Although efficient knowledge work and document organization are crucial to many businesses, too often they will be ignored in favor of other priorities. Unsecured documents are emailed back and forth haphazardly, institutional knowledge is routinely lost in employee turnover, and audits cause weeks of panicked searching for documentation.

Thankfully, a modern knowledge work automation solution like M-Files can change all this. Intuitive software that stores, organizes, and secures documents in a unified system can transform a company’s knowledge work and save countless hours of employees’ time. One of the biggest advantages of knowledge work automation is its ability to make compliance easier.
6 Benefits of Knowledge Work Automation for Compliance
Let’s get into the details. Here are six ways that knowledge work automation can benefit your company in the area of compliance:
- Permissioning: In the first place, knowledge work automation solutions allow you to set strict access permissions based on company roles, ensuring that no one retains access to your documentation after they leave the company. You can make sure that only the employees who need to see a document are able to access it, which enhances security across the company.
- Security: Knowledge work automation software has other security benefits, too. For example, M-Files encrypts network files while they’re being stored and transmitted. It also allows you to disable printing or downloading documents—and can even prevent screenshots from a mobile device.
- Document search: Easier document search is one of the hallmarks of knowledge work automation. Instead of searching through countless email threads, trying to remember the exact title of the document, or randomly clicking through folder structures, AI-powered search engines allow you to find a document using natural language and metadata keywords. Come audit time, you’ll be able to find what you need immediately.
- Single versions: Having a single version of each document is crucial for compliance. After all, you don’t want auditors or other regulatory entities to accidentally get an outdated version of a document. With knowledge work automation, each document has a single, authoritative version that employees can simultaneously edit and collaborate on.
- Audit trails: Having a single version of each document also allows for old versions of the document to be archived. You can see exactly who made what changes and when, making audit trails a breeze.
- Mitigating error: Looking at the big picture, one of the most important ways in which knowledge work automation contributes to compliance is that it mitigates human error in crucial compliance processes. Everyone makes mistakes, so it’s important to minimize the opportunity for error whenever possible. Automated workflows, for example, can take a huge burden off employees’ shoulders and mitigate error throughout the process.
Clearly, knowledge work automation can provide many benefits to compliance processes. But all these benefits extend beyond just compliance: they will enhance your day-to-day operations by freeing up time through efficiency and enhancing collaboration across teams and departments.
Is Knowledge Work Automation Right for You?
If your company could benefit from knowledge work automation, check out M-Files: a premier knowledge work automation system that can transform the way your company interacts with documents. As a metadata-driven solution, M-Files organizes files according to what they are, not where they are, providing a unique organization structure and powerful search features.
Here at Laminin, we’re experts at implementing, integrating, and customizing M-Files—we’ve even developed MFSQL Connector, our own software that allows your developers to customize M-Files themselves, with ease. If you’re ready to explore knowledge work automation further, contact us today! We can’t wait to speak with you.