Electronic Document Management (EDM) is a process where by a system or suite of programs store and track electronic documents. Organisations from varying sizes all require a system to retrieve, process, organise and store electronic documents. Some organisations still rely on and use paper document managing systems and to a certain extent for some companies this is sufficient, however with communication and technology advancing, it will be almost certainly easier and more reliable to use an electronic document management system.

EDM systems concept is to act as an all in one, stand alone system that performs all the tasks necessary to manage the entire electronic documents of an organisation. To achieve this electronic documents management systems (EDMS) must posses certain attributes to deal with the requirements of a demanding business. The transition from paper based systems to an electronic based system requires certain functionally from the EDMS to perform these tasks effectively.

Data Capture

Information that is stored on paper can be transferred to the EDMS by simply scanning the information; the system will then ask the user to select options regarding how to store the data. Naturally data that is already in electronic format can be transferred or sent to the EDMS, and can be accessed from any internet enabled PC.

Document Retrieval

The retrieval of documents process is made quick and efficient by assigning Meta data to each file to enable quick and safe filing and tracking. Meta data typically includes the date, and identity of the user. In addition to these basic details EDM systems attach other tags to enable retrieval of information by searching by keywords and the system will perform indexes of files to make this possible.

Integration

EDM systems use standards such as Open Document Management API (ODMA) to allow easy transfer of file formats from the application like word processors, pc's and e mail to the EDMS. ODMA allow the easy transfer avoiding conflicts between different file formats.

Workflow

Workflow applications ensure that documents are forwarded to the appropriate user automatically at specified times, alerting the user of the necessity to process them. This system ensures the smooth flow of documents through the enterprise.

Precautions

Sensitive information and company detail security is vital in any organisation. EDM systems ensure that access to the system is restricted only to those with the correct access permissions, both to ensure the integrity of data and to reduce the number of documents presented to the user only to those documents that are relevant to his or her role.

With EDM systems the benefits to a company are not just with the software and the processes with workflow of documents but also include saving space as you can release costly office space previously taken up by filing cabinets and archives. Also it is environmentally beneficial, by reducing the paper workflow is more energy efficient and environmentally friendly by saving paper and therefore saving more trees.

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