Canon USA document management review

As many businesses move towards a paperless office, the best document management software is designed to make storing and managing all of your files easy and efficient, both offline and online. Security, accessibility, and usability are all important to consider when choosing the right document management software for your business.

In our Canon USA Inc review, we look at the document management solutions they provide and how their offering compares to the biggest competitors on the market.

Canon USA Inc: Plans and pricing

Like many companies offering document management services, Canon provides customized solutions. The lack of standard packages means that you’ll need to contact Canon for a quote, where pricing and solutions will be based around your business size and needs.

Plans can include cloud storage solutions, content management tools, workflow management systems, integrated security solutions, and remote user services like scanning and printing.

Canon USA Inc: Features

Canon’s document management packages come with an impressive selection of features that  are perfect for small-to-medium-sized businesses. 

All of their software is provided by third parties. For example, they use technology by Therefore for the storage, scanning, and management of documents, while mxHero is used to scan and store emails, along with any attachments.

Mobile and remote working

One of the strong selling points of Canon’s software is its secure accessibility from mobile or remote devices. Mobile printing and scanning are both supported and, even more importantly, these options are secure—you don’t need to worry about sensitive data being transferred. In fact, Canon’s software is used by a couple of government bodies, which should give you peace of mind. 

Automated filing

Saving documents in the right place is quick and easy with the intuitive scanning system, whether using a physical scanner for hard copies or filing attachments directly from emails into cloud-based storage. 

The software can recognize barcodes, invoice numbers, and predetermined keywords to file documents correctly. Emails can also be automatically filed or archived along with their attachments. Searching for documents after they’ve been saved is similarly easy. 

Document workflow management and analytics

Set up digitized rules for document filing to manage and automate your document workflow, prompting users when they need to take specific actions to complete tasks. Analytics tools enable you to see where inefficiencies lie in your workflow—observe which tasks are taking too long and use the data to customize your software further to automate those needs.

Canon USA Inc: Interface and in use

The user interface is modeled on Windows File Explorer, so it should be straightforward for Windows users. Files can also be accessed directly through File Explorer, rather than through a separate system, which makes navigation user friendly.

Many of the functions are integrated into your existing systems and automated, including the backing up of emails and attachments. A lengthier setup—choosing your settings, keywords, and other rules for printing and filing—is required to ensure that this automation is used to maximum effect, but after the initial work, it will save you time.

Canon USA Inc: Support

Canon users can contact the Canon support team on the phone or via email. There’s no good support advice directly on the Canon website, but you’ll find more thorough information on the websites for the two third-party software solutions it offers. 

With mxHero products, you’ll have access to a thorough FAQ page. If you can’t find what you’re looking for then a ticket system is in place to speak directly with someone from the team. 

Users of Therefore products have access to an extranet with advice on how to use their products. You’ll be directed by the Therefore team to Canon’s support team for any unanswered queries about this system.

Canon USA Inc: Security

Canon’s software offers ways to track and manage access to sensitive information and to control the printing of sensitive documents. The Canon team will customize security settings for your hard copies and electronic documents to suit each of your departments’ needs. 

Authentication software, such as One Login, Azure Active Directory, Open ID, and OKTA, is supported to provide an extra layer of access security. Customized system permissions and audit trails provide additional security. For email backup services like mxHero, there are in-built Intrusion Detection Systems which monitor for malicious activity or policy violations. 

However, despite all of Canon’s bold claims about award-winning security, there is a disappointing amount of detail on how it plans to keep your data safe.

The competition

Canon’s document management software lacks the exciting integration options of competitors like Docuware, which can be connected to over 500 third-party apps. Canon's software integrates best with Microsoft products and cloud software such as SharePoint. 

Templafy also blows Canon out of the water with its compatibility to any device. It’s better designed to handle the varied demands of modern businesses and is one of the most adaptable document management systems out there. In comparison, Canon’s loyalty to Microsoft provides certain limitations for companies using alternative operating systems and software.

Final verdict

While Canon’s document management solutions offer comprehensive features and solid security, there are better options on the market for enterprising and innovative businesses. The company does exactly what it says it will, and it does this well, but there’s little to excite with Canon’s offering.

In a world where many businesses are operating online, we feel that Canon’s document management system needs to integrate with more applications outside of the Microsoft portfolio if it wants to remain competitive. 

However, if you don’t care about third-party app integration and you simply want document management software that’s secure, well-rounded, and designed to increase your business’s efficiency, then it’s a good option.