How to Avoid the 8 Most Common Pain Points of Document Management Solutions

Implementing a Document Management Solution (DMS) can completely transform your organization’s workflow, allowing your team to automate repetitive tasks and reach unprecedented levels of productivity. Countless businesses have used their DMS as a major step toward increased efficiency and better organizational tactics.

For any multi-location enterprise-level organization, a DMS can be an invaluable tool that helps you achieve new levels of efficiency.

But, despite the many benefits offered by document management solutions, users may experience certain pain points if the DMS is not properly implemented.

Without quality support and training, navigating document management solutions can be difficult for your less tech-savvy staff members to navigate. That’s why we always recommend working with a partner that offers hands-on training and support when your team needs it.

If you need a DMS provider equipped to support your team before, during, and after installation, look no further than Green Office Partner. We’ve worked with clients across the United States and Canada, helping them implement solutions without pain points or headaches.

Understanding the challenges of DMS implementation can help organizations better prepare for a smoother transition and maximize its benefits. 

Let's explore some of the most common pitfalls users experience with new document management solutions and how you can overcome them!

1. Complexity of Implementation

One of the most common complaints about adopting a new DMS is the complexity of the implementation process. 

A DMS is not a plug-and-play solution; it requires careful planning, customization, and often significant changes to existing workflows. 

This pain point is common for users who attempt to implement DMS software on their own. Without guidance from an experienced installer, organizations find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of time and resources needed to properly set up a DMS.

To avoid complications, we always recommend partnering with a vendor who takes the time to sit down with your team and hold your hand through the process. 

For example, Green Office Partner has a hands-on implementation strategy in which we help clients plan, build, install, and adopt winning document management solutions and offer assistance when new users are struggling. After helping clients across the country install these solutions, we’ve seen firsthand how frustrating it can be when new users are left on their own to sink or swim.

When you have trusted experts in your corner, implementation becomes a smooth, stress-free procedure.

2. User Resistance and Adoption Issues

New document management solutions often face resistance from employees who are accustomed to their current ways of working. 

Change can be uncomfortable, and a new DMS often requires users to learn new skills and adjust their habits. 

To reap the benefits of the DMS, your team needs to be “bought in” on it. Otherwise, resistance to change will undermine the strengths of the DMS, resulting in low adoption rates and continued reliance on outdated practices (even if they are less efficient)

Even the most effective DMS is rendered useless if nobody uses it.

To protect your DMS from collecting dust, we recommend engaging select users in the project from the beginning. Find users whose opinions are respected by the rest of the team and will follow them into battle once the DMS is live. We’ve used this strategy with dozens of clients we’ve onboarded, and it’s worked wonders.

This type of “grassroots” input is important to find a solution that sticks around long enough to transform your workflow and provide more than enough value to justify the time and money invested in the DMS.

3. Integration and Compatibility Challenges

A DMS is most effective when it seamlessly integrates with other previously implemented software systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and email clients. 

However, achieving this integration is not always straightforward. Compatibility issues, data silos, and the need for custom development can slow down the process. 

If a DMS does not integrate well with existing systems, it can lead to fragmented workflows, duplicate data entry, and inefficiencies that negate its intended benefits.

The good news is, communication between systems is getting better every year. If you apply the right configurations, systems will communicate with each other automatically.

With our clients, we often implement solutions that solve the most needs and can be implemented within a reasonable time frame.

If there are any gaps, we can fill them in with smaller custom-built solutions. This way, clients can start getting benefits and see an ROI quickly. 

We also calculate both the cost of time and the technology. With the right preparation, you can avoid perpetually searching for the perfect solution and/or over-pay for one that is way too robust. 

4. Lack of Ongoing DMS Maintenance and Support

Once a DMS is implemented, it requires ongoing maintenance to ensure it continues to function properly and stays up-to-date with the latest security patches and feature updates.

Organizations often underestimate the time and expertise needed for this maintenance, leading to performance issues, downtime, and potential security vulnerabilities. 

Without proper vendor support, most organizations are ill-equipped to handle complications when they arise.

Treat your new DMS like a business partnership with the vendor providing the solution. 

Remember: the typical lifespan of these solutions is over five years. Regardless of how slick the tech looks, ask yourself: “Do I feel confident that this vendor will support me months from now? Years from now?

To avoid service issues, listen to what their customers say. Does this vendor have consistency across their portfolio? Do they have credible testimonials that build your confidence?

Green Office Partner has always placed a heavy emphasis on our level of service and level of customer satisfaction - but don’t take our word for it, hear from our customers directly.

