PowerDMS Reviews

PowerDMS is very user friendly, flexible, easy to access and uncluttered like some of its competition.

There didn't seem o be any significant problems with this software. If I had to say anything negative, the mass of information available can make it complicated to find and remove previous information during updates or weed through to obtain desired effects.

Our favorite uses for PowerDMS are as a document repository and to manage our police department accreditation. As a document repository, it has enabled us to stop printing a huge binder of polices for all new officers. They can read and acknowledge all documents within the system and are able to access them from anywhere via the web. It also streamlines the review process for any forms/general orders...

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For our purposes, we really don't have many dislikes. About the only thing I can think of would be that there's no way to group proofs/attachments for a given standard within an assessment. So if your accreditation period is for five years and you need to submit multiple proofs for each standard for each year, the "attachments" section for a given standard can get pretty cluttered.

Ease of uploading and highlighting items. I also like the ability to convert documents from one file format to PDF.

There is a time-out feature of only 20 minutes. if something is reviewed and signed early in the morning you may still receive an email later in the morning saying it needs attention, even though this was already reviewed earlier.

The system provides all the required standards necessary to maintain accreditation at my finger tips. This eliminates having to got to other links or even maintaining volumes of paper documents searching for specific standards. The functionality of PowerDMS is incredibly easy. Uploading and highlighting documents necessary for each standard is extremely simple and efficient. PowerDMS allow you to search for specific documents using word search and tags that you can attach to each document. For instance, if I needed to find documents pertaining to training, it is a simple matter of typing in "Training" in the search bar and all relevant documents are listed.

The highlighting feature would be better served if it had line item by line item or word by word, capability. It currently is some what limited to bulk highlighting. Easier access to training videos so refresher information is more readily available for adding users, setting permissions, etc. Setting permissions is always a daunting task and I usually have to call into customer support for assistance. Giving the user the ability to "backup" the data that is in the system with the ability to restore the data would give the user a little piece of mind of continuity.

1. The efficiency. Procedures are getting approved and released quicker than our old (paper document control system). 2. Instead of guessing who's desk the paper ECR is sitting on.. now we can figure out who is slacking and still needs to approve the document by checking out the approval workflow. 3. PowerDMS is very user friendly. 4. When our Sales Reps are traveling they can use the PowerDMS...

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1. When a procedure is released, has all the required approvals and training is required.. associates who have to train to the document can't pull up "Compare to Current Publication." It wouldn't make sense to have that button since the new revision is current but it would be nice to have a "Compare to Last Publication" button. This way the associates would be able to see what was added/revised. I have to manually type in the "Discuss" tab what was changed and sometimes that can take a LONG time. 2. The 20 minute timeout that will log you out if you're away from your computer. I understand why this is in place (for security reasons) but I have received lots of negative feedback on this.

The software is user-friendly and it's easy to manage. Our most favorite feature isn't necessarily the software, it's the customer service. If I or a coworker has questions our questions are answered promptly with a professional and polite response. We are never "rushed" along and do not feel like a number. I will also tell you in my experience that the development team actually listens and implements your department's ideas. PowerDMS is constantly improving the software features to accommodate the customer's needs and in today's world, this level of service is rare. We look forward to working with PowerDMS for many years to come.

The training module works great but we would like to see more development in this area. We would eventually like to move from the current system we are using and make PowerDMS our primary management system for training records.

The document tracking/archiving, electronic signatures, edit on desktop, and document security features are excellent! Their customer service is always responsive and professional.

Not too many cons. I'd just say that there is a learning curve for users who are not tech savvy. It isn't something that cannot be easily overcome, but we have had issues with folks grasping the more advanced features.

I like the fact that we can add different types of files, outside of the usual paper docs. We can use videos, pictures, etc. The customer service is top notch! I never feel like a bother to them when I call with a question, and they offer tons of training to make sure you are comfortable using the product!

I wish there was an auto save feature. I would also like a line by line highlight function, but that is just being picky. They are always updating the product based on what the users need/want.

Current version of policy documents available to all employees, archive of previous versions of policies and documents, training material available to employees at a time convenient to the employee.

No cons were added to this review

It's functional and does exactly as promised. The folks at PowerDMS are behind you all the way through implementation, and more importantly don't drop you when you launch.

It does seem a little expensive at first, but when you get into it, you'll find it worth it. It's a flexible, but comprehensive system that may seem overwhelming - give it a chance.

We use PowerDMS to provide the necessary documentation for our CALEA accreditation which has eliminated the need for almost 500 paper files. The product is extremely easy to use, once you have a few basics down, and has a strong search function. PowerDMS also had an Android and Apple mobile app which allows users to access the product from their mobile devices.

