How Small Businesses Can Compete in a Large Marketplace
How Small Businesses Can Compete in a Large Marketplace
Running a small business isn’t easy. Many small businesses struggle to keep up with compliance, cash flow management, and economic changes. As a small engineering company, you may find your business dealing with these issues, along with the challenges presented by engineering design and construction.
As a small business, you will always be at a disadvantage. Larger organizations are well equipped, allowing them to get things done quickly and at significantly lower costs. Fortunately, there are some solutions that can make things easier for small businesses to compete with their larger competitors.
Here are the major areas that a document management system helps small businesses compete with the big guys.
Engineering Workflow
Automatically manage and distribute files and documents for review, approval, and processing. Adjust user permissions at each step, ensuring your company’s files are managed securely.
Enhanced Workflow and Communication
Unlike large corporations, small businesses typically have a small group of managers that take charge of design and approval of workflows. Typically, these workflows are difficult to manage, as they require persistent communication between managers and engineers.
ImageSite automates workflows using a visual, canvas-like workflow builder, making it simple for managers to create, edit and conceptualize workflows. Managers can oversee approvals and utilize internal or external notifications at each step of the workflow, reducing the need for telephone or in-person communications.
ImageSite also includes tools for managing RFIs (Requests for Information), Submittals, and Transmittals, for better communication with vendors and downstream contractors. Like the other modules included in ImageSite, these tools can be used to automate notifications, giving managers, as well as vendors and customers, complete transparency into the state of project initiatives.
Learn More About: Workflows+, RFIs/Submittals, and Engineering Transmittal
Improved Compliance
With limited staff and a plethora of things to do, many small businesses struggle to keep up with regulatory compliance. Depending on the nature of your business, you may find yourself having to comply with standards and regulatory bodies such as NIST, ISO, ITAR, DFARS, and, of course the IRS.
ImageSite makes it easy to manage compliance by providing audit trails of all actions associated with files and documents within the system. These audit trails not only ensure complete administrative control over your intellectual property, but can also assist in e-discovery in the case of a civil or criminal investigation. While unlikely, given the integrity of your business, it can reduce costs associated with long, expensive legal proceedings; acting as a type of “insurance” for your company’s well-being.
Learn More About: Audit Trail, Security and Access Control.
Quality Control
A document management system with quality management controls helps organizations take control over their engineering files and documents and achieve their critical compliance goals.
Digital CAD Drawing Markup
Collaborate over drawing files and documents simultaneously.
Reduced Costs
Document management systems can reduce costs in a multitude of ways. The storage of paper documents can be costly, especially when handling a large number of drawings and their different versions. Today, most drawings are created using popular CAD software such as AutoCAD, Inventor, MicroStation, Revit, NX, or SolidWorks, however, many organizations are still relying on printed versions for document storage, redlining, and reviews.
With ImageSite, you no longer need to print documents for review (although the option is always available). This can help companies reduce storage requirements and document handling time, significantly reducing costs associated with documents. Unlike traditional electronic document management solutions, ImageSite allows employees to redline documents within the system, while managing file versions as changes are made. This not only makes it easier to manage review processes, but also ensures engineers find and work with the most current version of a document, quickly and easily.
Learn More About: CAD Drawing Management, Drawing Markup, and System Integrations
Additional EDMS Features
Our EDMS Solutions
ImageSite and Engine-Box (the Cloud version of ImageSite) are eQuorum’s robust workflow and document management solutions, created to help workers manage their essential workflows while maintaining complete control over their engineering files and documents. Not only do they provide a secure collaboration site for workers, but they also help organizations manage document distribution with third parties like vendors, contractors, and customers. Both systems are offered at a competitive price, enabling organizations to get a quick return on their investment by providing the features and functionality needed to help organizations improve efficiency, productivity, and collaboration. Companies can choose from concurrent user subscriptions or named user subscriptions, ensuring organizations have subscription options that make sense for their business.
ImageSite®
Our single source engineering workflow and document management system. Built in HTML5 so there is no software to deploy to client computers or mobile apps to download. Offered as an On-premise or Private Cloud system.
Our EDMS Solutions
ImageSite and Engine-Box (the Cloud version of ImageSite) are eQuorum’s robust workflow and document management solutions, created to help workers manage their essential workflows while maintaining complete control over their engineering files and documents. Not only do they provide a secure collaboration site for workers, but they also help organizations manage document distribution with third parties like vendors, contractors, and customers. Both systems are offered at a competitive price, enabling organizations to get a quick return on their investment by providing the features and functionality needed to help organizations improve efficiency, productivity, and collaboration. Companies can choose from concurrent user subscriptions or named user subscriptions, ensuring organizations have subscription options that make sense for their business.
Engine-Box™
Engine-Box is a cloud based workflow and document management version of ImageSite that resides outside the corporate network.
The eQuorum Customer Promise
In 2005, eQuorum developed the first all browser-based EDMS. The system, although for on-premise use, was still created to remove client software and JAVA from user computers and allow users to have a single viewer based on the simple navigation functionality of browsers. Today, eQuorum provides that same application in a private Cloud or a SaaS Cloud option. We can do this because we are, and have always been, browser-based, understanding the enhanced speed, security, and usability of this technology.
With the abundance of document management systems on the market today, there’s no doubt that choosing the right Cloud document management software can be a difficult decision. eQuorum is here to provide a comprehensive, powerful, and most importantly – affordable Cloud document management solution. We believe in providing real value to our customers by eliminating unnecessary costs, providing industry-leading functionality, and equipping your team with the right tools using cutting edge technology to bring your products to market faster.
Resources
eQuorum®
We specialize in engineering workflow and document management. Our comprehensive, yet easy-to-use software provides the solution to manage data from design to manufacturing and production, to sales, support and administration.