5 Ways File Tracking Software Can Help Your Business

The paperless office was one of the many promises of the computer age, but we’re not there yet. Paper files are still a fact of life in most businesses, and managing those files efficiently is a challenging task.

Multiple staff members handle the files on a daily basis, and there is no way to quickly locate any given file without physically searching for it. For companies that create large numbers of files, this can literally be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

File tracking software solutions often used alongside fixed asset management software can help law firms, libraries, police departments, and other organizations get a handle on their file and asset management. Using barcode or RFID labels in conjunction with a file tracking or fixed asset management software solution makes it easier for employees to quickly locate files and creates an accurate audit trail so that file handling policies can be enforced.

With a file tracking solution, each file is given a barcode and/or an RFID label. As the files are processed, those labels are scanned each step of the way so that they can be accurately tracked throughout a facility. In some cases, employee ID badge scans can accompany the file scans to provide even more information about who has the file and whether or not it is being properly handled and stored.

Using RFID with file tracking software can even make it possible for an employee with a handheld reader to locate a specific file among a large stack of paperwork in seconds. That type of near-real-time tracking can generate several important business benefits:

1. Avoid time wasted looking for lost or misplaced files. When staff members lose track of a given file, finding it again can take hours (in some cases, days) of time that might otherwise be spent on more productive tasks. With robust file tracking software in place, that process can be cut down to just minutes by providing an accurate trail of where the file has been and who scanned it last. In the case of RFID technology, a quick scan of a stack of files can cut that search time down to seconds.
2. Increase efficiency for the processing, storage, and retrieval of files and documents regardless of whether they are onsite or offsite. With a properly designed process in place, files can be scanned at each step along the way from creation and storage to retrieval. Handwritten file logs or notes can be eliminated, and, if required, an audit trail can be created automatically.
3. Reduce or eliminate the possibility of losing important customer information. A missing file doesn’t just inconvenience employees; it can also damage client relationships if they lose faith that you can manage their information reliably. In the case of legal documents or police records, a misplaced file can result in costly trial delays, missed filing deadlines, or worse. With file tracking software, you can always be assured of knowing exactly where to find critical documents.
4. Mitigate risk and lower costs by managing records with enforceable retention policies. File tracking also allows managers to ensure that all employees are following the prescribed file handling and retention procedures by creating an accurate account of each step in those processes. Gaps in the audit trail will be immediately apparent, enabling quick corrective action. This reduces the risk of lost files, improves regulatory compliance, and can lower costs through improved efficiency.
5. Added security prevents unauthorized parties from accessing and viewing files. Certain federal and state regulations, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, require specific document handling procedures. Certain legal or business files can only be accessed by authorized parties. File tracking software can match documents with specific employees and generate alerts if unauthorized staff handle those documents. With RFID labeling in place, those alerts can be generated automatically if someone attempts to move files from a secure location without permission.

File tracking software can improve efficiency, boost file security, ensure regulatory compliance, and reduce costs. With the right technology and file management processes in place, you can ensure end-to-end visibility of all of your critical documents.

Building a Smarter Document Management Strategy

Implementing file tracking software is only the first step toward improving document management. To maximize the benefits of the system, organizations should establish standardized workflows that ensure every file is properly identified, tracked, and managed throughout its lifecycle. Consistent processes reduce errors, improve accountability, and make information easier to access whenever it is needed.

Standardize File Movement

Before documents can be archived or destroyed, they typically move between departments, employees, and storage locations several times. These transfers can leave gaps in the document history without consistent tracking procedures.

One of the biggest advantages it provides is having a standard check-in and check-out process to keep track of every movement of files within an organization. Workers can more easily see whether a document is in storage, being reviewed, or assigned to some other department and eliminate searching for information unnecessarily.

Improve Collaboration Across Departments

A great number of organizations use documents in common to practice daily tasks. HR, finance, legal teams, and administrative tasks often access the same records.

On the other hand, file tracking software helps collaboration by unlocking access to users who have been given permission, while minimally disrupting current workflows. After all, employees are spending less time searching for papers and more on value-added tasks across the organization.

Having everything accessible also aids in quicker customer service, allowing employees to collect the documents requested by customers with ease.

Simplify Record Audits

Audits are a vital step in keeping your books straight. Manual audits frequently require employees to perform inspections of storage cabinets, compare inventories, and research missing files.

Automated file tracking allows organizations to generate reports quickly on where the files are at any time, their movement history, and document custody records. Such digital records enable ease of compliance during internal reviews and involve less time to prepare for any external audit.

Support Business Continuity

Office relocations, organizational restructuring, or emergencies such as fires and floods are only a few examples where you lose access to important records when maintenance of data becomes disruptive. When offices change location or hire new personnel, file tracking software keeps document visibility intact through fast access to a central inventory of physical files.

By knowing exactly where critical records are held, organizations can restore data in a timelier manner, allowing their businesses to resume with the least amount of disruption.

Integrate with Enterprise Information Systems

When combined with other enterprise technologies, file tracking becomes an even bigger deal. Linking document tracking with asset management, inventory systems, or workflow automation platforms provides a clearer picture of all organizational content.

Integrated systems will decrease the need for entering data multiple times as well as enhance communication between departments and facilitate more efficient business processes.

How Lowry Solutions Helps Enable Intelligent File Tracking

Discover how Lowry Solutions provides operational value by helping organizations better manage physical documents with easy-to-use barcode and RFID tracking solutions that deliver confidence you have access to the right files and records in real time. Coupled with enterprise mobility, along with industrial printing, asset management technologies, and active integration competencies on the Sonaria platform, these capabilities help businesses streamline their document workflow, enhance accountability, and improve operational efficiency. Combining file tracking with existing enterprise architecture strengthens security and compliance processes while making the document management process a frictionless growth engine.