Every document management system claims to be secure, easy and complete. After ten years of setting these systems up for Kenyan banks, SACCOs, universities and companies, I have found that 15 features decide whether a system gets used or gets abandoned. Here they are, with the question to ask each vendor.
The 15 features at a glance
| # | Feature | Why it matters | Ask the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capture from scanners, email and bulk import | Documents only help if they get into the system easily | Can staff file an email with its attachments in one step? |
| 2 | Full-text search with OCR | Staff search for words, not folder names | Can I search for a word inside a scanned page? |
| 3 | Document types and index fields | Makes filing and search consistent | Can we define our own fields, like member or loan number? |
| 4 | Version control with check-out | Stops people overwriting each other | Can I see and restore every earlier version? |
| 5 | Role-based permissions | The right people see the right files | Can access be set by branch, department and role? |
| 6 | Two-step sign-in and single sign-on | Stolen passwords are the most common way in | Can we force two-step sign-in for sensitive roles? |
| 7 | Audit trail | Proof of who did what, and when | Can anyone, even an admin, edit the audit log? |
| 8 | Encryption | Protects files if storage is breached | Are files encrypted in storage and in transit? |
| 9 | Secure external sharing | Replaces risky email attachments | Can shared links have a password, expiry and download limit? |
| 10 | Approval workflows | Moves documents without paper or chasing | Can we build workflows ourselves, without coding? |
| 11 | Electronic signatures | Removes print, sign, scan | Can people outside our organisation sign? |
| 12 | Mobile access | Approvals do not wait for someone to be at a desk | Does it work fully on a phone browser? |
| 13 | Retention and legal hold | Keeps records for the required time, then disposes of them properly | Can each document type have its own retention period? |
| 14 | Data protection tools | The Data Protection Act, 2019 applies to your files | How does the system help with data subject requests and breaches? |
| 15 | API and integrations | Connects documents to your ERP, core banking or HR system | Is there an open API, and who has already used it in Kenya? |
Getting documents in and finding them again
1. Capture from scanners, email and bulk import
If filing takes more than a few clicks, people go back to shared drives. Look for direct scanning, a filing email address, watched folders, bulk import and an add-in for Outlook or Gmail.
2. Full-text search with OCR
OCR (optical character recognition) reads the text in scanned pages. Without it, a scanned contract is just a picture and can only be found by its file name.
3. Document types and index fields
A document type, such as "Loan application", comes with its own fields, such as customer number and amount. This keeps filing consistent and makes search precise. Folders alone do not scale.
4. Version control with check-out
Check-out locks a document while one person edits it. Version history lets you see and restore any earlier copy.
Security and control
5. Role-based permissions
You should be able to limit access by user, group, role, department and branch, down to single documents where needed.
6. Two-step sign-in and single sign-on
Two-step sign-in asks for a code as well as a password. Single sign-on lets staff use their work Microsoft or Google account, so leavers lose access the day IT disables them.
7. An audit trail no one can edit
The log should record every view, edit, download, share and approval, and no user, including administrators, should be able to change it.
8. Encryption in storage and in transit
Files should be encrypted on the server and while moving between the server and the user's browser.
9. Secure external sharing
Shared links should carry a password, an expiry date and a download limit, and you should be able to cancel them at any time.
Workflow and signatures
10. Approval workflows
Good workflow tools let you route a document to one or several people, set the rule for moving on (one approver, all approvers or a number of them), name stand-ins for staff on leave and escalate when a deadline passes.
11. Electronic signatures
Signing should happen inside the system, for staff and for outside parties, with proof that the file has not changed since it was signed.
12. Mobile access
Managers approve from wherever they are. The full system, not a cut-down version, should work in a phone browser.
Records and compliance
13. Retention schedules and legal hold
Each document type needs its own retention period and an end-of-life action: review, archive or destroy. Legal hold must stop disposal during a dispute. Write-once storage protects records that must never change.
14. Tools for the Data Protection Act, 2019
In Kenya, the system should help you answer data subject requests, log breaches against the 72-hour reporting window and black out personal identifiers such as ID and KRA PIN numbers before sharing.
Fitting into your business
15. API and integrations
Your documents belong next to the records in your other systems. An open API and webhooks make that possible. Ask for a Kenyan client who has already connected the system to something like yours.
Beyond features: five more questions
- Who supports us, and where are they? A local team in your time zone matters at go-live.
- Where is our data stored? Get the answer in writing.
- Can we export everything if we leave? Documents and index data, in standard formats.
- What does it cost after year one? Users, storage, support and upgrades.
- Is training included? A system nobody is trained on becomes an expensive shared drive.
How our EDMS covers these features
Our own cloud EDMS was built around this list. It covers all 15 features, with tools for Kenya's Data Protection Act built in. See our EDMS features or book a free demo to test it against your own checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main features of a document management system?
The core features are document capture, search with OCR, index fields, version control, access permissions, an audit trail, approval workflows, electronic signatures and records retention. For Kenyan organisations, data protection tools and local support also matter.
What is the difference between a DMS and an EDMS?
In everyday use there is little difference. EDMS (electronic document management system) stresses that documents are stored and managed electronically. Most modern systems, including ours, are both.
Which features matter most for a small organisation?
Search with OCR, simple permissions, version control and one or two approval workflows. Choose a system that can add retention and integrations later without switching products.
Test a system against this checklist
Bring your own documents to a free demo at our Westlands office or online.