Electronic document management system (EDMS): what is it, features and recommendations

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Several years ago, electronic document management systems were talked about as a bright future. Today they are already actively used in private and public enterprises. But the most important thing is that the demand for EDMS is constantly growing. What is an electronic document management system and how it works, let's consider the example of systems operating in the Russian Federation.

Background

To better understand how an EDMS program works, it is necessary to review the basic concepts and tasks. The key factors are those that determine the choice of a particular system.

If an organization can function under conditions of informal management, then there is no need for document management. With the advent of business processes, there is a need to manage the mechanism with the help of orderly documentation. If you do not deal with papers in a timely manner, they will begin to accumulate and be lost.

A special file storage scheme is used as an alternative to paper mediaon server. But it doesn't work for long either. With the growth of the company's volumes, the need for information storage and synchronization increases.

There is a dilemma: whether to use old paper media or EDMS to store information. What is so important you can get thanks to the electronic system? Increase the efficiency of the organization.

Economic effect

Work efficiency can be increased in two ways: reduce costs or increase results. Documents EDMS allow you to achieve two goals at once. That is, the implementation of the system allows the organization to spend less, but earn more.

Reducing costs through reduced paper costs, wasted time, speeding up communication, changing company culture.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the EDMS program, you need to calculate the time spent on paperwork. Consulting companies estimate that such operations take up 20% of working time. In the system of the Russian bureaucracy, this takes even more - 60% of the time. The introduction of EDMS will reduce these costs by at least 10 times.

Office work and document flow

The two terms are related. Record keeping is a term that refers to a formal set of rules for working with documents. Some EDMS systems can be customized according to the rules of office work, but there are also those systems on the basis of which office work is already formed.

A document is a unit of information storage in an EDMS. Document flow is formed fromdifferent sources: other systems, applications, e-mail, but above all - from scanned paper media. Therefore, scanners and other equipment are an integral part of the EDMS. The system stores all documents, maintains their history, ensures movement through the organization, and performs business processes with them.

In such a database there is a decision, an instruction and an order of the SED. Through them, the organization is managed. Any document is supplied with "help". The set of fields in the form depends on the type of document. Information is stored in the system in the form of a database of each field of such a card.

Functions and tasks of EDMS

The document management program is designed to solve the following tasks:

• systematization of work with documents.
• creating documents using templates, their registration storage;
• accounting automation;
• document classification.

Let's take a closer look at the functions of the SED. The workflow program is used for:

• creating cards.
• forming the text of the document;
• save data as pdf or ms word;
• user access rights management;
• creating routes;
• document flow control;
• sending notifications, reminders;
• journaling, directories, classifiers;
• order generation;
• search and sign documents;
• report generation.

General system functions include:

• remotework with documents;
• using a DBMS to store data;
• simultaneous work with EDMS;
• secure through certificates, barcodes and personalization.

Advantages and disadvantages

Switching to SED has more advantages than disadvantages. However, a poorly organized project can destroy all the benefits of automation. The objectives of the implementation of the EDMS must be achievable. Benefits include:

• centralized structured storage of information;
• the same approach to the formation and processing of documents;
• using templates;
• search;
• audit access.

Disadvantages include high start-up costs and rigorous user training.

Document Processes

In the EDMS, electronic document management goes through a series of stages, during which certain properties are assigned to the document. Processing is carried out both manually and automatically. In the second case, set:

• conditions for transitions between stages;
• route separation;
• machining cycles;
• start subprocesses, timers, processing procedures;
• user roles are set.

Types of treatments:

• Creating a document.
• Editing.
• Renaming.
• Move.
• Save.
• Indexing.
• Deletion.

SED costs

Document management cannot fully function without a license, servers, full setup and training of all users. Each of these elements requires a large cash outlay. In addition, we should not forget about the integration of the EDMS with other systems, updating databases and software, technical support consultations and other maintenance costs.

Introduction of EDMS

Project implementation can take several months. The process depends both on the number of documentation processes and on financial, organizational and resource capabilities. Implementation is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• creation of a working group, identification of a leader;
• define goals and objectives;
• checking existing documentation processes;
• development of terms of reference;
• SED choice;
• conclusion of a contract for the implementation of the EDS;
• development and approval of work regulations;
• Checking the initial content of directories;
• EDS pre-test;
• training staff on the job;
• test implementation of EDMS;
• analysis of test results;
• error correction;
• full implementation of EDMS.

Implementation errors

Special attention should be paid to those processes that require a paper document. The main mistake is the duplication of a paper document with an electronic one. This complicates the work and causes a negative attitude towards automation. No one pays extra for doing double work. It is necessary to build automation processes withoutduplication. The second mistake is the unpreparedness of personnel. Most often, new processes are perceived with hostility. Therefore, it is necessary to explain to employees why an EDMS is being introduced at all, so that they consciously approach the learning process.

Document storage technologies

In the EDMS, electronic document management consists of attributes, on the basis of which search, classification, grouping and reporting are carried out. Sometimes a document is created according to a template, sometimes by transferring data from a database. Attributes are stored in tables. The file itself is placed in the storage folder, the information from it is placed in the DBMS directory. Only EDMS users can access data.

What is inline scanning?

Full processing of documents with subsequent placement of their samples in the archive is carried out using scanners. During the scanning process, it is possible to automatically create a barcode on the document and register it in the database with subsequent direction along the specified route.

Optical text recognition

This electronic document management system EDMS converts an electronic image of a document in photo or jpeg format into text format. In this case, special software is used in the form of a stand-alone application or integrated ESCOM. BPM into the EDMS. What is ESCOM. BPM? This is a program for recognizing documents typed in different fonts. However, it is worth noting that standalone applications have more features and recognize even handwritten text.

Barcoding

This technology provides a set of procedures for creating and applying a graphic barcode to a document. A unique barcode is generated through the system server. It also provides document identification, its quick search in the database and distribution in storage locations. When registering a document, a barcode corresponding to the electronic card identifier is printed on the label. It is glued to the paper version of the document.

EDS

Digital signature allows you to verify the correctness of the document and the immutability of the data. Signing is carried out with the help of a cryptographic provider and a software key - a certificate. The latter is a file in a special format, which is regenerated in the license issuance center. To ensure the safety of information, you should store the certificate on a smart card or I-Token keys. They are protected by a PIN. If the PIN is entered incorrectly several times, the certificate will be automatically blocked.

Full text and attribute search

Attribute search is carried out through a special form using several values from the card fields. For example, the "Account" criterion searches for data in the "Recipient" or "Sender" field. At the same time, the system compares the entered criteria with the data in the cards and enters into the result those cards that matched. The search is based on an exact or partial match.

Full-text search is carried out according to the data in thedocument, including word forms through built-in DBMS tools such as MS SQL SERVER, ORACLE. For a full-fledged search, files must be entered into the database in the format of a document (doc), table (xls), presentations, messages.