The Evolution of Information Management: Are DMS Systems Becoming Obsolete?
Will the Document Management System become the fax machine of our time?
Why Housing Associations Need to Fundamentally Rethink Their Information Management
For a long time, information management within housing associations has been a matter of “documents.” Lease agreements, letters, reports, and memos—once neatly filed in binders, later digitized as PDFs and stored in a Document Management System (DMS). This made sense, since that was the dominant form of information. But anyone who still thinks of “documents” (digitized paper) as the core of information management today is missing a fundamental shift.
A PDF document
Here are a few examples of changes in the way information is shared: Tenants now send a WhatsApp message with a photo of a leak. A contractor shares a video of the progress of a renovation via WeTransfer. An inspector makes audio recordings on-site because they’re faster than typing. And communication with suppliers often takes place via email conversations full of attachments, links, and spontaneous updates. The challenge? Traditional DMSs aren’t designed for this. So the question arises: isn’t the DMS obsolete?
That DMS can't save it?
The danger is that employees will start decentralizing information that they cannot store in a DMS. They are creative, resourceful, and, above all, want to be able to act quickly. For example, they temporarily store files in their email inbox, on their desktop, or on shared network drives. Sometimes even on their smartphones or, worse yet, on an external storage device. Not because they want to, but because the DMS simply isn’t designed to handle photos, videos, WhatsApp chats, or voice memos.
Risks
The result is fragmentation. Information is everywhere except where it belongs. As a result, the central view of the tenant—the “360-degree view” so often discussed—is missing. It is an illusion to think that an organization can make well-informed decisions when crucial information remains outside the system’s scope. And that’s not even mentioning privacy and archiving risks. Staying compliant is becoming more challenging, and the risk of data breaches is increasing.
DMS has become a bottleneck
What was once a useful tool has now become an obstacle for many housing associations. DMS systems were built at a time when the web was still static, communication was slow and predictable, and most files were text-based. In that context, they worked exceptionally well. But just as the fax machine has now disappeared from everyday life, traditional DMS solutions are also on the decline.
Enterprise Information Management
The case study of the Eigen Haard housing authority clearly demonstrates that more was needed than just document management. They concluded that their old systems were not equipped to handle today’s communication tools. WhatsApp, photos, and audio files simply could not be integrated into the structure of their DMS. This led to inefficiency, frustration, and unnecessary risks. For many housing associations, this will (still) be a familiar situation.
From DMS to EIM
What if we stopped thinking in terms of documents and started thinking in terms of information, regardless of its form? Whether it’s a video message, a PDF, an audio clip, a photo, an email, or a meeting report, it’s all information that contributes to the overall picture of a tenant, a complex, or a maintenance project.
That is why more and more organizations are switching to Enterprise Information Management (EIM). This is not just a new DMS that does the same thing with a modern twist, but a fundamentally different approach. EIM integrates all forms of information into a single environment, featuring smart integrations between systems, centralized storage, robust search capabilities, and automatic classification. These systems can, in fact, be used for many more purposes than just tenant information.
The Benefits of EIM at a Glance
- All information, regardless of source or format, is stored centrally and is easy to find.
- Communication with tenants, suppliers, and partners is automatically linked to the appropriate file.
- Employees receive a single overview of all relevant information, which enables them to provide better service.
- Archiving and compliance are ensured without manual intervention. For example, you can also have information automatically deleted once the statutory retention period has expired.
- Organizations are becoming future-proof, with room for new forms of communication, data flows, and service delivery.
Not an option
For housing associations on the verge of replacing their DMS, now is the perfect time to look beyond a simple upgrade. The question that needs to be answered isn’t “Which DMS is right for our organization?” but “Shouldn’t we invest in an information system that meets our needs today and tomorrow?” Housing associations that are able to centralize all their various information flows can also gain a huge competitive edge in the field of AI. How? We’d be happy to explain that and more.