If we were comparing soft drinks, we wouldn’t need an article for it. But software is chess, not checkers, right? So without further ado, let’s take an unflinching look at the drawbacks, benefits, and similarities of eFileCabinet’s document management system and Dropbox for Business, so you can decide which solution is best for your needs.
Key Document Management Similarities
Both eFileCabinet and Dropbox for Business have carved out solid niches in the digital information management space. While eFileCabinet document management system has a great stronghold in the accounting, financial services, and HR space, Dropbox for Business is used by a larger range of organizations with less specific needs.
Role-based Permissions are Extremely Granular
File viewing, editing, and sharing permissions are extremely important to security. Although Dropbox offers tiered administration, eFileCabinet has a similar tier-ing of its permissions, meaning both systems have slightly different but deeply embedded permissions for security.
256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Encryption
Both vendors offer these features in at least one of their solutions. This security standard is especially important for businesses and organizations handling sensitive patient, client, or customer information, as email is no longer safe due to the fact it is breach-susceptible.
Similarly Tiered Products and Pricing
Dropbox for Business and eFileCabinet both have tiered products and pricing. However, eFileCabinet document management system has eFileCabinet Express, which is a higher caliber bandwidth and functionality than the normal Dropbox, but the closest equivalent of eFileCabinet’s offerings.
Both vendors offer 3 pricing plans for businesses, but eFileCabinet’s “lite” version is a better fit for single room office or home office workers—making this a perfect segue for the areas in which eFileCabinet beats Dropbox.
Where eFileCabinet Wins
Document Versioning > Document Deduplication
Files get needlessly duplicated and re-created in most paper or shared drive-dependent offices. Both eFileCabinet document management system and Dropbox for Business offer features to combat this. However, Drobox for Business’s method of deduplication is a bit more complex than eFileCabinet’s file versioning.
Deduplication is a process in Dropbox for Business where users can search for previously stored documents that are identical to one another, ensuring they are not duplicated. If it finds a matching document on the server, a copy can be placed in the account without having to reupload the data.
eFileCabinet’s file versioning simplifies the matter by not only preventing duplication, but also by adding some audit functionality to the feature: For instance, the version history of a single document title will entail multiple document versions, including the users who changed the documents.
Automated Document Routing, Storage and Classification
As the undisputed ‘King of Capture,’ eFileCabinet document management system makes going (and staying) paperless easier and more intuitive than any other document management vendor, Dropbox for Business included.
The boring document processes that waste time like filing, faxing, and manual file handling are best transubstantiated into time saving processes by eFileCabinet. Zonal OCR is a large part of this.
If you want to work on documents at the speed of thought but without human error, eFileCabinet is your best bet.
eFileCabinet Has More Platform Options
eFileCabinet has more versatile delivery models through its on-premises and cloud offerings. Although on premises and online platforms are frequently confused, clarifying how each platform functions can demonstrate when an on premises platform is a better fit for a company—on premises being the key solution Dropbox for Business does not offer.
Contrary to popular opinion, an on premises document management solution does not require an on-site IT team, especially with a support squad as good as the eFileCabinet document management system. Although the cloud is becoming more popular, on premises remains (and will remain) a viable option.
eFileCabinet Has Wider Range of HIPAA Compliance Plans
Although both vendors have solutions that ensure HIPAA compliance, all three of eFileCabinet’s pricing plans (which excludes eFileCabinet Express) ensure HIPAA compliance, whereas only 2 of Dropbox for Business’s packages ensure HIPAA compliance (Advanced and Enterprise).
Therefore, if you’re a contract nurse or work for a healthcare clinic with 1-5 employees, eFileCabinet will be a better compliance option if you choose the performance package, which most of our customers do. More specifically, eFileCabinet document management systemhelps with the following aspects of HIPAA compliance:
HIPAA Security Rule
Under full and proper use, a greater number of eFileCabinet’s document management solutions ensure that all four technical safeguards under HIPAA’s Security Rule, as outlined below, are met:
HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard 1: Access Control
This safeguard establishes the following definition as achieving access controls: “…the ability or means necessary to read, write, modify, or communicate data/information or otherwise use any system resource.”
eFileCabinet features that facilitate this: Role-based user permissions, versioning
HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard 2: Audit Controls
This safeguard establishes the following definition as achieving audit controls: “Implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms that record and examine activity in information systems that contain or use electronic protected health information.”
eFileCabinet features that facilitate this: Audit trails, role-based user permissions, retention.
HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard 3: Integrity Controls
This safeguard sets forth the following definition of achieved integrity controls: “The property that data or information have not been altered or destroyed in an unauthorized manner.”
eFileCabinet features that facilitate this: Retention, data backup, role-based user permissions
HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard 4: Transmission Security
This safeguard sets forth the following definition of achieved transmission security: “Implement technical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to electronic protected health information that is being transmitted over an electronic communications network.”
eFileCabinet features that facilitate this: SecureDrawer
HIPAA Privacy Rule: Protected Health Information (PHI)
Under proper use, eFileCabinet document management software facilitates the technological requirements for confidentiality codes and practices in healthcare.
HIPAA states that protected health information should not be used or disclosed when it is not necessary to satisfy a particular purpose or carry out a function.
Protected Health Information (PHI) entails information, including demographic data, that relates to patients’ past, present, or future health or condition; the provision of healthcare to the individual, or; the past, present, or future payment of the provision of healthcare to the individual.
eFileCabinet features that facilitate this: Role-based user permissions, SecureDrawer, Versioning
Where Dropbox Wins
Free Trial for 30 Days
Without an implementation fee and a free 30-day trial, Dropbox may seem like an appealing option right off the bat. However, eFileCabinet offers something similar, although it cannot be called a free trial, per se: Rather, it’s an unlimited number of free demos.
Depending on who you are, a free demo is more beneficial as someone will walk you through the process of using the software, whereas a free trial simply means handing you the reins and expecting you to just “figure it out.”
Syncing Capacity and Bandwidth
eFileCabinet is to capture what Dropbox is to syncing, meaning Dropbox is best at syncing. This strength is accented by Dropbox for Business’s offline access: The capacity to access information and files when an internet connection is not available.
App Integrations
If you are heavily mobile dependent, you can get a broader range of integrations from Dropbox for Business. However, eFileCabinet not only has in-depth integration with the software that really matters (such as Salesforce and Microsoft Office), but also strong integrations for the accounting and financial services professional.
Remote Device Wipe
This lets you wipe files from lost or stolen devices to ensure the account’s information isn’t compromised by unwanted parties. Although eFileCabinet does not offer this functionality as a service, the security backing eFileCabinet’s account access is strong enough to prevent the theft of a mobile device, for instance, from having business data compromised.