14 of April, 2025

Every company generates a large number of documents that need to be orderly to easily access them. Therefore, the process of document management is one of the most important in companies.

But how can a document manager for businesses be leveraged? We tell you all about how to implement it in your organization in this dedicated article. Keep reading to discover it!

What is document management?

Document management is a set of practices and processes designed to organize, store, retrieve and manage documents or files effectively throughout their lifecycle.

As for document management in companies, it is a discipline that deals with the creation, distribution, use, storage, and final disposal of documents, whether in physical or digital format. The idea is to optimize the data flow in an organization to guarantee its accessibility, security, and regulatory compliance.

How is the company’s document management carried out

Now that we know what document management is, it is advisable to learn how to guarantee correct document management of the company in order to have legal conformity and facilitate operational efficiency.

From capture to storage and retrieval, each step in the document management process plays a crucial role. To carry out this process it is necessary:

Capture documents

The first step in document management in companies is document capture. This can include, among other things:

Employment contracts.
Human resources forms.
Performance evaluations.

Digitizing physical documents and creating electronic files are some of the most common practices at this stage. Accurate capture is essential to ensure that information is complete and easily accessible.

Classification and organization

Once captured, the files must be classified and organized logically. This step of document management involves assigning categories and metadata in order to facilitate the search and efficient retrieval of documents in the future.

Correct organization of files is key to prevent HR employees from wasting time and resources in the search for vital information.

Secure storage

One of the most important points of document management is to carry out secure storage. For this, companies can opt for cloud solutions or certain document management systems.

Currently, there are different personnel management software that facilitate this task, such as the Sesame HR program for HR management. These systems usually have access controls to protect the information.

Efficient recovery

At times, finding or retrieving a document can be a complicated task. However, one of the goals of document management is to have programs that offer fast searches and better category filtering.

Thus, the document management systems available nowadays carry fast searches and category filtering, speeding up the document recovery process and increasing productivity.

Allows version control and compliance

In digital environments, document management often includes version control to track modifications made to a document over time. These help to update it simply.

On the other hand, one of the purposes of document management is to worry about complying with regulations and policies related to document retention and handling. This is especially critical in highly regulated industries.

Helps with secure deletion

If you want to get rid of documents that are not going to be used, they should be deleted both physically and digitally, always carried out securely. Document management programs allow them to be deleted simply and in compliance with data protection laws.

Who manages the document management of employees

In the context of human resources, document management can be carried out by various actors, involving different parts within the entity. Among the main responsible actors are the following:

Human Resources Department

The Human Resources department plays a central role in document management of workers. They are responsible for the creation, collection, and updating of related documents with employees from the moment a new team member arrives.

Among some documents that are handled are: contracts, evaluations, and training records, as well as payroll management.

Managers and supervisors

Managers and supervisors or those responsible for an area also play a key role in managing documents. In this case, it is a management of documents related to labor productivity, reviews, and any team-specific documentation under their charge.

IT team

The IT team or system administrators are responsible for implementing and maintaining document management systems in companies. This includes setting up the necessary infrastructure and ensuring the security of the documents.

Tips for organizing good document management

Some tips for achieving correct document management in the company include:

Digitize existing paper documents, thus improving the efficiency of processes.
Centralize the corporation’s content in a single repository to find it more easily.
Establish correct classification and categorization of documents, so that the program can find it quickly.
Assign access controls depending on the type of document.
Establish authorizations depending on the area and responsibilities of each one.
Make good use of metadata to structure information and optimize document management.
Standardize document templates.
Encourage collaboration between departments.
Manage the versions of existing documents, allowing control over the expiration of documents and new versions.

By following all these steps a good document management in companies can be achieved. Discover much more about Human Resources management on the Sesame HR blog where we have all kinds of articles and guides for users. We are your HR software reference!

Customer-oriented, both internally and externally, specializing in the definition and implementation of HR policies, as well as talent management, recruitment, and retention. Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, organization, and team coordination skills. Over 12 years of experience in Human Resources.

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iriserrador

HR Content Specialist

Document management in the company: how it’s carried out and who manages it