ISSN: 2961-3035 | Volume 3 | Special Issue | June 2023

Development and Implementation of Document Management System for Ilocos Sur

Polytechnic State College, Tagudin Campus
Dante T. Angala1, Bentsen Chris O. Casugay2, Hazel Mae Q. Estillore3, Jessica B. Lebantino4,
Sophia O. Marcha5, Jhon Eric C. Valdez6, and George R. Villanueva Jr.7

1-7
Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College-Tagudin Campus, Ilocos Sur, Tagudin, Philippines

Corresponding Author: George R. Villanueva Jr., E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

With the exponential growth of paper documents daily, organizations face significant challenges in
storing, maintaining, and managing these piles of paper data. Even with the increasing trend toward
digitalization, many businesses and institutions still rely heavily on paper documents. However, accumulating
physical copies can quickly become overwhelming, resulting in limited storage space, difficulty finding specific
information, and increased operational costs. As the ISPSC prepares to become a university with additional
campuses and a larger population of students and staff, managing paper-based documents remains a
challenge for the institution. This study developed and implemented a web-based Document Management
System (DMS) at ISPSC, Tagudin Campus, as a tool designed to capture, store, organize, retrieve, and
manage documents and files in a centralized digital environment. The study analyzed the respondents' user-
satisfaction using a standardized 20- statement of the Website Analysis and Measure Ment Inventory
(WAMMI) questionnaire. An online survey was conducted on the respondents (n=40) who had experience in
using the DMS. The respondents were generally very satisfied with how the document management system
was used to arrange, store, track, and manage paper files inside the campus.

KEYWORDS
Documented Information, Document Management System, Rapid Application Development, WAMMI

1. Introduction

Despite advancements in paperless technology like document scanning, e-commerce, and cloud
computing, paper consumption in private and public sectors is projected to continue rising. Numerous
organizations choose to rely on hard-copy documents for their business processes and administrative
procedures to maintain the integrity of original signed records. This preference stems from the need to provide
tangible evidence of activities through business documents, leading to a sustained escalation in paper usage
(Hawash et al., 2020; Mukred et al., 2019).
The daily increase in paper documents has made storing, maintaining, and managing these piles of
paper data challenging. Exhaustive studies have shown the biggest drawback of working with the traditional
paper filing system is its searchability. Searching and retrieving a document from a filing cabinet full of records
can be extremely difficult, especially if the files are not well-organized. Even with the most efficient filing
system approach, employees will take a long time to access a specific paper record. As a result, the time

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wasted by an employee may reduce worker productivity, affecting the organization's overall performance
(Caluza, 2017; Ambali, 2009).
Employees in educational settings may become frustrated when working with various documents
produced yearly by multiple stakeholders, such as applications, admission forms, student transcripts, and
employee records. Akporhonor (2020) emphasized the importance of educational institutions in implementing
innovative tools for managing records that are simple to use for all employees and improve organizational
communication.
Today, technological advancements have prompted many organizations, including educational
institutions, to adopt newer methods of document management, such as the Electronic Document
Management System (EDMS). Abaci & Medeni (2022) defined EDMS as the use of computer systems and
software to capture, store, and track electronic versions of previously paper-based documents to produce
efficient and systematic workflow.
Several studies have been conducted to implement EDMS in higher education. For instance, the study
by Srirahayu (2018) found that implementing the EDMS at Airlangga University had several benefits, including
improved efficiency and effectiveness of document management, increased collaboration among staff, and
enhanced data security and accessibility. The study also found that the implementation process required
careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and support from top management.
In addition, Ismael and Okumus (2017) developed an e-document management system (EDMS) for
higher education institutions using web-based technology which is accessible to authorized users in the
internet. The study noted that the developed EDMS could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
document management in higher education institutions. Furthermore, it concluded that the system could
provide a secure platform for managing documents, increase the speed of document retrieval, and reduce the
cost and time associated with manual document management.
In the Philippines, Caluza (2017) developed an Electronic Document Archive Management System
(EDAMS) to address the challenges faced by the university's Office of the Registrar in managing their
documents. Similarly, the study of (Pagayonan, 2022) developed an E-Document Control Management
System to address the issues related to the university's record-keeping and document control mechanisms
based on ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System.
Notably, the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College has acknowledged the significance of documented
quality management. It has introduced the practice of documented information within its Quality Management
System (QMS) to document processes, procedures, and responsibilities throughout the organization and its six
campuses. Currently, ISPSC employs a set of forty (40) prescribed forms that must be filled out and kept by
the employees as records that demonstrate compliance with ISO 9001:2015 (QMS Manual, n.d.).
As observed, the implementation of documented information in the operation of ISPSC has contributed
to the management of paper documents and improved communications and management support for
knowledge-based decision-making. As the institution prepares to become a full university with additional
campuses and a larger population of students and staff, managing paper-based document remains a challenge
for the institution. The institution must provide a faster and more systematic fling, faster information retrieval,
better information protection, and increased administrative stability.
Therefore, this study aimed to develop (in-house) and implement a web-based Document Management
System (DMS) for ISPSC in Tagudin Campus as a tool to organize, capture, track, store, and digitize the
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documents. The study also sought to measure the level of user-satisfaction of the end-users to their actual
experience in using the developed system.
2. Methodology

