Document Management System Development Cost

Moving from papers to digital assets is no longer an innovation; it is a path all organizations follow to be successful. In this article, we will explore the document management system development process and how much this software might cost for the company, reviewing the resources and the timeline needed for the DMS.

The need to switch to digital solutions results from maintaining and managing reports: papers are harder to browse, take more time to process, and need a lot of space for physical storage. Even with the best organization, it is still very time-consuming, and each action requires human participation, depending on the operation. Opting for digitalization is more environmentally friendly. However, handling digital files can be challenging. The electronic DMS is an important part of the enterprise business intelligence and automation system part, and it solves a problem of dematerialization: the tracking of digital data.

List of The Contents:

• Typical features of document management software
• Document management system development benefits
• Document management system development process
• Technologies used in the document management system development
• Main modules of the DMS software
• Document management software cost estimates
• Conclusion

According to the research, the DMS software market may hit $16.42bn in 2029. Today organizations use an increasing number of files, and it becomes essential to have the right solution to manage them and to make collaboration among employees easier. When dealing with a huge volume of data, it is crucial to perform a quick search, make a change and share with the proper people. The more time the companies spend on these tasks, the less productive they are. That’s why companies possess a record of each change made by the different contributors and restore any version at any time.

TYPICAL FEATURES OF THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE

The DMS addresses the collaboration challenges, so in this section, we will review the critical software features.

• Optical character recognition: The electronic document management system software has a feature that allows character detection from an image and scanned files. This option is especially needed during research and paper validation. Check our article about the options available for the screen scraping of the other software and the paper data recognition approaches to learn more about that.
• Storage: DMS software allows users to store their files and digital information. It offers a central location where everyone in the organization can retrieve data if they need it. Now information is presented in several different forms and formats. That’s why during the document management software development process, you build centralized storage with the capability of digital records such as text, images, video, etc. Online solutions are a standard, and the storage solutions are accessed anywhere as long as there is an Internet connection.
• Sharing: Records are created and updated so that the company can share them with the right people within the organization or with the organization’s partners. And such document management system development solutions make the sharing process easier. The DMS software also facilitates access to the list of people eligible for sharing through integration with the company’s LDAP.
• Security: Such solutions provide a high level of security, especially for sensitive information, including any public folders and files. The organization enhances the protection level, as anyone can have access to data. Algorithms, implemented during the document management system development, provide information on who had entered the data, and that’s why the alerts are triggered anytime illegal access is made.
• Versioning: When we refer to collaboration, it implies that the electronic record has a different state every time someone edits the file within an organization. It is necessary to enable versioning: every edit will lead to a new version, and more importantly, the application allows access to a revised version all the time.
• Research: Researching for a file or within files is easy with asset programs. Without this feature, looking for a specific file or record can be very time-consuming. Not knowing where to search and how to conduct custom research is a huge challenge. The document management system development addresses this problem as well. Research can be more straightforward and custom: by keywords for assets, research for specific words or phrases within documents.
• Mobile compatibility: A mobile device is now part of the standard work tool; basic operations have to be made with a mobile device. The application offers mobile compatibility so that everyone can access the reports anywhere and anytime.

Now that we have identified the DMS features, let’s see what benefits of document management software development and implementation.

BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING A DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The DMS is software designed to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver electronic documents and images. It is a digital filing cabinet that allows businesses to organize, manage, and control the flow of their documents. Implementing a DMS can significantly impact a business’s efficiency, productivity, security, compliance, collaboration, communication, and paper usage.

Improved efficiency and productivity

One of the primary benefits of a document management system is improving efficiency and productivity. With a DMS, businesses can automate many manual processes, such as document creation, distribution, approval, and archiving. This automation reduces the time and effort required to complete tasks, allowing employees to focus on more important tasks.

A DMS also allows for the efficient retrieval of documents, reducing the time and effort required to find and access a specific document. Documents are indexed and can be searched for using keywords, making it easy to locate a specific document.

Increased security and compliance

Another benefit of building a DMS is increased security and compliance. A DMS ensures that documents are stored in a secure, centralized location, reducing the risk of data loss or breaches. Besides, businesses can control who has access to specific documents and what actions they can perform. This can help protect sensitive information and ensure that only authorized individuals can access it.

It also helps businesses to comply with regulatory requirements, such as retention policies and auditing requirements. They can automatically retain documents for a specified period and create audit trails of who accessed or modified a document.

Better collaboration and communication

Document management software also improves collaboration and communication within an organization. Employees can easily share documents and collaborate on projects, regardless of their location. A DMS allows for real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on a document simultaneously, reducing the need for version control.

