Document Management

Originally, a document management system (dms) was a computer program (or set of programs) used to track and store images of paper documents. More recently, the term has been used to distinguish between imaging and records management systems that specialize in paper capture and records respectively. Document management systems commonly provide check-in, check-out, storage and retrieval of electronic documents often in the form of word processor files and the like.

Electronic document management systems

Storing electronic documents is somewhat different but follows the same principle. Here, every kind of internal documentation of somebody (typically a company or corporation) is both written and stored electronically. Printed copies of documents need not even be produced, and documents may be electronically signed.

Electronic document management systems typically include a workflow model for certifying and electronically signing documents.

Electronic document management systems can be extended to support requirements under the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by addition of digital rights management controls including real-time network/application/file monitoring and policy control. This gives auditors, administrators and directors documented evidence of internal controls that communicate, store, and protect documents and allows unalterable logs or databases of who has accessed which pieces of information, where and when. It also gives fine-grained control of who can access, view, print or forward any particular document or group of documents.

Today electronic document management is an integral component of the wider framework of ECM Enterprise content management

Integrated document management (IDM) systems

Integrated document management refers to document management that binds itself into popular document authoring and publishing systems. For example, with IDM a Microsoft Word user may retrieve an existing document directly from the EDMS repository, make changes, and save the changes as a new version, all without leaving Microsoft Word. Similar integration with a variety of applications, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and even with e-mail systems such as Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes. IDM utilizes a variety of open standards (see ODMA, LDAP, and WebDAV) and integration techniques to achieve integration with the corporate IT tools to achieve both convenience and compliance with internal controls without imposing undue requiresments on the end user.

Beginning in 1989, a number of vendors including PC DOCS (acquired by Hummingbird, Ltd), and SoftSolutions (acquired by Novell), developed LAN-based IDM systems. PC DOCS in particular innovated deep integration with the wordprocessing and spreadsheet authoring applications, and led the charge into the law firm market, which adopted IDM in great numbers during the 1990s. In addition to integrating with the front-office authoring applications, PC DOCS also integrated deeply with the underlying LAN-operating system, tying the system into NetWare directory services and LAN security.

Physical paper document management systems (Document Imaging Systems)

Typical systems have the user scan in the original paper document, and store the image of the document in the document management system. The image is often given a name containing the date and the user is often asked to type in additional "tags" in order to make finding the image easier. For instance, a user scanning in an invoice might want to tag it with "water, invoice, 1/1/2002".

Slightly more advanced versions also perform an OCR on the image, storing the text along with the image. Although most OCR systems are notoriously inaccurate, even a few correct words scanned off the page can eliminate the need for the user to type in their own tags.

Once the document is stored, it is typically retrieved using an application that is aware of the way the tags (or scanned text) and image are related. That way when you search for "invoice", opening the document will in fact open the original image.

Document management systems can save a tremendous amount of time, even in cases with small numbers of documents, like home bill payment or personal tax preparation. It is somewhat odd that they aren't more widely used, but some of this is likely the fault of the scanning step. Many systems include their own high-speed black and white scanner to make this step as easy as possible, or can incorporate existing office Multifunction printers.

See also

• Content management
• Records management
• Web content management
• Enterprise content management System

External links

(Company Sales Pages)

• http://www.ktdms.com KnowledgeTree - a high-quality, free open source document management server
• http://www.xythos.com Enterprise Document Management Suite
• DocPoint -- Document Management Software (Hebrew)
• Interwoven WorkSite Document Management Products
• WORLDOX GX Enterprise Document Manager
• SANKHYA DMS AppBundle
• Simple diagram to illustrate Document Management
• FileHold Systems Synergy: Electronic Document Management Software
• Document Management News Coverage
• Basics for Document Imaging & Management Systems
• Vignette's Integrated Document Management
• Saperion: Enterprise Content Management
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• Same-Page eStudio's Document Management solution for small and mid sized business
• COSA: Document Management System
• INVU - Sorted: Leading document management system for SME's
• Alliance Imager document management system
• TRIM Context, Document Management Software from TOWER Software
• infoRouter Electronic Document Management Software