While not really a drawback, I would like to see the search function to be more “Google like” utilizing functions like quotes around keywords to force an exact match. This would reduce the number of false positives and speed up searches. It would also be helpful to see increased functionally in highlighting. The implementation of layers in highlighting and the ability to highlight from a particular point in a sentence would be great improvements.

The product is easy to access, user friendly, and flexible.

I have experienced the system working very slow in the late evening hours. I assume that Power DMS is working or changing the software system to account for the lag. Overall, the software system does work efficiently most of the time.

You can access it just about anywhere additionally as a master admin most problems reported by users can be fixed by a quick click of the button.

While overall the software is user friendly I do sometimes find some of the functions for the master admin are either missing or not as intuitive as it could be.

The usability and navigability of the platform, if I discover something that could make it more user friendly or better serve our needs, the PowerDMS team investigates and considers the suggestion. PowerDMS help team is fantastic also. PowerDMS staff makes themselves available, who are quick to respond and assist with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. PowerDMS from my perspective seems to strive for a valuable relationship with its subscribers.

I'm inclined to say more of an issue with our server or firewall rather than PowerDMS, but occasional frustrations with slow response or stalled pages. When PowerDMS was with us on training, they linked into their mobile wi-fi "hotspot" and had no issues.

They listen to their customers and are always improving the product and what it can do to help us in our daily work tasks. The employees strive for excellence. They take pride in their work and the product that is turned out shows.

The only thing I can come up with is if there is a current "bug" in the software it may be helpful to put the message out that they are aware and working on it. If the customer thinks it is on their end time may be wasted. But the "bugs" that do come up are usually very minor and do not inhibit the work that needs to be done.

Document management, accreditation, and training are a breeze with PowerDMS. We use all three modules, document management, accreditation, and training to help keep our agency performing to best practices and standards. The keyword search/find anything function in PowerDMS is amazing, I can find any topic in policy, forms, or standards in a matter of seconds. The mobile app keeps our employees informed while on the go!

I really do not have any Cons to report. One of the greatest features about PowerDMS as a company; when we have suggestions for improvement, they actually listen and provide solutions and enhancements to the system to make it more functional.

Document! Document! Document! This software allows us to have the documentation we need to retain for legal standards. It will show what we taught, when we taught it and allow us to show the employees were tested on their knowledge of the topic.

I would love to be able to incorporate more video based training sessions, but due to their large size cannot place directly onto PowerDMS. Our IT people are very hesitant to place large videos inside the firewall, so we do not fully utilize this portion of the training side.

The customer service is great and the audit tool (assessments) have helped simplify my job. Less paper, easier, for our auditor and for locating information and policy updates.

Some of the functions do not work as efficiently as they could with our agency intentions. I would love to see more roles in Assessments options or the option to assign to a specific user and not a group.

This software make distributing documents and securing signatures from recipients flawless. It cuts down on printing but provides a detailed and accurate paper trail for my job. Additionally with the constant upgrades, the company is improving the product based on user requests. If you ask for a feature, they explore the options and typically include recommendations in their upgrades/updates. They listen to their customers and work with them to provide exactly what is needed.

No cons were added to this review

Ease of use, tracking polices, managing revisions. I'm a novice and I can still get it done without much tech support. After never having a system like PowerDMS, I don't see how we operated. Accountability is the key to most all LE's success and failures. PowerDMS assures that everyone is on the same page.

The software can get a little complex with uploading video's. It would be a little more user friendly if there were more options. Having to convert files when you don't have the software is a pain A built in MP4 converter would make life easier.

PowerDMS is accessible anywhere, at any time, to any user. I can grant access to documents on a public facing website without interacting with IT personnel. I decide what goes public, with a single click. All training and policy review is tracked, and I can see who read what, when. I also use the certificates to set reminders for personnel to complete reports, inspections, and other tasks that recur, without having to remember myself or remind anyone. This is an indispensable tool.

Nene at all- any limitations are my own and based solely on my rate of learning to use the product.

The ease of use for the Administrators down to the end users. The administrators can easily upload, make changes and put a document through quickly and effectively. End users are able to easily get to the published documents anywhere they have access to the internet. Having the information so readily available to our members is vital.

The PowerDMS Module for Standards has some minor flaws however they are constantly making improvements to the Standards Module.

Ease of use, multiple platforms (desktop and app), terrific documentation for training records and accreditation management.

The app has limited usability.

Easy to use and easier to manage.

Reports are not customizable so I tend to avoid them and create my own by downloading info into excel and taking it from there.

PowerDMS is a valuable tool to ensure our polices and other documents are distributed and managed in an efficient way. No more need to distribute sign-off sheets for policies or other important documents. Additionally, the documents are easily searchable through the use of key words. Our staff loves having both documents and forms at their fingertips.

There is a limitation to the file size which hinders the use of videos. Also, can't drag and drop video files.