Monthly Archives: December 2013

National Library of Norway implements electronic document management system

In the United States, President Barack Obama signed a directive to require every federal agency to become a paperless office, but progress toward a paperless office greatly varies from one agency to another. On the other hand, in Norway, the national library has plans to implement its own digital initiative.

"[All} published content, in all media, [must] be deposited with the National Library of Norway," allowing citizens and individuals to access the database through a public cloud, the Atlantic reported. However, access is only limited to those who are in Norway, that will be determined with the user's IP address.

The National Library of Norway hopes this transition will be completed in the next 15 years, even allowing users to download non-copyrighted works from any time period to their computers and devices.

Switching from paperback books to an online database ensures that all Norwegian works will be preserved and readily available for research or recreational use.

Because the library is a public resource, it makes sense to operate from a public cloud. However, business owners can also benefit from this technology — private cloud platforms can increase overall efficiency, while increasing cyber security.

Cloud networks are a great way for employees to share work-related files with one another, without taking up hardware space downloading duplicate files. OptiDoc is an electronic document management solutions provider that can help keep these files up-to-date without losing documents.

Document management programs can also help businesses in the supply chain

Technology use is becoming more prevalent, but the Harvard Business Review has found two graphs from MIT and the New York Times that say it all — growth involving these innovations is happening faster than ever.

Inventions like the telephone took about 64 years to become a part of 40 percent of American households, while smartphones accomplished that same level of use within a 10-year period. Businesses that want to remain competitive in a more electronic market may need to implement electronic document management solutions sooner than later.

The supply chain industry, specifically, has the chance to grow beyond the American market. Consumers are looking to purchase goods from a variety of sources, which can make inventory management difficult. The ARC Advisory Group explained that not taking steps toward more automation and active monitoring can greatly improve the bottom line.

"Under pressure to improve safety and reduce environmental impact, industrial organizations [should] continue to invest in reliability software and services, which can provide measurable improvements in maintenance effectiveness, resulting in improved product quality, reduced maintenance costs, and reduced downtime," the Group's researchers writes on Supply Chain Brain.

Because manufacturers may have multiple factories building goods at once, a client-service cloud platform can help these businesses be more organized than they were previously. Departments can update inventory and assets in real-time. The adoption cost may be higher than other technologies up-front, but these servers do not take up room on computers or other devices and they increase productivity — two substantial benefits that save far more than the cost of these systems.

Companies that are looking to maximize digital space and overall efficiency can reach out to OptiDoc, an electronic document management solutions provider.

Why businesses should implement client-service clouds

Nowadays, electronic document management is becoming more of the norm in the office, but there is a new way to share files among staffers: using cloud services. While this method allows accessibility from anywhere through a web browser, this can pose potential risks if employees are operating from a personal cloud server, instead of a company-wide network.

There are cloud vendors that allow files to be uploaded and saved for free, but for commercial organizations, business owners may want to consider owning their private cloud. Elijah Yip, a JD Supra Law News contributor, explains why.

"An employee can essentially connect the organization to the cloud with the company's knowledge via a private cloud account," he said. "This enables the transfer of confidential company data to a location outside of the company's reach."

Cloud networks have great potential to streamline operations among many departments, but Yip recommends implementing a cloud management policy before "bring your own cloud" gets out of hand.

Businesses that want to create a secure cloud for work-related materials should provide the credentials, so that control is still kept within the organization. Because this network is exclusive to workers, it is less likely the information will be exposed to the wrong parties. 

Instead of opting for a free service that is open to the general public, company assets are more likely to be safeguarded from exposed data with a private, client-based cloud. OptiDoc is a document management provider that can help provide a platform that suits employees' needs.