Smart Search Document Management Software: Benefits and Costs

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What is Smart Search?

Smart Search is a document management system software for small to medium organizations. With its modular design, Smart Search offers maximum flexibility in both pricing and configuration by allowing organizations to select only the tools needed for their workflow needs. Smart Search will allow CUPE 391 to quickly and efficiently retrieve and store grievance, classification, and bargaining material.

Benefits of SmartSearch:

  1. Save time finding files that currently exist under a number of different subject areas that are required often with short notice for meetings with the employer
  2. Bargaining, grievance and disability management files can be found faster and securely saved
  3. Bargaining files can be drawn on easily to give context on previous actions on bargaining issues to facilitate bargaining going forward
  4. We can reduce the amount of paper files freeing up space in the office
  5. Reduce paper consumption
  6. Cost effective (see basic search and retrieval costs calculation at bottom of document)
  7. Make file organization more efficient by allowing a search to be as quick as hitting the keys on a keyboard
  8. Going forward with changes in Executive members, document retrieval will be much easier and not as dependent on past Executive members’ recollections of where documents ought to be.
  9. Non-proprietary software (we are not locked into using Smart Search if we need to change document management systems in the future)
  10. Proven system used currently by CUPE 15

Return on Investment

  1. Increase in employee productivity;
  2. Time savings when entering tabular data;
  3. Peace of mind of having secure backed up documents;
  4. Increased real estate space in office;
  5. Savings on cost of destruction of documents;
  6. Time savings when searching documents on and off-site;
  7. Reduction in printing of shared documents.

Basic Search and Retrieval Cost Savings:

  • 1 hour time savings per week * 5 employees = 5 hours/week
  • 5 hours/week * 4.5 weeks/month = 22.5 hours/month
  • 22.5 hours/month * $19.29/hour = $434/month savings

    • *19.29 chosen above is the minimum hourly rate currently for an Executive member or Committee member working in the office (almost always our members working out of the office earn at least this and often more per hour making the savings even greater).

What’s Included:

This package deal includes a 1 year software update which really is a nonrecurring cost as long as we don’t change operating systems in the office. We currently use Windows 7 and don’t intend to change that for years to come considering Windows 8 and 10 still have issues. If we did have to change operating systems and therefore require a Smart Search software update, the cost would be variable over time based on the package deal originally sold to us, which to give you an idea would be approximately $2 to $4K currently. This deal also includes training, and a service and support line operational from 8 to 5 PST. No hardware requirements necessary.

Who Else Uses Smart Search Software:

  1. CUPE Local 15 – Vancouver Municipal Education & Community Workers
  2. CUPE Local 416 – Toronto Civic Employees
  3. United Association Local 663 – Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Journeyman & Apprentices of the USA and Canada
  4. Construction Labour Relations – Alberta
  5. Private Career Training Institutions Agency – BC
  6. Civic Institute of Professional Personnel
  7. Ironworkers Local 97
  8. Association of Postal Officials of Canada