Overcoming the Document Tracking Challenge

"Where did it go? It was here yesterday. Wait. Here it is. But it looks a lot like the draft I just sent my team members yesterday. I don't remember when this change was made. Who made this change? Why is document tracking so difficult?"

We have all seen it before. Desk space is being invaded by papers and drafts of rather important information that is in a rather unidentifiable order. When it comes to information, businesses know that time is money. Businesses do not want to spend money for hours spent on manual document tracking, which is why most business are searching out document tracking software that keeps all of your drafts, reports, and other important informational documents in order. Document tracking software has literally rescued business from drowning in an innavigable sea of documents.

So, what is document tracking and how do I find the right software to make it happen? You can start by searching "document tracking" on a search engine, and you will find about 167 million pages indexed on document tracking. The good news is that information and products to get your business started on effective document tracking is available. The bad news is that all of that information can be difficult to sift through in order to find the document tracking software that fits your business needs.

Document Tracking

Whether your business specializes in potato chips or automobiles, your business will have departments and teams that work together with management, investors, and clients to produce reports on the market, the budget, the product, the sales, or other important information, and document tracking is the glue that keeps a report together. These reports are meant to bring all parties on to the same page with respect to how the company is running and needs to run.

As these teams and departments compile information and develop reports and presentations, several drafts are sent back and forth between parties and that is when document tracking gets sticky. The desktop, outlook, and the hard drive could very quickly get filled with numerous drafts under numerous titles, leaving you with more questions than answers. Who? What? When? Where? And how? Repeat through your mind as you look over this complex collection of documents. Whether manual or electronic filing has been your method, electronic document tracking can answer all of your document tacking questions.

Let's begin by chiseling down your 167 million choices by examining software that will meet your businesses document tracking needs.

Digital Thread

As you search through the torrent of document tracking software available today you will notice a technology which propels some document tracking software ahead of the rest. This technology is called Digital Thread. Document tracking with Digital Thread means that any document can be tracked through its various edits by a tag in the metadata of the document. As the drafts of the document are sent back and forth, you will always be informed as to the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document and its changes.

Digital Signature

The Digital Thread has successfully overcome the challenge of document tracking, and now Digital Signature comes into play by displaying in your outlook or whenever you open a document, the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document and its drafts. Document tracking enables you to know exactly what you are looking for right when you open the document.

Version History

Often times a visual map or a family tree of your document simplifies the document tracking process. Version history puts all of the document tracking pieces together in a genealogy of drafts, which describes the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document tracking process.

Joe Miller is specialist in online advertising. For more information on document tracking, please visit NextPage.com.

---

Doing More With Less

This is a bottom-line environment.Decreasing the downtime of revenue producing... Read More

Never Wrestle with a PIG

The business books at the library and book stores fill... Read More

Comparing Ancient Programs from the East to Modern Programs like Stephen Covey.

Comparing Corporate and Personal goal attainment programs that have developed... Read More

Make a Difference - Sweat the Small Stuff First

My background is in retail management - yes, running stores,... Read More

Why We Judge

Judgment is the process of forming an opinion of something... Read More

What to do When You receive a Bad Check

As a small business operator, personal checks may be one... Read More

Performance Appraisal Checklist: Raise Not Just Appraise Performance

It's that time again! Perhaps the most dreaded management practice... Read More

An Original Perspective on Waging Conflict as a Way to Promote and Restore Self-dignity

Conflict is a fact of life for all of us,... Read More

How Your Business Can Pick A Software Developer

Eventually, your business is going to need to have some... Read More

Project Heroes

Project heroes. We've all heard of them. Some of us... Read More

Managing Rebellious Employees

Surveys of executives reveal that many companies fall short of... Read More

Implementation the Catalyst of Change for Management to Reach that Next Level of Success

From the personal and professional experiences of other colleagues and... Read More

Innovation Management: The Hype Cycle

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Power of Pinpointing Accountability

I have always said that if I were to write... Read More

Manage or Lead ? Why the Difference Matters and What to Do About That Difference

Many books have been written about managing people, and an... Read More

Conquering the Number One Problem in Business--Poor Communication

The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between... Read More

Turnover is Not a Problem

"Ha!" you say. "For someone to make a statement like... Read More

Truth or Consequences: How to Give Employee Feedback

In the bestseller, Good to Great, Jim Collins discovered that,... Read More

How to Attract and Retain the Right People

If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More

Benefits of Virtual Assistance

A virtual assistant is an individual who provides business services... Read More

Rapid Culture Change is Possible

Purpose: Show how immersion leadership training makes strategic initiative success... Read More

Hiring Productive Employees: A Checklist for Assessing Their Appeal

The characteristics of job applicants have a strong influence on... Read More

Do You Hear That?

I read a report in the Toronto Star stated that... Read More

5 Management Decision Making Lessons from a Long Shot. A Heartening Belmont Victory

Like many, I watched the 134th Belmont Stakes hoping to... Read More

Create Your Methodology Based on a Standard Framework - Part One

OK. So you have decided that your organization has to... Read More

DIVERSITY is a BIG word -- With A HUGE Business IMPACT

Second thought! Just in case. YOU or someone you personally... Read More

Work Priorities: Where Can You Spend Your Time Most Effectively?

Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration... Read More

Firing Someone Without Resentment

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More

Developing Your Management Style

One thing a lot of us don't do in sales... Read More

Five Reasons Why Leaders Fail to Create Successful Change

A bold title, don't you think? I mean, change is... Read More

Why People Resist Us

There's a one-word reason most ideas never see the light... Read More

Managing the Human Resource Project

We obtain strategic results by aligning HR mission, vision and... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Have SMART Goals

The first step in planning an agenda is to identify... Read More