5 Ways To Use Document Management To Increase Your Small Business Efficiency

If you run a business in Nigeria or knows someone that has a personal business, you’d agree with me that running a business is not child’s play. If your business is at the beginning stage, you’d be conversant with the fact that you are your own accountant, auditor, customer service representative and even the Chief Operating Officer of that business. Handling all of these responsibilities can be overwhelming especially if you have limited resources.  With resources constraints, you are often left with a choice between saving costs in the short term and investing in long-term growth through sound management practices.

With document management software meant for small business, you can effectively run your small office like a standard one and still save money. Here are 5 ways in which document management software can help you to improve the efficiency of your small business;

1.       Get a paper Free Office with Built-in Scanning Capabilities

As you settle in into the world of an entrepreneur, your papers begin to grow because you are paying for bills, signing contracts, sending and receiving emails. As the piles of papers begin to heap, you’d begin to feel the need to digitize your business process. The first step is to scan and save all your archived paper documents in a digital format.

A good document management software program has inbuilt scanning features that you can use to scan documents individually as well as in batches. These scanned documents can then be saved in pre-specified folders. This will make sure that you can access those files on your screen anytime you want them.

2.       Multi-user access enables you to get work done faster

As a growing business or a start-up, you might have people working for you as freelancers and these freelancers may need the same documents that you have but you may not necessarily have the same job description. To make it easy for everyone to access such document at the same time without any trouble is to get document management software that would store the documents in a centralised database. So with this, the software would be installed on individual computers but the documents are not created in multiple copies.  This would help save precious space and would also give you the opportunity to work on a document that is not on your own computer.

3.       Email, Fax and Printer Features for Improved Internal and External Communication

There are some document management software that allows you to store emails from your multiple accounts. This means that you don’t need t sin I to your various email accounts to view your emails. (That sounds Interesting, right?) To refer to those emails containing an information that you need, all you need to do is to fall back on your document management software. If you need to fax a document, you can do that too from within the application. The interesting thing about this software is that you can also print documents even though they are not stored on your computer.

4.       Folder Structure Retention During Import Saves Time and Effort

Certain document management software would allow you to import your existing folder structure at once and retain it. This means that you have saved several days of time and efforts that would be used in creating folders and sub-folders and checking of the documents are in the right folders.

5.       User-Friendly Interface Helps you Get Productive in Hours

If you have ever used the Microsoft Outlook email communication platform; you’d agree with me that it is one of the best interfaces for office communication. This is because everything is neatly arranged where you can easily find them. The menu folder fits nicely in the left sidebar while the main menu appears at the top of your screen. There is actually document management software that is designed like the Microsoft Outlook. This simply means that, once you install into your system, you can start working with it right away.

                When you have software that has these features and more that can help you manage the tasks efficiently and with ease, you can be assured that all your business goals are achievable.

                When it comes to documenting management for small businesses Tecres Technologies is one that can help you with it. If you are a small business owner or an entrepreneur, you can get started with document management now by calling  Julius or Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 to get a free consultation.

The Cost of Paper Documents in Any Organisations

The cost of archiving can easily be overlooked in most organisations. However with the recent downturn in Nigeria, other African and oil producing Nations, the recurrent expenditure can be channeled to other significant business needs.

There is no gain saying that organisations cannot survive without keeping history of back office operations in document archives, but these costs can be a daunting responsibility where organisations are attaining more edge with slimmer budgets.

Consider the following tangible and intangible re-occurring budget cost in handling your paper document archive:

• Cost of rent of space
• Cost of file racks and/or cabinets
• Cost of missing document
• Cost of misfiled documents
• Cost of flood and/or disaster
• Cost of printing
• Cost of duplication
• Cost of access
• Cost of retrieval
• Cost of wear and tear
• Cost of handling
• Etcetera.

Also consider the cost of digitisation, which is the cost of buying high-end fast document scanners, cost of buying computers, cost of buying electronic and/or cloud storage device and cost of technical know-how in converting paper archive to digital format.

To some, the cost of the latter may be huge compared to the cost of the former as a result of the number of years in business and the volume of document in archive. But, the fact remains that those seemingly intangible cost of paper archive builds over time while the cost of digitisation drastically reduces over time. The benefits of going digital far outweighs its cost.

Julius Macaulay is a seasoned Enterprise Content Management consultant with over 12 years of providing #ECM #EDMS #BPM solutions and services to diverse business sector.

The Importance of HTML Meta Data to Organizations Social Branding

The history of search engine can't be completed without the mention of meta data. They are used to provide search engines with information about their websites using relevant meta elements placed inside the section of HTML page.The meta elements are title, description, keywords, author, etc. In another word, meta data are data about the data on a webpage. They are not visible on webpage when viewed on a browser, but it makes website machine parsable that is convenient readable format. Internet browsers use meta data to control how contents of a website are displayed or loaded. It encourages web content to make the best first impression possible.

