https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Commentaries


Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Commentary

How government workers can stay efficient with a DMS

How government workers can stay efficient with a DMS

  • Written by Katie Casaday
  • 4th June 2021

Cities and communities attribute a large part of their success to the hard-working individuals behind the scenes. These individuals are faced with a wide range of responsibilities. And because of this heavy work, government work can often be draining.

Government workers have to work efficiently to make sure all their programs and initiatives are running smoothly to leave their constituents satisfied. With the right tools and technology, government employees can streamline their daily duties to be more productive.

Technology can help

Technology is the key to developing an efficient workflow. What used to be bulky and hard to navigate is now simple and easy to implement. Even just 10 to 15 years ago, email was one of the most impactful pieces of technology. Today, using email is second nature, and almost anything is possible with the right technology. The challenge has become narrowing down what technology an organization needs.

A document management system (DMS) is becoming increasingly popular across every industry, but especially in government. There are countless systems available, ranging from simple solutions that store documents to complex options that automate workflows and generate helpful reports.

Using a DMS in your government organization will help your team to reach new levels of efficiency.

Reduce human error with automation

In the government sector, you are regularly faced with tedious tasks like processing licenses, sending approvals to the right people, saving documents to a specified location, and making sure your internal and external documents follow compliance regulations. These processes—along with the countless others specific to your department—are all prone to human error.

Human error is inevitable, yet can still have lasting effects on an organization and its productivity. For example, employees may have to double and triple check their work then have to redo a project once the mistake is caught. That will prevent them from moving on to their other work and have a negative impact on efficiency instantly.

A DMS can greatly reduce human error by using automation. Consider all that goes into maintaining compliance. The regulations vary, but you may be required to hold onto a document for a certain period of time or ensure that only authorized employees have access to certain information. Even the best employees will make a mistake at some point such as accidently destroying the wrong document or filing it in the wrong location. But with automation, you can always trust that your compliance rules are being followed because human error has been diminished.

Instead of the employees working on tedious tasks manually, a computer can automate all those things that often trip them up. So employees can spend more time working on things that require their thought and attention.

Central and standardized filing system

A DMS can greatly benefit employees by providing them with a central repository for all government documents. Instead of making trips around the office to gather each document they’re looking for, they’ll be able to effortlessly access all of them with a DMS.

Do you need to collaborate on a document with your team? No problem. With the centralized storage and standardized filing system that a DMS provides, every team member will have access to the required documents without wondering if they’re putting them back in the correct location. Interdepartmental work doesn’t have to be challenging and hold up your efficiency any longer.

Flexible work environment

Most employees know themselves and recognize what environment holds them back, and which one helps them flourish. When employees can work where and how they want, they’ll be able to find an efficient workflow. Remote work may not seem practical for every government agency with the projects that need to be accessible by everyone.

Because a DMS provides centralized document storage, anyone can productively work from home or in the office. There are a variety of reasons why employees may need to work remotely. Whether they’re in the midst of a global pandemic, an employee needs to stay home to care for a sick family member, or the stellar new hire has a long commute, remote work is possible and easy with a DMS.

Using a DMS in your government agency will empower your employees to work productively. The right technology can have a great impact on the work you produce and will make your job as public servants more efficient than you ever imagined.

 

Katie Casaday is a marketing content writer at eFileCabinet where she specializes in computer software and document management topics. She graduated from Utah State University with a BA in Global Communication.

 

Tags: homepage-featured-2 homepage-featured-4 Administration Commentaries Administration Commentary

Most Recent


  • materials
    Public buyers have several options to keep problem materials out of the waste stream
    Cities and counties are taking multiple steps towards sustainability, says Curran Hughes, co-founder and president of Renegade Plastics, a fabric product manufacturer that offers an alternative to PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-coated fabrics. Its low carbon coated fabrics curtail plastic waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the company. “Local governments are doing a nice job […]
  • environmental
    Seasons change: Addressing environmental issues takes many forms
    With extreme temperatures, increasing natural disasters and seasonal changes that are no longer predictable, environmental concerns are growing across the world. As a result, government and educational institutions, through their political bodies and leadership, are now mandating and prioritizing sustainability for their communities. The measures being taken, and goals being met, take many forms to […]
  • federal grants
    Best laid plans: Here are a few steps cities and counties should take when a federal grant comes their way
    Part 1 of this report on managing federal grants and funds appeared in the June 2023 issue of Government Procurement. In recent years, Congress has approved legislation giving local governments access to new sources of federal grants and funds. The laws include: American Rescue Plan Act (APRA), Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), […]
  • sustainability
    5 ways procurement can lead on government sustainability
    A seat at the table.” “No longer a back-office function.” “Purchasing is tactical, procurement is strategic.” You can’t spend a day diving into the world of public sector procurement without running headlong into this sentiment. Conference keynotes, webinars, certification curricula and more have been dedicated to advancing the premise that procurement is at its best […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Lessons from your friendly neighborhood public service employees
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery

WHITE PAPERS


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

Podcast


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.