure, efficiently store, and easily access digital documents.

The Open-Source document management system has all the features of an electronic document management system including an audit trail.

A free VPS (Virtual Private Server ) enhances the security of an Open-Source Document Management System by encrypting data transfers, ensuring sensitive documents remain protected during transmission.

Pros of Open-Source Electronic Document Management System

Flexibility: An open-source document management system is easy to customize to the organization’s needs. It is also easy to upgrade or scale according to document needs.?

Transparency: Your organization can easily examine the source code to ensure the software is secure and meets its requirements.

Vendor lock-in: Your organization is not tied to a specific vendor and can easily switch to a different solution if necessary.

Cons of Open-Source Electronic Document Management System

Security risks: Most Open-Source document management systems do not encrypt documents.

Need for Compliance: If compliance is a concern in your organization then using an open-source document management is not the right choice.

Difficulty obtaining Certifications: ISO certifications have a set standard that serves as a global benchmark for business practices and procedures. To obtain the certification, one must adhere to that standard of user interface, sharing capabilities, and security.

Lack of support or poor support: It is difficult to get a technician on the phone or via chat.

*A Proprietary Electronic Document Management System is a system that is owned by a specific individual or organization that developed it. The source code is not available to the public.

Conclusion

The cost of owning a proprietary document management system is usually too high for Small and medium businesses thus opting for an open-source document management system is a viable option.

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