Need for Electronic Document Management Systems
Business Document Management Problems with Electronic Documents
Jan 12, 2009
Finding a document should not be difficult but it can be if there are multiple places where a document might be located and even worse it might exist in all of those locations. The problem then becomes which document is the current version that should be used? But it doesn't stop there; when a document is selected to be updated then managing the latest version and what to do with the older versions has to be decided.
What is an Electronic Document?
Electronic documents come in a number of forms and formats and defining an electronic document is very subjective. A simple and straightforward definition is that an electronic document is an electronic file composed of text and/or graphics, combining content and presentation, containing information that a business wishes to manage and maintain. This information might be an annual report, standard operating procedure or a presentation to a customer.
Understanding the Key Document Management Problems
Finding the electronic document and then updating it is simply one of many potential business problems. Understanding key document management problems is essential to then finding ways to solve those problems - typically by an electronic document management system [EDMS]. Key problems include:
- No single, secure location to find documents - a known place where the business knows that the right people have the right level of access to the document
- Inadequate version control - as the document is updated from version 0.1 to 1, to 1.1 to 2 the latest version of the document cannot always be easily located or, if needed, a previous version
- Hard to find a document - inability to find a document in some organised [hierarchical] location or search for the document by key identifiers such as title or author
- Difficult to search for similar documents - inability to find similar documents such as all standard operating procedures related to a particular task or location
- Undefined retention period - documents are created but there is no defined lifespan for when they should be destroyed because their usefulness has ended
- Long-term format incompatibility - documents produced using a particular product version and proprietary format and years later being unable to reopen or reuse that document
Electronic Document Management Systems
The purpose of an electronic document management system is to solve these business problems with electronic documents. There are multiple vendors that offer software solutions and more general information can be found here. The key to understanding what a solution should do is to verify what the business problems are and using that to define the essential solution requirements and benefits of an EDMS.