2.1. Research Design

The researchers employed descriptive and developmental research methods. According to (Bordens &
Abbott, 2011), a descriptive research method is a fact-finding study about current conditions, status, or trends.
The primary goal is to describe the nature of a situation as it exists at the time of the study and to investigate
the causes of a specific phenomenon. Figure 1 shows the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model that was used to
direct the series of actions required for the entire duration of the research.
The Input represents the flow of data and materials required in the Process. The researchers
performed documentary analysis on the baseline documents received and maintained by the campus. This
was necessary to understand the present record keeping of the institution. The document properties or
metadata were analyzed and served as input in the Process stage. The Process stage includes all tasks
required to transform the inputs. The researchers applied Rapid Application Development (RAD) as a software
development model to build and implement the DMS in this study. The Output stage shows the data and
materials flowing out of the transformation process. In this study, the outputs are reports that the system can
generate.

Figure 1. Input-Process-Output Model (Lavina et al., 2016)

The study also used developmental research to design, develop, and evaluate a software program.
Developmental research aims to assess the final product, which must meet internal consistency and
effectiveness criteria (Ibrahim, 2016; Laviña et al., 2016).
Figure 2 shows the RAD model's four phases: requirements planning, user design, construction, and
cutover (Shelly et al., 2012). The researchers completed specific tasks at each phase that led to the phase's
deliverable.

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Figure 2. The Rapid Application Model

The researchers and end users collaborated on defining the project's scope, constraints, and system
requirements in the requirements planning phase. This phase concluded with the approval to proceed with the
study. During the user design phase, the researchers developed prototypes with different functionalities and
features, which were presented to end users for their feedback and suggestions. This phase resulted in an
approved working model that fulfilled the needs of the end users. In the construction phase, the focus was on
programming and application development tasks. The end users continued participating and providing
feedback as the researchers created screens and reports. Finally, in the cutover phase, the researchers
completed the system's development and put the program into operation.

2.2. Population and Locale of the Study

The study was conducted at the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Tagudin Campus, from July 2022
to February 2023. The documents kept by the three colleges, namely the College of Business, Management
and Entrepreneurship (CBME), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Teacher Education (CTE), and
the campus Record Officer, were the subject of the study. The study included 40 respondents purposively
selected. The participants comprised the campus Record Officer, faculty, Deans, and College Secretaries
(CBME, CAS, CTE). Only the respondents with prior experience with the system participated to ensure proper
system evaluation.

2.3. Data Gathering Instrument

The researchers used interviews, observation, documentary analysis, prototyping, and survey
questionnaire to collect the primary data. A series of prototypes was used to build the final system. Prototyping
enabled the researchers to revise, extend, and merge previous versions until the user's needs were met. The
survey instrument adopted the Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory (WAMMI), which aimed to
assess the level of user-satisfaction with a standardized 20-statement questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale
ranging from 'strongly disagree = 1' to strongly agree = '5'.

2.4. Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers conducted fact-finding to understand the institution's current record-keeping practices
better. Using documentary analysis, the researchers studied the institution's physical documents and all the
documented information (stated in the QMS manual). The analysis results served as the foundation for
designing the database of the developed system.
In addition, the researchers had actual observations in the offices. An informal interview was conducted
with the secretaries of the three colleges, as well as the record officer of the campus, to validate the
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observations made with the institution's current documentation. A Google Forms-based online survey was
distributed to the respondents to assess their level of user-satisfaction in using the system. The survey was
carried out after the respondents had firsthand experience with the developed system.

2.5. Data Analysis

The WAMMI questionnaire included positively and negatively worded questions to increase the validity
and reliability of the data collected. Reverse scoring was employed before the total score of the negatively
worded questions is computed. Descriptive statistics using weighted mean was computed and used to
describe the level of user-satisfaction of the respondents.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Conceptual System Architecture

The system architecture design of the developed system is depicted in Figure 3. The system will serve
as a centralized digital repository of the institution's documents accessible via the internet. The metadata
associated with the document can be used to easily search archives by chronology, topic, keywords, or other
associative strategies. The system was develop to be mobile-first which makes the system compatible to
different types of platform and device screen sizes.
The developed system provides three types of users: user (faculty/dept), campus record officer, and
college secretary/dean. The user account is the basic account among all the user accounts. This account
allows only the registered and verified users to browse documents that were uploaded in the DMS. The
account for the college secretary/dean manages all documents to be uploaded that are specific to their
department. This account can also generate reports based on filters, such as document type, keywords, or
document origin. Furthermore, this account manages the user(faculty) account; it can create, edit, and revoke
the user (faculty) account.
The campus record officer account enables the user to manage documents in the system that all
departments share. Like to the college secretary/dean’s account, this account can generate reports based on
user-supplied filters such as document type, keywords, or origin.