A DMS also allows for the easy distribution of documents, ensuring that the right people have access to the right information at the right time. This can improve decision-making and the overall flow of information within an organization.

Reduced paper usage and storage

Implementing a DMS can also help businesses to reduce their paper usage and storage. A document management system allows them to digitize and store their paper documents electronically, reducing the need for physical storage. This can save businesses money on paper and storage costs and reduce the environmental impact of paper usage.

Easy access to information

Finally, a DMS provides easy access to information. Organizations can quickly and easily access the information they need, regardless of where they are located. This can improve the flow of information within an organization and increase the speed of decision-making.

Document management system development can significantly impact a business’s efficiency, productivity, security, compliance, collaboration, communication, and paper usage. The solution provides businesses with a secure, centralized location to store, manage, and access their documents. It automates manual processes, improves collaboration and communication, and reduces paper usage and storage. They can easily access the information they need, which can improve the speed of decision-making and the overall flow of information within an organization. Document management system development is crucial in improving efficiency and productivity in any business.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Developing a DMS requires careful planning, design, and execution to ensure that the final product meets the organization’s and its users’ needs. The document management software development process might be considered a complex and multi-faceted process, though it commonly involves the typical stages of the software development process. 

System requirement specification phase. The first stage of the document management system development process is the system requirement specification (SRS) phase. In this phase, the organization’s needs and requirements for the DMS are identified and documented. This may include identifying the types of documents that will be managed, the number of users that will access the system, and the required level of security. The SRS also includes a detailed description of the functional and non-functional requirements of the system.

Design of the document flow system. Once the SRS has been completed, the next step is to design the document flow system. This includes identifying the different stages that a document will go through, from creation to archiving, and how the document will move through these stages. The design of the document flow system also includes identifying the different types of users and their roles within the system and how they will interact with the documents.

Design of the technical architecture. The technical architecture design is the next step in the DMS development process. In this stage, the system’s technical requirements are identified, including the hardware and software that will be used and the system’s overall architecture. This stage also includes selecting the database management system, the operating system, and the programming languages that will be used to develop the system.

Development. When the design of the system has been completed, the next step is to begin the development of the DMS. This includes coding the various components of the system, including the user interface, the document management functions, and the security features. The development stage also includes integrating any third-party software or APIs required for the system to function.

Testing. After the development of the DMS is complete, the next step is to test the system to ensure that it meets the requirements and specifications outlined in the SRS. This includes both functional and non-functional testing, such as performance testing, security testing, and usability testing. Any issues that are identified during testing are addressed and resolved before the system is deployed.

Application deployment. Once the system has been tested and any issues have been resolved, the next step is to deploy the DMS. This includes installing the system on the organization’s servers or in the cloud, configuring the system for the organization’s specific needs, and training users on how to use the system.

By following these key stages, organizations can ensure that the final product meets their needs and provides their users with a high level of functionality and security. Document management system development is an ongoing process. As it is a dynamic software, the functionalities and requirements keep changing, and it’s important to keep updating and maintaining the system running smoothly.

WHAT TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED FOR DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT?

Regarding the technical aspect of DMS development, these are the leading technologies to take into account:

Programming languages: The choice of the technologies will depend mainly on the document management software development team’s skills and habits and especially on technologies that the organization often uses to develop its applications. However, the following technologies are the most commonly used for document management system development:

• • .NET framework(C#): when developing an application from scratch, .NET is a powerful technology that can be used to create reliable enterprise application.NET and offers several built-in solutions to speed the development process.
  • JEE: like .NET, JEE is very powerful and much more flexible than most languages. Since it is based on Java programming languages, it benefits from strong support incoherence.
  • Ruby on Rails: DMS development takes less time and effort thanks to Ruby on Rails several frameworks.
  • PHP is one of the most used programming languages, primarily to build websites, but it can also be used for document management system development. Since these applications are necessary, PHP offers a lighter solution, pages can be loaded more quickly.

Database system: There are several options for the database to use.

• • Relational database: we can opt for free databases like MySQL or proprietary databases like Oracle or MS SQL Server.
  • NoSQL database: unlike a Relational database, NoSQL does not require a schema and a defined structure, which makes NoSQL databases more suitable for DMS development. DMS aims to store any file types which align well with the NoSQL database. For the NoSQL database, we can choose MongoDB, which is a paper-oriented database making it the best choice for document management system development.

OCR: During DMS development, it is also essential to choose the right OCR API. Depending on the programming language, you can choose how to build the DMS software, as there can be several options for the OCR solution. You can, for instance, consider Asprise Java OCR.

