DMS Implementation Methodology

When implementing DMS, Insula’s Document Management System, consideration must be given to the implementation methodology.  Implementing DMS allows automated version control so that users can be sure that the version of the document they are viewing is the absolute latest.

There are a couple of implementation approaches to consider:

Migration – Select Pre-determined Jobs

This approach requires that a determination be made of the jobs that will be migrated to the DMS.  An example is to migrate jobs in the Pre-Administration, and Administration stages as these are the current jobs being worked on.  The benefit of this approach is that it is quick and requires fewer resources.  The downside to this approach is that end-users will need to look in a couple of areas in Framework to know which jobs have been migrated and which haven’t.

Migration - Staggered

This approach allows you to migrate all Framework jobs, but to do it in a staggered approach, not all jobs at once.  A determination can be made on the most important jobs, and a timeline can be created for the migration of the most to least important jobs.  

Migration - All Jobs

This approach involves migrating all Framework jobs to the new DMS structure.  This is a large exercise and would require a dedicated resource to implement.  The benefit of this approach is that the end-user does not need to know which jobs have been migrated and which haven’t.  They will therefore know that the files they see for the job are all current and correct.  The downside to this approach is that, depending on the number of jobs in Framework, the migration may take a very long time that users may not necessarily have available.

It is important to note that files for all jobs can easily be viewed in Framework via the Linked Files screen.  This screen is split into the following tabs:

DMS LAN – shows all files for a job that is in the DMS

Supervisor LAN – shows all supervisor files that a supervisor has saved on their “Supervisor Files” folder on their tablet and synced to the office.  These are not included in the DMS.

Legacy LAN – shows all files for a job that is in the old file location and not in the DMS.

Linked Files – manual pointers to specific files anywhere on the LAN.  These are rarely used and not in the DMS.

By understanding the Linked Files screen in Framework, it may assist you in choosing which implementation methodology best suits your business.