Figure 3. Conceptual System Architecture of the Document Management System

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3.2. Developed Document Management System

The login page shown in Figure 4.0 displays the page that provides access to authenticated users (user
(faculty/dept), campus record officer, and college secretary/dean). When users input accurate login details, the
system detects their role and reroutes their dashboard appropriately.

Figure 4. Screenshot of the Login page

As shown in Figure 5, the dashboard page provides a centralized interface where users can access
and manage their documents and related tasks. The page offers a structured interface for browsing the
system's features and functionalities without the need to navigate through multiple pages. Also visible on the
dashboard page is analytics and reporting capabilities, providing insights into document usage, user activity,
and system performance.

Figure 5. User’s Dashboard

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Additionally, the accounts of the college secretary/dean and campus record officer can manage, track,
and organize the documents uploaded in the system using the manage document tab provided on the
dashboard. It is not possible for the user (faculty/dept) account to upload files to the system. Figure 6 shows
the add document button to upload new documents. The file’s metadata follows the Document Information
Registry form maintained by the institution in accordance to ISO 9001.

Figure 6. Document Management for Uploading Documents

Figure 7 shows the function to quickly find specific documents based on keywords, tags, or other
metadata. This feature of the DMS provides an efficient way to locate particular documents or information
within the system's repository. It is a convenient and targeted tool to retrieve relevant documents based on
search criteria or keywords.

Figure 7. Document Management for Search Functionality

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The DMS dashboards also provide a preview pane or thumbnail view, allowing users to preview the
contents of a document without downloading it. Figure 8 shows the print option, which enables the user to
generate a physical or digital copy of a selected document.

Figure 8. Report Generation Page

3.3. Level of Users’-Satisfaction of the DMS

As indicated in Table 1, the analysis of the WAMMI scale results indicates that the respondents were
generally very satisfied with the document management system (DMS). The average rating (M) of 4.48
suggests a high level of satisfaction among users.
Furthermore, most items on the WAMMI scale received weighted means above 4.20, a positive
indicator. This suggests that users found the DMS helpful in various aspects related to document organization,
storage, tracking, and management within the institution.
Specifically, the item related to the helpfulness of the developed DMS in locating documents received
the highest weighted mean of 4.72. This indicates that users perceive the DMS as a valuable tool for finding
documents, which contributes to their overall satisfaction.
The perceived usefulness of the DMS is a significant finding, as it aligns with previous research
(Alshammari & Rosli, 2020) that suggests users are more likely to accept and adopt technology when they
perceive it as beneficial for making tasks easier and more efficient.
Overall, the analysis suggests that the DMS is meeting user expectations and fulfilling their needs in
terms of document management. The positive ratings indicate high satisfaction and a favorable perception of
the system's usefulness, which bodes well for its acceptance and adoption within the institution.

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Table 1. Users’-satisfaction Level with the use of the Document Management System
Indicators Mean Descriptive Rating

1. This website has much that is of interest to me. 4.50 VS

2. It is difficult to move around this website. 4.45 VS
3. I can quickly find what I want on this website. 4.50 VS
4. This website seems logical to me. 4.50 VS
5. This website needs more introductory explanations. 3.86 SA
6. The pages on this website are very attractive. 4.21 VS
7. I feel in control when I'm using this website. 4.50 VS
8. This website is too slow. 4.59 VS
9. This website helps me find what I am looking for. 4.72 VS
10. Learning to find my way around this website is a 4.45 VS
problem. 4.45 VS
11. I don't like using this website. 4.63 VS
12. I can easily contact the people I want to on this 4.59 VS
website. 4.50 VS
13. I feel efficient when I'm using this website. 4.50 VS
14. It is difficult to tell if this website has what I want. 4.50 VS
15. Using this website for the first time is easy. 4.45 VS
16. This website has some annoying features. 4.59 VS
17. Remembering where I am on this website is difficult. 4.50 VS
18. Using this website is a waste of time. 4.36 VS
19. I get what I expect when I click on things on this
website.
20. Everything on this website is easy to understand.
Overall Mean 4.48 VS
Legend

Statistical Range Descriptive Rating

1.00 – 1.79 Very Dissatisfied (VD)
1.80 – 2.59 Dissatisifed (DS)
2.60 – 3.39 Neither (NE)
3.40 – 4.19 Satisfied (SA)
4.20 and above Very Satisfied (VS)

4. Conclusion

The development and implementation of the document management system at the ISPSC, Tagudin
Campus can bring significant benefits and improvements to various aspects of the institution’s operations. The
developed DMS provides a comprehensive and efficient approach to document handling, sharing, security, and
compliance. It enhances the efficiency of the college's front-line workers in handling document-related
processes, allowing for faster retrieval, storage, and organization of documents.

5. Recommendation

Considering the significant benefits of the developed DMS, it is strongly recommended that the system
be adopted and put into use in the institution. A thorough evaluation is recommended to plan and ensure
successful conversion of the documents in the system.

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Copyright: © 2022 the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-
BY) 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Published by the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
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Funding: This research received no external funding".

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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