The document management software development company can offer standard solutions. However, each business is different and doesn’t handle recorded information the same way. This is why it is important to go for a custom solution development. Before addressing the document management software pricing, let’s first see the modules that are usually included in the DMS development.

WHAT MODULES ARE TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE?

We have already seen the critical features that a web-based DMS covers. And now, let’s consider all of these modules that are typically covered in the software development process.

• Security module. The security module in a DMS is responsible for controlling access to the system and ensuring that only authorized users can view, edit, or delete documents. This module includes features such as user authentication, role-based access control, and document encryption. The security module is essential to the document management system as it ensures that sensitive and confidential information is protected from unauthorized access.
• OCR module. The OCR module is an optical character recognition module that allows the system to scan and convert paper documents into electronic documents. This module enables the system to recognize text in images and convert it into editable text, making it easier to search, edit, and share documents. The OCR module also helps to improve the efficiency of document management by reducing the need for manual data entry.
• Document storage module. The document storage module is responsible for storing and organizing electronic documents within the DMS. This module allows users to create folders and subfolders to organize documents and make them easy to find. The document storage module also includes features such as document versioning, which enables users to keep track of different versions of the same document, and document retention, which ensures that documents are automatically deleted after a certain period.
• Document upload and creation module. The document upload and creation module allows users to upload existing electronic documents to the DMS as well as create new documents within the system. This module includes features such as document templates, which enable users to quickly create new documents using predefined layouts, and document collaboration, which allows multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously.
• User interface module. The user interface module provides a user-friendly interface for users to interact with the EDMS. This module includes features such as a search function, which enables users to quickly find the documents they need, and a document preview function, which allows users to view the document without opening it. The user interface module also includes customization options, which enable users to personalize the interface to their preferences.

The DMS workflow refers to how documents are created, stored, accessed, and shared within the system. Every organization has its own workflow that implies roles and authorization. For example, it can start with creating a new document, which is then stored in the document storage module. Once stored, the document can be accessed and edited by authorized users. The document can also be shared with other users through the document-sharing module. The workflow also includes features such as document approval and document routing, which enable users to review and approve documents before they are shared or published.

Document management system development is an important aspect of ensuring that the DMS effectively meets the organization’s needs. It can be turned into a powerful tool that can help organizations to improve their document management processes.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE COST AND TIMELINE

For this estimation, we will review the modules listed above within web-based document management system development that can be accessed on a mobile device as well. The estimation technique is the same as we have used for web-based applications and mobile application development.

Let’s first define the IT specialists needed to build this application. We recommend the use of a NoSQL database.

• A project manager
• The back-end and front-end developers
• QA engineer
• System administrator
• NoSQL DBA
• Mobile developers: iOS and Android developers

We cover some modules with a similar complexity level, the estimation of one of these modules will help us estimate the whole system and extrapolate the estimation using the document workflow module.

In this module, we are going to develop the following:

• Role management
• Workflow definition: creation, update, validation, sharing, archiving, etc.
• Document management process flow validation

Implementing this workflow module will cost:

• 1 Back-end developer working full time for 2 months charging $25/hr = $8,000
• 1 Front-end developer working full-time for 2 months charging $30/hr = $9,600
• 1 QA engineer working full-time for 1 month charging $20/hr = $3,200
• 1 Project manager who manages the project from design to project closure for 2 months charging $30/hr = $4,800
• 1 NoSQL DBA working full-time for one week charging $30/hr = $1,200
• 1 System administrator working full-time for one week charging $25/hr = $1,000

Additionally, for the mobile application part:

• 1 iOS developer working full time for 1 month charging $35/hr = $4,800
• 1 Android developer working full-time for 1 month charging $35/hr = $4,960

The workflow management module will cost approximately $37,000.

The overall document management software cost is approximately $220,000.

TABLE OF APPROXIMATE COST

Now let’s put the DMS software price from this example in the table for a better explanation. We took the outsourcing rates that you can expect in referring to companies in Eastern and Central European countries such as Ukraine, including Existek, as the base of our research. The budget is calculated for the fully functional solution with approximately 6 modules included.

CONCLUSION

Engaging in document management system development presents many advantages: it offers improved process flow, helps save time during research and asset processing, and allows an organization to be more productive. It is essential to tailor the flow of the system like any other application that is tied to the organization’s business. Every organization has its own document process flow, security policy, and way to interact with documents. Every step of the development process is crucial, from designing the system requirement specification to the system deployment.

If you are looking for a document management system development company and want to know more about the DMS designing process and challenges, please read our case study about the development of the data migration module for the IntelliChief paperless process management solution. Existek is an offshore software development company with a long track record of creating document management and data recognition software for a great number of industries, including healthcare and education.