EDMS Information Sharing

Sharing refers to sharing the document digitally via email or sharing it via physical means such as a printed document. The EDMS of choice should make the process of information sharing secure and effortless.

Functions & purpose they serve Is this an important feature for your use case?
Printing from the inbuilt viewer

A good EDMS will come with its own in-built viewer. With an inbuilt viewer comes a host of benefits. Firstly, the user can preview any document regardless of file format with a single click within the EDMS. This saves the hassle of downloading the document into the laptop and then opening up a separate native program to read the document.

With the inbuilt reader, we are assured that years down the road, we will still be able to read the content of the document using the EDMS even if the native software that creates and read the document can no longer be found. E.g. It would be very difficult to find a Word Perfect or Lotus 1 2 3 program today.

Lastly, with an inbuilt reader, the risk of information leakage is reduced to the minimum as a copy of the file is not downloaded into the pc. There will be no compromise of the information if there is hacking or loss of a device.

Depending on the operating environment and process flow. You may want to evaluate if the in-built viewer is able to print the documents properly in a presentable format and if it offers flexible print options. E.g. printing only a certain region of the document.

For certain industries such as construction, users may need to evaluate if the print out is scaled properly.
Sharing via URL through email

Can users share a download link and anyone with the link can view or download the file?
Only authenticated and authorised personnel have access

Can users share a download link, such that only users with a registered account within the EDMS and with the correct clearance level can view the document of the directory?

This option is normally used to share files between co-workers or with clients that also have access to the EDMS platform. This prevents unauthorised downloading of information in the event that the file URL is compromised.
The platforms that can be used to access the files

Can users on different web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari or different operating systems such as Windows, OSX, IOS, Android etc view the online folders and download the files seamlessly?
Hosting of files on the EDMS for stakeholders to download

If we are using the EDMS to host a file for public download, what is the download bandwidth the EDMS system can support?
Are we able to set an expiry period such that the link will not work after a certain period of time to increase the security on the file?

Is the process effortless or tedious?
Export and send as an email attachment

Can users export the file in its native format and send via email as an attachment?
Can users export the file into pdf format and send via email as an attachment?
Can users add password encryption to the pdf file during the export process?
If the file is too big for export as an email attachment, is there a prompt to provide a URL download instead.
On-the-go mobile applications

Does the EDMS come with a native mobile application?
Can we share files via URL or export to email?
Do we see folders and documents presented in an intuitive hierarchical structure within the mobile app?
Can we view the different document formats within the native inbuilt viewer?
Can users download or select a document for offline viewing?
Is there encryption of data and remote wipe in the event of device loss?
The mobile app should also be stable and fast to use. Fast to find and open documents. Effortless to get things done.