EDMS (Software technologies)

The document management system at the enterprise is difficult process and therefore development of the specialized software designed to automate this procedure is process difficult and labor-consuming.

The automation system of document flow can be selected, form and be under construction differently depending on the above-named conditions, organization size, character and specifics of its activity, qualification of the personnel, financial opportunities, a set of subsystems (modules) having different functional and technology fullness, constructed using the different software products created by one or several producers.

However recently the increasing number of experts agrees that compositions from three software technologies already for a long time offered by developer companies should be indispensable attributes of an end-to-end system of workflow automation:

• WorkFlow;
• DMS (Document Management System);
• Groupware.

WorkFlow

Appointment

This concept was offered by Staffware company about 20 years ago. This concept considers all complex of problems of automation of business as set of business processes. The tools provided by a WorkFlow-system provide formation of process descriptions, data and also contain means of the description of electronic forms for processing of these data. The WorkFlow technology means accurate execution of process according to its description. Services of a system support implementation of business processes, formation and preparation of job queues for processing, automatically provide the necessary activity of stages of process, control of timeliness of execution of process steps and different methods of reaction to the arising problems.

Specific Features

A modern industrial WorkFlow-system should be rather flexible and include modeling tools of the processes relevant for the company; trackings of a status of processes and obtaining information on mismatch of their current; savings of statistics about deviations. Thus, a WorkFlow-system allows to improve and re-structure business processes of the company continuously; it contains real tools for permanent assessment, modification and improvement of quality of business processes, gateway facilities of documents and other objects, integration with other products of corporate information systems. Existence of similar tools allows to implement the concept of continuous reengineering of business in practice. Providing almost instant transfer of works between participants of business process and having the reminder mode to users about necessary actions, the WorkFlow system can influence the speed of implementation of business processes, performance and quality of work of employees essentially.

Document Management System

DMS systems appeared for a long time and in the beginning provided simple storage functions of document files (or electronic archives of documents). Set them was approximately such: storage and access to files; fast viewing documents; differentiation of access rights; maintaining protocol of access and control; tracking of history of document handling; version control.

Over time they began to grow additional functions among which:

• maintaining card file of documents and instruments of rapid development of electronic forms;
• support of reference books with information for filling of cards;
• document handling process description (the fixed routes);
• navigation and organization of submission of accounting information on documents;
• free routing of documents and support of personal queues of users;
• description of lifecycle of processing of the document;
• management of routing and monitors of processes.

Existence of similar management tools processes of control, the movement and document handling does a system applicable for the solution of much more wide range of tasks, than only maintaining archive of documents. The functionality of DMS systems allows to add much-needed functions of processing of semistructured data to EDMS.

GroupWare

History

This concept arose in the early nineties last century. Creation of the convenient environment of access to diverse information and the organization of group work with it was her main idea. It should be noted that the term GroupWare did not receive formal interpretation. As an example it is possible to call such different systems, Link Works as well as Lotus Notes. In due time carried both means of the organization of bulletin boards, and the system of scheduling, and a handshaking in real time, the organization of teleconferences and group space for access to document files to GroupWare and many other things. However with the advent of such products as Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise, limits of this technology were defined quite clearly.

Features

Assign such tasks and opportunities to a GroupWare-component as:

• creation of databases of group access in which the diverse structured and unstructured (semistructured) information can be stored;
• the unified client workplace providing navigation according to all applications created within a system;
• the built-in development tools of the electronic forms providing an information access in databases of a system;
• the means of the organization of representations (View) allowing to create different visual representations of the data which are stored in a DB depending on specific needs of users;
• built-in opportunities of routing of electronic forms, integration into e-mail and means of group planning;
• ample opportunities of management of hyperlinks and their uses in applications.

Existence of the described functions allowed developers of solutions to create the most various applications based on the systems of the class GroupWare. They, as a rule, have the unified interface and navigation aids, are based on the shared directory of users and form the general environment of interaction of users with information. The important role in development of GroupWare-systems was played by the concept of a universal mailbox (Inbox) intended for receiving in the form of electronic forms of diverse information (e-mail messages, faxes, invitations, instructions, documents, etc.) and also management tools the personal schedule.

Development trends

Thus, existence in the general information environment of the organization of an end-to-end system of the workflow automation integrating the Workflow, DMS and Groupware functions allows to increase transparency of processes, to optimize structure of the organization, quality of decision making and flexibility of management, speed of processes of formation and document handling, service quality and labor productivity of personnel and so forth.

The most notable changes in trends of development of EDMS it is possible to call transition from purely clerical or just archive EDMS to expansion of functionality and creation of end-to-end systems of workflow automation, to integration of such systems into other corporate applications, including with ERP systems. As a part of corporate complexes even more often there are quite well developed automated subsystems, blocks solving the problems of document flow having functions of electronic archive, exchange and information representation of the most various formats and structures, including unstructured formats: audio-, video, documentary and graphic row, Internet formats and so forth. These subsystems are obviously beyond competence of traditional ERP systems, are implemented and work at the same platforms in uniform information base.

The ED systems, unlike ERP systems, implement the process approach to automation and can work with unstructured or semistructured information. Besides, it is necessary to consider that use of the ERP system in some organizations (office, project, consulting, etc.) does not make sense at all, and here the main loading (in addition to accounting) is undertaken by the ED systems.

Projects

In general, the ED systems do not belong to boxed. However, there are also such versions (for example, the standard solution OfficeMedia of InterTrust company and EDMS of the Act of DuxSoft company), however it is atypical for the large systems of this direction. For each enterprise the project is done, as a rule, the solution, but, naturally, not from scratch, and from a necessary set of the standard software modules adapted for specifics of the specific customer is created. Respectively from as far as the project and implementation cover all structures of the enterprise (organization) and levels of management, are promoted improvement and optimization of the organization both the enterprise, and its main business processes and by management systems in general, their adequacy each other, correspond to time and operating conditions, the complexity and efficiency of such automation and also further progress of the enterprise depend.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to define initially how effective will be a project on automation for how many months/years project development and its implementation therefore more and more popular are "standard solutions", "shrink-wrapped software products" will drag on, "configurations" which "are already ready", quickly are implemented (often by forces of the customer) with the minimum costs. Market development of EDMS led to the fact that practically each vendor has a set of standard solutions for the different industries which in finished form are established to customers, sometimes with small completions. Such solutions allow to receive as fast as possible return, to estimate efficiency, and in case of need practically all vendors are ready "finish" the standard solution at the request of the customer.

List of electronic document management systems

It is available together with projects to this address

See Also

• EDMS (more detailed)
• ECM – Enterprise Content Management
• EDMS (implementation technique)
• ECM (world market)
• Main trends of ECM
• EDMS (market of Russia)
• EDMS in Russia: industry specifics
• Trends of the Russian market of ECM
• EDMS/ECM projects geography
• EDMS in the SaaS format
• EDI - Electronic Data Interchange