In the interview with Mr. Kay Frosinini, member of the management board of Network Concept GmbH
Network Concept GmbH specialises in tailored, holistic software solutions for commercial business processes. The company focuses on a holistic view of the customer’s operational workflows and their mapping in CRM/XRM and ERP solutions. This enables Network Concept to provide customers with a fast, comprehensive and up-to-date view of their business processes and customer relationships at any time. As a certified “CAS Gold Partner” and “Sage Reseller Gold”, Network Concept supports customers throughout the entire project lifecycle – from professional consulting and planning to design and implementation of their projects.
In an interview with Mr Kay Frosinini, Member of the Management Board of Network Concept GmbH, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on the importance of business software solutions and the benefits of document management systems.
DFmag: Digitalisation is on everyone’s lips. How has the pandemic, in your view, affected the digitalisation of business processes?
Kay Frosinini: Due to the pandemic, many people from a wide range of areas are working from home or generally on the move. To ensure smooth day-to-day business operations, it is essential for employees to access the relevant software solutions. This makes it indispensable for companies to digitalise their business processes. Tailored, comprehensive software solutions for business processes are currently even more crucial to business success than before the pandemic.
DFmag: What role do document management systems (DMS) play in this context?
Kay Frosinini: If I want to work remotely, I need not only the applications for processing, but also the corresponding documents: correspondence, emails, invoices, receipts, cover letters, instructions, etc. If, for example, I allow my accounting department to work from home, the employees not only need the tailored ERP application, but also the various documents such as invoices and receipts. This applies to virtually all areas of the company. For instance, sales may need access to the last quotation, while a consultant may want to review the notes from the last meeting. What use is mobile working if the documents I need are only in the office? In this respect, a DMS is a crucial prerequisite for mobile working.
DFmag: So you recommend a DMS. What other benefits do you see, aside from remote access?
Kay Frosinini: In addition to the advantage of using a DMS to create the prerequisites for mobile working, there are other aspects to consider when implementing a DMS: Centralized archiving of all documents in a DMS promotes transparency and the currency of information. Each document is created once and updated as necessary. This simplifies change management and avoids duplicates. It also gives every employee access to the documents relevant to them, no matter where they work. In addition, employees can access the same documents simultaneously. A good DMS solution also features intelligent search functions, which significantly reduces my search times. Furthermore, a DMS facilitates compliance with legal requirements and the implementation of compliance. From our perspective, a good DMS is important for a company’s future viability. You can see that a good, intelligent DMS makes everyday work more efficient, transparent, simpler, faster, and of higher quality. Therefore, a DMS is relevant for all companies that handle large volumes of documents of all kinds.
DFmag: In many companies, commercial solutions such as an ERP system or CRM software are already being introduced or are already in active use. Do you then need a DMS in addition?
Kay Frosinini: Not necessarily. In our customer projects, we proceed step by step. This means we first look at the company’s processes and precisely analyze the actual requirements. Based on this, the appropriate design is derived. With regard to the DMS, this can lead to different outcomes: a completely external DMS, a DMS integrated into the ERP or CRM system, or a so-called “digital personnel file,” a DMS solution for sensitive data in the HR department. How the DMS is designed must be decided very individually as part of an overall concept.
DFmag: What should companies definitely consider when introducing a DMS?
Kay Frosinini: The introduction of a DMS must be well thought out and tailored to the company’s needs. Such a strategic decision is usually a matter for top management. In principle, we recommend setting up a project team, initially consisting of managers who are closely involved in day-to-day operations and therefore know what requirements the DMS must meet. When defining expectations and usage scenarios, employees from different departments should also be involved, as requirements can vary from department to department. For example, accounting typically has different requirements for a DMS than field sales. To successfully introduce a DMS, many factors must be considered, so I would recommend finding an experienced partner who takes a holistic approach and then supports the company in introducing a suitable DMS.
DFmag: You just mentioned that there are also integrated DMS solutions. How does that work?
Kay Frosinini: A document management system is not an isolated system but interacts with other IT solutions in which documents are created or used. There are two configuration options for this: Either the DMS or another application is established as the leading system. If the DMS is the leading system, employees primarily work with the DMS and access other applications from the DMS. However, this only really makes sense if the company operates in an extremely document-oriented manner. The second option places another application, such as the ERP solution, at the center, and the DMS acts as a kind of service for this main application. This can even mean that the user of the downstream DMS is not really aware of it.
DFmag: And what about data protection in a DMS?
Kay Frosinini: On the one hand, access rights can be defined in the DMS to protect against changes or unauthorized access. For example, these can be set individually for each document type with read, write, and edit permissions. It is also possible to define and store release and control processes to ensure the content quality of the documents. Of course, it is also important to consider fail-safe mechanisms and, for example, secure documents on different storage media using RAID systems.
DFmag: So the conclusion is that the importance of document management systems for business success is growing all the time and an intelligent DMS should be embedded in a well-thought-out overall concept.