Document management is a system that controls the life cycle of documents within an organisation — how they are created, reviewed, published, and ultimately retained or disposed of. SharePoint offers a robust platform for document management, providing tools to manage this life cycle effectively.
In SharePoint, document management starts with the creation of documents. Users can create various types of content using templates that ensure consistency across the organisation. Metadata is then added to documents, which is crucial for organising, retrieving, and managing documents throughout their life cycle. SharePoint allows documents to be stored in a secure, centralised location, where access can be controlled based on the document’s sensitivity and relevance.
As documents move through their life cycle, SharePoint facilitates their progression from creation to review, approval, and publication. This process often involves collaboration among team members, and SharePoint’s integrated features support this collaborative effort seamlessly. For instance, integration with Microsoft Office allows users to work within familiar applications like Word and Excel while managing documents through SharePoint.
Best practices for document management in SharePoint include:
- Plan your document library structure carefully to ensure efficient organisation and retrieval
- Consider user experience activities as part of your planning phase to make sure your document management processes are user-friendly
- Use content types and metadata to make documents easily searchable and manageable
- Implement version control to keep track of changes and maintain document integrity
- Set up permissions and access controls to protect sensitive information
- Regularly review and update document management policies to align with organisational changes and legal requirements
These practices can help organisations to create document management processes in SharePoint that not only enhance productivity but also ensure compliance and security. SharePoint’s flexibility allows for both tightly controlled document management processes and more loosely structured systems, depending on the organisation’s culture and goals.