Before now, search engines spiders used basically meta data information to determine website presence and rank it accordingly. As a result, website developers ensured that the meta tags were heavily stuffed with bloated keywords related or not. Search engines are now more sophisticated using algorithms based on the entire webpage content and not just the meta data.The relevance of meta data today is primarily to validate the relativity to content and site position.

Search engines crawls through billions of website on the internet and builds an index listing on it web servers. When a search is performed, the search engine crawls through the index and returns relevant answers to the query. The alternative method for search engine to find website is the quality of the page content. A high-quality content, what other user are saying about the website and how popular the website is (trend) are all alternative for search engines to find website. The reliability of an author can also be used to find website.

Nevertheless, the rest of the meta data may not be very important to search engine spiders as it were some years back, but the Title, Description and Keywords tags still shows up when a website is found. According to SurveyMonkey, it was discovered that 43.2% of people click on a given result due to well-articulated meta description. The description which can be termed website summary increases click through rate of a visitor to any website.

The clickable link information of a website is taken from the title tag. It also determines if a user will click a page or not even after it is discovered by the search engine algorithm.

In my conclusion, HTML meta data may not be important to search engines in finding a website, it is still relevant to visitors click through rate from the search result pool.

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Tecres Technologies

When it comes to running a business, home, or personal archive, proper document storage is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We at Tecres Technologies understand that with the growing concern for security in the country, storage of our most precious documents is high on everyone’s priorities. Here are a few reasons why you can trust Tecres as your go-to document storage facility.

High-level Document Storage Security

Securing files from multiple associations is no joke. That is why Tecres technologies use multiple forms of high-strength security for its document archives. These security precautions include automated robotic laser security, web surveillance (with client alert notification) and a humid state density controlled centre.

Highly Organised Active File Management

Active files may be powerful assets for a business. However, they can also be extremely time-consuming amidst their complexities. That is why Tecres is here to give you one less thing to worry about with its Active File Management service. This service handles each client with respect to where they are in their management stage.

Easy Record Management Compliance

A large worry for those who manage their files is maintaining business compliance. You don’t want to fall behind on behind on a payment simply because you forgot all about a bill floating around somewhere. That is where Record Management Compliance comes in. This department handles the specific details of keeping the records accurate, as well as federal/state/local regulations for your business.

Wide Range of Client Types

As mentioned earlier, document storage is necessary for multiple kinds of projects. The government, medical, financial, legal, and educational departments are just some of the clients that whose documents we store. Every client is handled with customised care for their specific organisation and their even more specific information.

Scan on Demand Convenience

This department provides optimum convenience for anyone who needs their files but is not able to pick them up. Our scan on demand service offers a fast and cost-effective delivery of your needed documents.


With Tecres’s varying forms of document organisation and care, they definitely will not disappoint your business needs.

Document Scanning for Educational Institution

Educational institution in Nigeria has a lot of papers that they have to file on a daily basis from student registration form to examination past question and teachers information. It is high time educational institution to upgrade technology by switching to paperless with the help of document scanning experts, TEcres Technologies.

Using its dedicated scanning facility and cutting edge document imaging equipment, Tecres Technologies offers document scanning services that are specially designed for the education sector. As well as providing an on-going service, a scan-on-demand solution for ‘pay as you go’ or on-demand scanning is also on offer, allowing each document to be digitised only when it is needed. No matter the budget restriction, educational institutions of all sizes can utilise the benefits of this latest technology in a low-cost way to create a more productive educational environment.

Julius Macaulay, Managing Director at Tecres Technologies said, “Any professional environment that relies on a large amount of physical documentation can have their workflows streamlined by storing these files digitally, and the benefits of document scanning in the education sector are endless.”

Julius continued, “We understand that budgets can often be limiting for educational facilities, which may hold some back from investing in digital archiving, what they may think is, an expensive document management solution. However, we believe that every business has the right to enjoy a revolutionised, more productive working environment, enabled by efficient document scanning. We urge any school, secondary or university that is looking to make the move to paperless to get in touch with us today, to discuss the options for document scanning for the education sector that are available.”
Tecres Technologies collects entire archives of paper documentation from each of its clients, to then be stored in its highly secure storage facility. Once digitised, files can either be kept safe with Tecres Technologies or destroyed responsibly.

Call Julius/Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 or Visit www.tecres.com.ng to know more on the different ways we can help you cost your storage cost.

Benefit of E-Archiving Your Documents

Document scanning has become one of the most talked about methods of keeping files safe and secure. A way to minimise clutter, improve staff efficiency and save money on costly storage, in this digital day and age, traditional forms of filing are rapidly becoming outdated.

E-archiving is one of the best ways to protect old documents and kick-start a business’ move towards digital technologies while meeting all relevant security protocols and company policies.

There’s no denying the world is racing towards a fully-digital future. The tangible benefits digitalisation offers for businesses cannot be underestimated. Yet many are still reluctant to make the switch through fear of the unknown. E-archiving offers up pure, workable benefits with no downsides, and the sooner companies realise this, the better off they’ll be – both in their pockets and throughout the business as a whole.

