How do I proceed document versioning in a correct way?

What role does versioning play in the document management system DMS?

Functions from the area of ​​versioning play an important role for many DMS software users. Find out more about the benefits here.

The term versioning is not a foreign word within a document management system (DMS). The need to use a document management system that has GoBD-compliant version control and audit-proof versioning is becoming increasingly clear.

Because who doesn't know this case? A contract is processed several times - a change here, a comment there, position comparison, total change and agreement at the end. Each individual change is saved locally on the computer for backup and sent for further testing.

Now, if the colleague is absent or the customer calls and asks for last month's version "XYZ" to be edited, everything stalls.

Version chaos and redundancies are the result.

At this point at the latest, it is worth thinking about versioning or version management of documents.

Paperless work through digital processes

Advantages of DMS software

The central orientation of a DMS software results in various advantages for the company. For example, it ensures that all employees work with the same, correct data.

In addition, media breaks are avoided, so that a seamless flow of information is possible within the framework of workflows.

This also makes double data maintenance obsolete, so that transmission errors are avoided, which in turn has a positive effect on the quality of the managed data.

Many companies, especially SMEs, see this as an obstacle to data security and therefore advocate the use of a document management system, DMS for short, such as that of PaperOffice.

What is versioning?

In short: versioning makes all changes to documents traceable.

The term versioning is very easy to explain: by and large, it is the functionality that is used to record changes to documents or files.

In this way, every document change is recognized and saved as a shadow copy as a new document version.

With every change to a document, a "newer" version of the document is stored in a corresponding archive. The logging makes changes transparent and traceable at all times.

At this point, the subsequent viewer knows when a document was changed by which editor. This gives you an overview of the entire document life cycle.

Versioning can be done automatically or manually.

But what's the difference? This and all versioning methods that PaperOffice DMS supports are explained in detail in our Workshop Tutorial.

What types of versioning are there?

Automatic versioning

With automatic versioning, PaperOffice independently recognizes that a document has been changed. This can be done with a Word document or, thanks to the integrated WorkBench module, with a PDF document.
A current copy of the changed document is automatically created by PaperOffice after processing and stored in the "Documents in progress" document pool. The version is not updated until you click Stop Editing.
This ensures that documents cannot be overwritten in the network. Because as long as you are working on a document, it is in the already mentioned document pool.

After the "newer version" of the document has been checked in, PaperOffice updates the preview image and performs the text recognition of the document again. The earlier version remains available and can be accessed.

Digitization brings many advantages

Manual versioning

Manual versioning is ideal when documents are printed out and signed by hand, for example, and then have to be scanned in as a new version.

In manual versioning, the versioning process is triggered manually by the user.

PaperOffice uses the integrated AI to recognize that this document is an existing one and suggests archiving the newly scanned one as a version of an existing one. Or, if the document is different in appearance and not recognized by the AI, it can be archived manually as a new version for an existing one.

Advantages of using a DMS for version management

Unified Archiving

As soon as documents are archived in PaperOffice, the integrated versioning ensures that numerous copies are not saved as separate files. Instead, the different versions of a document are in one file.

Compliance with revision security and GoBD conformity

The versioning of documents ensures compliance with revision security and GoBD conformity.

In order to ensure revision security, all details of a change to documents and files must be clearly traceable. It must be ensured that only authorized employees can make such a change. But it is just as important to know years later which employees changed what and when.

Concurrency structuring

PaperOffice is not just a document management system, but serves as a comprehensive collaboration application. This not only provides extensive workflow, stamp and task tools, but also makes it easier to work on documents as part of the workflow.

Thanks to version control, every user knows when and how a document was changed and by whom. If a user edits a document, it is locked for other users and simultaneous editing is not possible.

With regard to the last point, the so-called check-out and check-in regulates the uncomplicated collaboration on a document and coordinates access rights. With the check-out function, the editor temporarily blocks the document.

With the subsequent check-in, the first editor creates the changed document as a new version. The previously imposed editing lock is lifted.

Security and compliance with many legal standards and compliance

The most important thing about versioning is, of course, that all legal requirements and compliance aspects, which are becoming increasingly important, are demonstrably observed. Because every change to the document is traceable - right down to the user who made it.

Choosing the right DMS software for versioning

In summary, it becomes clear that DMS-supported version management has many advantages.

The best thing about versioning, however, is that companies are able to automate the creation, revision and distribution of important business documents.

The PaperOffice document management enables so many companies to gain audit security. It is important to be able to understand all changes to the business documents quickly and at any time.

Getting started is easier than you think.

Are you still worried about not making it? Read case studies from our customers about the PaperOffice integration into your business life and convince yourself of the simplicity or simply apply for a test installation.