Whether you work with us or another trustworthy document services provider, always remember that the words of a partner’s clients are worth their weight in gold.

5. DMS Security Concerns

Without question, a DMS can effectively bolster your document protection.

But without proper guidance, a new DMS can also introduce new security risks. Misconfigured access controls, lack of encryption, and inadequate audit trails can all create vulnerabilities that put sensitive information at risk. 

Additionally, if the DMS is cloud-based, organizations may have concerns about data sovereignty and compliance with HIPAA or GDPR regulations. 

Ensuring that robust security measures are in place requires ongoing vigilance and a thorough understanding of both the DMS and relevant legal requirements. 

This is why choosing a trustworthy provider is an important piece of the puzzle. 

Trained DMS professionals will identify possible security compliance frameworks that would be relevant for your company. 

Any well-established compliance framework will have numerous severity tiers. Generally speaking, if the solution meets higher tiers on your desired compliance framework, it will do your tier just fine. 

For example, our clients often need a document management solution that can handle HIPAA compliance standards. One of our trusted and easy-to-use solutions meets SOC 2 compliance standards which are typically regarded as having higher security controls, so HIPAA standards are well within the scope.

6. Poor Expense Planning

Many organizations underestimate the total cost of ownership of a new DMS. Costs include not only the upfront costs of software and hardware but also the costs of training, customization, integration, and ongoing support. 

A DMS is great for saving time and labor costs. But, if the DMS does not deliver the expected return on investment due to poor user adoption or integration issues, the financial burden can put a strain on your office budget.

So don’t pay for what you won’t use! If you find that a DMS offers solutions that you know your team will never use, you can always ask your vendor to cut them and reduce your costs.

We also recommend getting clarity on what the upfront expenses are vs. what the ongoing expenses are. If your vendor requires you to pay recurring fees above what you expected, have them break down every expense so you always know exactly what you are paying for.

This is also a great way to cut costs for items you don’t want or need.

Honest and open communication is always the key to solid financial planning. If you make your budgetary needs clear to your vendor, they can work within your limitations and customize your document solutions to meet your needs.

7. Inadequate Training and User Support

When it comes to something as complex as a document management solution, a solid training program is key. Unfortunately, one of the most common reasons for an unsuccessful DMS integration is insufficient or poorly executed onboarding. 

Users need to be trained not only on how to use the system but also on how to incorporate it into their daily workflows. 

Without proper guidance, users are likely to become frustrated and may resort to old habits, reducing the effectiveness of the DMS and hindering the system adoption process.

So don’t get distracted by the bells and whistles of a DMS! Focus on finding a solution that simplifies your workflow rather than complicates it. 

 A winning document management system starts in the observation phase. This is why we always do a thorough observation study on any project we are helping clients with.

8. Document Search and Retrieval Difficulties

A DMS is designed to simplify the file or document retrieval process. However, poorly organized systems or inadequate metadata can make search and retrieval frustratingly difficult. 

If users cannot easily find the documents they need, they may perceive the DMS as a hindrance rather than a help. This can lead to wasted time and decreased productivity, which is precisely what a DMS is meant to prevent. 

Effective search functionality and proper indexing are crucial to ensuring users can quickly and easily access the information they need.

To avoid retrieval issues, we recommend understanding the full capabilities of your DMS. When we implement a DMS into a client environment, we always perform thorough demos that clearly illustrate its ease of functionality. 

We find that some customers hyperfocus on one specific problem and dismiss extra features that would be very useful to the team. 

This is why having actual users involved in the planning stage is helpful. They can advocate for features that would boost their productivity in a way that a manager might not understand. Should we find that new users see a system unintuitive, we can usually provide adjustments or add-ons to simplify the workflow.

Green Office Partner and Successful DMS Implementation

For the right organization with the right vendor,  A DMS can dramatically transform business workflow, maximizing efficiency and reducing time spent on repetitive tasks. But despite the great benefits offered by a DMS, it comes with its fair share of pain points.

Understanding the typical pain points associated with a DMS—such as implementation complexity, user resistance, integration challenges, security concerns, cost overruns, inadequate training, and document search difficulties—can help organizations better prepare for a successful deployment. 

By proactively addressing concerns, organizations can maximize the value of their DMS and customize it to meet the specific needs of their users.

Green Office Partner has trained experts who are ready to deploy and integrate document management solutions to clients across the United States and Canada. If you aren’t sure where to start, our team can discuss any aspect of the DMS implementation process with you. 

Reach out to us and get started today.