Before You Become a Document Management Project Manager, Become a Detective

Most organisations don’t seek a Document Management Solution out of curiosity. They do it because something isn’t working. Files are hard to find, paper is everywhere, and people waste time searching. No one quite trusts the information they’re using.

Before you become a project manager and start planning timelines, demos, and rollouts, you need to become something else first:

A Detective

Your job at the outset is to investigate how documents really behave inside your business. You need to take a magnifying glass and shine it into every corner — even the ones people prefer not to talk about. Here are the five investigations you need to carry out before choosing a solution.

1. Open the Case: What Problem Are You Actually Trying to Solve?

Every good investigation starts with a clear case. As the detective, your first task is to understand why this system is being discussed at all.

Don’t accept vague answers like “we need to go digital” or “everyone else has one.” Start asking direct questions:

• What goes wrong today?

• Where do people lose time?

• What creates frustration, risk, or duplication?

• What problem keeps coming back?

  
  

Interview different people — not just managers. Often, the real story lives with the people doing the work. Also, identify your “subjects”:

• Who will use the system every day?

• Who will use it occasionally?

• Who might resist it?

  
  

If you don’t define the case properly, you’ll end up solving the wrong crime. No amount of software will fix that.

2. Examine the Evidence: What Documents Matter and What Information Identifies Them?

Now it’s time to look at the evidence. Lay the documents out — physically or digitally — and ask:

• What types of documents exist?

• Which ones are critical?

• Which ones cause the most problems?

  
  

But don’t stop at the files themselves. The real clues are in the information that describes them — what we call metadata. Metadata is simply the information people use to recognise and retrieve a document:

• Names

• Reference numbers

• Dates

• Status

• Departments

• Expiry or review points

  
  

As a detective, this is where you separate order from chaos. If you skip this step, you’re just moving the mess from boxes and filing cabinets into folders and PDFs. The crime scene moves, but the crime continues.

3. Follow the Trail: Track How Documents Move Through the Business

This is where things get interesting. Documents don’t follow neat process diagrams. They move in messy, unpredictable ways:

• They arrive by email, post, scan, or download.

• They get saved in multiple places.

• They’re renamed, reattached, reprinted.

• They’re shared informally “just this once.”

  
  

Your detective job is to follow the trail:

• Where does the document come from?

• Who touches it next?

• Where does it slow down?

• Where does it disappear?

• Where do duplicates appear?

  
  

Following the trail exposes the real bottlenecks and risks — not the ones documented in policy manuals. Until you understand this journey, you cannot design a system that genuinely helps.

4. Identify the Weak Spots: Access, Risk, and Control

Every investigation uncovers weak points — and document management is no different. Ask uncomfortable but necessary questions:

• Who currently has access to what?

• Who shouldn’t?

• What happens when people leave?

• Which documents are sensitive or regulated?

• How long are documents kept — and who enforces it?

  
  

As the detective, you’re looking for:

• Over-shared folders

• Files stored outside approved systems

• No clear ownership

• No audit trail

  
  

A Document Management Solution should tighten control, not create a false sense of security because “it’s in a system now.”

5. Observe the Suspects: How People Really Work Day to Day

This is the final and most revealing part of the investigation. Don’t rely on what people say they do. Watch what they actually do:

• How do they save documents?

• How do they name them?

• How do they search?

• What steps do they skip?

• What shortcuts do they take?

  
  

If the system requires perfect behaviour from imperfect humans, it will fail. A good solution fits naturally into how people work. It doesn’t rely on constant enforcement, training reminders, or blame when things go wrong. As a detective, you’re documenting reality, not judging it.

Final Report

Choosing a Document Management Solution isn’t a technology project — it’s an investigation. Before you manage timelines, vendors, and rollouts, you need to:

• Open the case

• Examine the evidence

• Follow the trail

• Identify weak spots

• Observe real behaviour

  
  

Do the detective work properly, and the right solution becomes obvious. Skip it, and you’ll be back at the same crime scene — just with a shinier system.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

In conclusion, the journey to finding the right Document Management Solution starts with understanding your unique challenges. It’s about digging deep into your organisation's document processes and behaviours. This detective work lays the groundwork for a solution that truly meets your needs.

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If you need more guidance on how to navigate this process, feel free to reach out. I'm here to help you every step of the way.