Version control is a crucial aspect of document management. When multiple users collaborate on the same file, document version control can help users identify, track, and manage changes made to files.
A PDF editor online lets you create new documents and make changes to existing PDF files. Manually, you can rename documents, but these intermediate versions could make your review process messy.
The best solution is to automate how you track the changes made to files over time. This post will explore how document management software automates file versioning to keep your processes organized.
What is document version control?
Document version control is a process that allows users to manage and track changes made to docs. With this functionality, several users can edit the same file, and all changes are synced in real-time.
The good thing about this system is that you can always access a complete history of all activities carried out on files. These records will be helpful when you need to dial back to earlier versions of the content.
When you open a doc on an editing software, the tool automatically displays the latest version. Any authorized personnel can see comments, the latest edits, and what users are currently editing the document.
With an electronic document management system, you can lock a document so only one person can edit it. This makes the editing process more organized.
And if someone accidentally deletes essential information, you can find previous versions of the same doc within a version control platform.
Benefits of document version control
A practical version control system will grant you control of the most up-to-date files for accuracy and security purposes. Other advantages of opting for document version control include:
Permissions control
Team collaboration is better organized when you can modify who gains access to files and when. All organizational documents should have precise permissions control, especially those containing sensitive information.
The good thing about this feature is that access can be granted and revoked at will. With the right file management system, your document review process becomes orderly and clearly defined.
Organized feedback
Document collaboration software allows users to collaborate and offer feedback on ongoing projects. Thanks to file versioning, you can compare previous comments to the new version and see if the changes met your feedback.
Feedback is also very critical to producing high-quality documents. The better your feedback procedure, the faster you can save time and money across your business.
Improved tracking
Usually, your first draft goes through a series of modifications and editing before you arrive at the final document. It starts to get confusing when one document is in the hands of many users at once.
An electronic filing system like Lumin PDF can help you track the number of edits made by a single person and how much more is left. You can also revert to earlier versions of files in case of data losses or system failure.
Audit trails for regulatory compliance
Businesses need document management system software to provide audit trails and logs that meet compliance standards. Audit trails provide a record of changes and updates made over time, which makes your system transparent.
Version control creates an audit trail that monitors all user actions and access to files, which makes it impossible to commit fraud. This close monitoring keeps all company records in authorized hands at all times.
Centralized platform
Editing files on multiple software gives you different versions of the same doc, making tracking harder. Instead of having duplicates of the same doc, you can create a controlled document on a centralized version control platform.
Collaborative software keeps all users on the same page by providing one master document to effect and track all edits. Additionally, you don’t have to deal with unnecessary file versions that take up storage space.
Best practices of document version control
You can automate version control using document management system software or electronic document management solutions.
Here’s how you can make document version control effective:
Define naming conventions
Defining naming conventions means using a consistent format for naming your documents across the organization. Doing this helps you to identify the latest version or avoid giving feedback on a previous version.
Use the same file name throughout while using the same characters to separate words in the file name. You can also adopt a consistent suffix (ver1, ver2, etc) to distinguish the versions.
Lock files during modification
A collaborative environment lets other people modify and contribute to official documents once they get access. However, your document review process is more effective when you restrict access to one person at a time.
One way to achieve this is to “check out” the file. This locks a document while one person is editing it so that you can monitor the review process better. In this way, all feedback will receive their required attention.
Notify users of pending requests
When sharing a file with multiple users, some actors may forget to respond to comments you dropped. When dealing with files, it’s good practice to remind users of any modifications they need to make.
Another reason to stick with document control solutions is that you can easily add comments and tag the people responsible. You can set deadlines for feedback so reviewers can act on pending actions and get the file ready in time for approval.
Choose cloud-based solutions
There’s no guarantee that your files won’t get lost while going through so many desks. Fortunately, you can secure your company from data losses by investing in a cloud-based version control system.
Lumin PDF is a cloud-based collaborative tool that allows your employees to locate previous copies of content they created or uploaded. Setting up your document management on the cloud helps you retrieve data in case of system crashes or manual errors.
Make feedback more transparent
When you provide the latest version of the document, most reviewers want to see what has changed and how. You can make this easier by allowing them to return to comments, compare versions, and track the changes.
Within a secure file management system, this process is seamless. However, you can manually save an updated copy in Word or PDF formats and share both versions with the reviewers.
Conclusion
Collaborative software lets you make, track, and manage document changes while ensuring the security, accuracy, and quality of your output. When you need to roll back to previous versions, you only need a few clicks.
Collaborative PDF software like Lumin PDF is an asset to your company’s workflows. This tool combines features for document management, file versioning, and a central repository for files.