PDF Tech

Why you should develop your own PDF Viewer into your DMS

by Conor Smith | January 14, 2019

Working with documents is one of the most fundamental needs of a company. Whether it’s an inventory spreadsheet or a proposed new contract with a big client, these documents need to be available on demand for viewing and editing.

But what results from sending out a document that looks different to staff depending on the software they use to view it? Confusion hits as people misread reports. Mistakes happen as some people can comment and amend the document whereas others cannot. Frustration for everyone involved.

So how can you stop this from happening and bring order to the document management system (DMS) within your company? Through integrating your own PDF software that everyone can use, document management can become seamless and secure.

More Control
By using a PDF SDK, companies can add PDF technology to an existing document management application. This can greatly increase productivity and decrease time spent on tasks. Implementing this technology means your company can control the look and feel of your document management system through carefully developed structures and features. Whether you have a team of one developer or dozens, tailored solutions in the PDF industry will suit your needs.

Better branding standardization
You can add company logos and stylistic traits in the backend to ensure that any document is streamlined and in line with company brand guidelines. This will take professionalism to a whole new level, guaranteeing that your file templates are up to date.

Having the ability to choose what files look like and what people can do with them is key. This ensures that if any updates to company procedures or guidelines occur, these changes reflect in documents immediately.

Less resistance to change
Introducing cross-platform capabilities can vastly improve the adoption of a new system. Everyone in the company, especially if you have a work from home policy whereby staff use their own devices, is able to see the same end result when they view the PDF document. No more formatting issues/bugs for both desktop and mobile devices. Most PDF SDKs have cross-platform functionality as a must due to its importance in the current technology landscape globally.

Control over features
With free PDF viewers, users have limited control over the functionality and features available to them. Users need to work with whatever the free viewer provides, which may not fit their requirements. Developing your own PDF technology means that you choose the features and functionality to suit your needs. This means you can add an annotation function while omitting the ability to print documents. The choice is all yours.

Increase in security
When it comes to security, the traceability of your files is greatly improved. You can easily see who last edited, moved, duplicated or deleted a file in the Cloud. Version control is put back in your hands as well, so no more complaints from management that the intern has butchered their document. And you’ll also be able to retrieve those all-important accidentally deleted files!

Language/platform compatibility
Developing in a language different to what you know is challenging. That’s especially the case when you are not familiar with the PDF libraries you are using. Choosing the right PDF SDK means that you can develop in a familiar language like C, C++, .NET or Java, and in platforms like Xamarin and Cordova.

 

Foxit has enabled thousands of software developers to build bespoke PDF functionality into their applications. Get in touch today for a free trial and take your document management strategy to the next level.