Document control doesn’t mean the same thing to every company. Maybe it’s a department (with staff and management), or maybe it’s someone who handles all the clerical work, or maybe it’s just part of everyone’s job –a process like everything else. Your software choices should take this into account.
When you have a department or dedicated person, the workflow is naturally more controlled. In those cases, the users have a strong understanding of the downstream needs, and recognize that a little time now can save a lot of time later. There are compliance measures in place, and specific training in the value of compliance. In these situations, it is easy to monitor, and cajole software adoption.
When a process is not the central job role, immediate wins are critical. The software needs to save time for users on EVERY transaction, not just provide an overall win for the company. Of course, transactional time saving is always good, but it becomes critical when the employee’s core focus is outside of the new process being implemented. If the project manager saves time submitting her own documents, she will choose to use the software system.
Of course, when a package delivers to both the immediate transaction, and long term information management needs of the organization, you’ve got a win all around.