It’s estimated that office workers spend between five and 15% of their time reading information, but up to 50% of their time hunting for it. Yet sometimes, they never find what they are looking for; 7.5% of all documents get lost, while 3.5% of the remainder get misfiled. And all of this comes at a cost.

And it’s not just in their pocket that businesses can make a real difference.E-archiving and digitalisation really shows customers and staff alike how much they are committed to supporting a sustainable future.

CUT STORAGE COST WITH US AT TECRES TECHNOLOGIES.

Businesses hold onto thousands of pieces of paper and manual documents. And as time goes on, these accumulate until there are multiple filing cabinets overflowing with neglected, but important, files that rarely see the light of day. Easily destroyed, thrown away or lost, these documents not only take up valuable room and cost companies thousands in time spent looking for them, but they are also at very serious risk of the elements.
In Nigeria, where fire outbreak, flood, thefts and building collapsing are the order of the day how do you ensure your important and confidential business documents are kept safe when disaster strikes?
The only sure way to keep your documents safe is by turning to digital practices. Digitising your paper archive and current documents using a specialist scanner, however, will remove the need for storage facilities by enabling them to be stored on widely accessible clouds.

It is always worth backing these documents though as a secondary precaution. Although clouds are secure, if their server goes down, it will stop access which can hinder a businesses’ productivity for a time. Using a central server that is either located on or off site, however, will provide businesses with a secondary platform to access and store data and provide peace of mind. These are great for both large and small businesses as they are cost-effective to maintain, but there is always the risk that they can be damaged from outside elements. In order to combat this, some service providers store data on multiple servers housed at different geographic locations. So even if one of the servers is destroyed, your documents will still be safe as they are stored on other servers too.

The main benefit of backing up your documents digitally is that when you’re back in business, you can quickly recover your documents and resume operations which minimise disruption to both customers and employee.

Call Julius/Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 or Visit www.tecres.com.ng to know more on the different ways we can help you cost your storage cost.

Planning Your Digital and Hard-Copy Processes

Many businesses are finding themselves moving from hard copies to digital copies in a world that are becoming more and more technology-driven. Now with two types of mediums to handle, managing the information and documents can become a confusing and tedious task.

Besides the environmental benefits that a paperless document management system provides, one of the biggest draws to implementing a digital records system is the accompanying organisation and convenience.

Connecting your digital copies with your hard copies can be tricky when you first implement the hybridised system. There are three, initial concepts to keep in mind in order to keep your business running smoothly:

* Have a plan! Document the plan so that everyone in your organisation is well aware of the protocol.

* Stay organised! Don’t let bad habits make things more confusing for you in the future.

* Keep it simple! Try not to over-complicate your new system. After all, this is intended to make your life easier.

These concepts are fully explained below so that you can get on your way to a more efficient and organised office right away.

(1) Have a Plan

Once you make the constructive decision to adopt an electronic record storage system, you’ll want to thoughtfully plan out the process so that you can get the most out of your new protocol.

The most important way to reap the benefits of a digital record system is to keep everyone informed of the plan and document it well.

When using a hybridised system of electronic and physical document copies, be sure to plan which copies you will keep digital and which will continue to be used as hard-copies right from the beginning. A good way to make this decision is to only keep hard copies when it is an absolute requirement, whether by legal requirements or company policy.

Once you decide which types of files are to be converted and/or kept digital and which types of files are to remain hard-copies, clearly document this so that all employees are educated on this distinction.

Also be sure to maintain a proper procedure for documenting whether a file is in a digital or physical form in order to stay organised.

Some other things to consider when creating your plan include:

* Which employees have access to which files
* Keeping your plan simple and easy to follow
* Spotting any faults in your plan early so that you can quickly make changes before they worsen into larger problems

(2) Stay Organized

With a proper plan in place, the next thing to remember (especially in the beginning of implementing a new system) is to stay organised.

Make sure that your plan is rigorously followed in the beginning to develop proper habits for your employees in the future.

One way to ensure your plan is being carried out properly and productively is to perform periodic checks on the system to make sure everything is still organised and easy to use.

(3) Keep It Simple

Simplicity is the key to organisation and efficiency when beginning a new record storage system. You adopted a new document management structure to make your life easier, so don’t overcomplicate things!

First and foremost, ensure your initial plan is easy to follow and understand.

Additionally, make sure your system is working to make your company perform more efficiently. If you are not seeing results, consider revising your plan or contacting your provider to optimise how your storage system is operating.

Choosing the Right Electronic Record Storage System

Deciding on the proper electronic record storage system will depend on your organisation’s needs.

Business who require regular access to their documents will work best with a hybridised system. This service entails offsite storage facilities being used to keep the physical files that are rarely used along with the regularly used files kept in the office and implementing an electronic storage database for files that can be kept digitally.

For companies who do not require physical copies of documents, transitioning to a fully electronic document management system is definitely a viable option.

Tecres Technologies Is Your Document Management Solution, call Julius/Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 or Visit www.tecres.com.ng