tips for distributing business documents

08 Dec

Distribution of Business Documents & Policies | 5 Compliance Tips

Posted at 14:07h in Document Distribution, General News by Sam Fisher

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The average organisation looses a staggering $4 Million in revenue from a single non-compliance event. Distribution of business documents and policies are central to compliance.

Key Points:

83% of employees re-create business documents because they are missing in the company network (source).

Workers share an average of 6 business documents daily (source).

The creation and distribution of business documents can play a critical role in compliance. Distribution covers key aspects such as document access, delivery method and how quickly information is spread.

In this blog we will explore some tips to enhance your document distribution process, from crafting clear policies and ensuring accessibility to leveraging technology and refining your distribution process.

#1 Prioritise creating clear policies and procedures

Policies and procedures spell out what is expected of your team, making it clear what their obligations are, minimising confusion and potential for mistakes when distributing them.

Well designed policies and procedures create a good framework for decision-making and other actions across your organisation.

When information is open to interpretation, its much easier to involuntarily veer off course.

Related Article: List of Policies and Procedures in the Workplace

#2 Give all relevant people access to Documents

Empower individuals by giving them ownership over their compliance responsibilities. When individuals can access business documents, they are more likely to proactively adhere to compliance.

Easier for the right people to stay informed when they have automatic access to documents which concern them and their work. Informed decision-making is essential for compliance.

A single source of truth avoids misunderstanding from the moment you distribute. When everyone has the correct information, errors and violations decrease significantly.

#3 Distribution Consistency through tech

Use tech as your hub for storing and distributing business documents and policies, that way people know exactly where to go and everyone receives the same copy, leaving less room for error.

Supports new strategies as everyone can be informed very quickly, particularly useful for information which requires urgent attention. Easier to manage how you distribute to your entire organisation through tech.

Helps you stay competitive by staying agile and responsive, for example keeping up with new regulations and changes to your business which may otherwise hold you back if not distributed quickly.

Additional Tip:

Choose a distribution software that allows you to monitor document progress and view who has seen documents for compliance audits.

Try Read & Sign free for 30 days: Read & Sign

#4 Review and update Documents regularly

Stay ahead of policy and regulation changes which are going to impact your business, being proactive is the best way to ensure your documents stay current.

Regular reviews and updates act as an effective mitigation strategy, helping you refine your documents with every review. Businesses change, laws change, regulations change, so your documents and policies should be changing to.

Embrace staff feedback and transparency and help promote a culture of improvement. The more aligned and open employees are with your documents and policies, the easier it is to improve and implement more refined strategies.

#5 Refine your Document distribution process

Organisational structures and personnel are always changing, refining a process for the distribution of business documents ensures that changes to personnel are accounted for, eliminating compliance gaps.

Accuracy of document distribution ensures the right people get the right information, not only for compliance but for protection of important documents. For example, sensitive information isn’t sent to the wrong people, or contacts aren’t missed when sending.

A transparent document distribution process fosters trust throughout the organisation by demonstrating your commitment to openness and compliance, strengthening internal relationships and compliance culture.