The speed of formation, ease of storage, search, use of documents has a direct impact on the efficiency of the due diligence management. That is why an increasing number of organizations are gradually abandoning paper records in favor of the automated data room due diligence. So, how does it work?
The functionality of due diligence data room
The analysis of obligations and benefits of the planned transaction is carried out by assessing all aspects of the development of the acquired business and identifying possible risks. Lack of complex examination can lead to lawsuits, poor financial results, tax audits, and other unpleasant consequences. The due diligence procedure will allow you to avoid or significantly reduce all possible business risks. We are talking, for example, about the risk of acquiring a stake in a company at an inflated cost; non-fulfillment of obligations by the debtor enterprise; loss of assets and property; bringing to administrative, tax, or criminal liability, and much more. Both the investor and the party attracting investments are interested in the independent and competent implementation of these procedures.
Nowadays to simplify due diligence procedures companies implement a full-packed virtual data room. It is a digital data repository and a secure collaborative tool that optimizes business transactions. Technically, a data room is a cloud database designed to store and structure information about documents, supplemented by cloud file storage.
The data room document management system will help companies to conduct simplified office work and focus on due diligence processes. The number of horizontal tasks within the framework of standard work or “cases” increases, in which it is not required to go through chains of approval with higher managers.
Data room deal management systems perform many functions, including:
- restricting access to company documents for certain employees;
- the possibility of sharing documents in the head office and branches;
- minimizing the risk of errors in documentation;
- elimination of the possibility of duplication of documents;
- the ability to create samples and reports;
- control over the use and execution of documents;
- strict reporting procedures.
Risks and opportunities in the data room
Sometimes companies can implement digital solutions without thinking about the economic effect. This is possible in cases where the IT problems being closed are obvious and do not require additional justification. For example, buying a computer for a secretary or accounting software. In other cases, the benefits are almost impossible to calculate, although the need for implementation is beyond doubt. And sometimes the calculation of the effect is more expensive than the technology itself.
Data rooms and solutions based on it can not always be attributed to systems, regarding the effect of which everything is clear. This is because the information is an intangible asset involved in production together with material and labor resources.
But digital data room provides many opportunities for company management:
- Transparency in business processes. Thanks to the system, you can track all stages in the activities of the organization. Many works become transparent for management, they are easier to control.
- Higher performance discipline. According to statistics, 20% of the tasks received are not carried out by the employees responsible for them. Electronic data rooms control all stages of work, which directly affects the performance discipline of employees.
- Information confidentiality is ensured. A data breach can result in millions in losses. Unlike the traditional “paper” workflow, digital provides access to files strictly in accordance with the assigned user rights. All actions are logged.