Document Management Systems provide an organization with the tools to create, manage, control, and distribute electronic documents. In this context a document is essentially a file. A file, in this usage, is an electronic, digital container for information.The document and file management feature creates a central repository for all
documentation related to your project. Shared documents can include initial concept and specification documentation, screen shots, code review documents, support plans and information, and even end-of-life plans. Files of any type, from structured documents and spreadsheets to binary files for distribution, are managed in a single easy to access location.
The hierarchical organization applies a logical structure for all information throughout the lifecycle of the project. Documents are organized using a common tree hierarchy metaphor with file folders and sub-folders that facilitates ease of document archiving,navigation, and retrieval. This intuitive organization facilitates an institutional memory related to your project enabling new team members to rapidly contribute to the project and all team members to improve the overall quality and efficiency of their development efforts.
Main Features:
1.Support technology such as imaging and workflow.
2.E-document applications.
3.Access more information with Management Documents System.
Benefits:
1. Library Function Services
It comprises the core set of document management functionality. It is a broad term that encompasses saving, cataloging, and retrieving files. When you use a document manager to create a file, you generally are required to fill in a profile card. The profile card includes spaces to fill in information that will help users manage and retrieve the document.
2. Network Support
Network support provides the tools necessary to work with network drives and resources from the document manager in a way that is transparent to end-users. Network support, for example, provides users with single point-of-access document retrieval, no matter how dispersed the documents may actually be on the network. It also means providing the system administrator with a straightforward methodology to integrate the document
manager with the network. Document Managemant also includes a mirroring facility which copies down files to the user's local hard drive as they are accessed from the network. This ensures that in the event of network failure, users can continue to work.
3. Document Security
Document security places this at the focal point of access and permission to the document repository. Document security involves documents, users, and groups of users. It assigns rights and permissions to documents based on individual users, groups of users, and the roles in which users serve within the organization.
4. Archiving
Archiving is a means to move dated or unused files off the main storage medium to secondary storage. The DMS must ensure that users can still search for information in the archived files and, if desired information is contained in an archive, that there is a ready means to restore it. Document Management allows site administrators to set "triggers" in the document profiles that enable automated archiving. For example, it may be desirable to set company memoranda to be archived automatically after say, 90 days. Other approaches include archiving all the files for a closed matter, or on any other criterion by which documents are managed.
5. Document History
Since documents are so vital to the success of any information-based organization, it is essential to maintain a historical activity record Associated with each document. Document histories, also known as audit trails, provide this within the framework of the DMS.
6. Access Control
As networks have become commonplace, so too has collaborative authoring and editing of documents. A document management system must provide some way for multiple authors to coordinate activities across one or more documents. One of the primary means for doing so is to implement a document check-in/check-out regimen. When a user checks out a document, he or she has the option of "locking" it so that other users can view the document, but cannot make any changes to it. With check-out, only one worker may edit a file. When finished, the worker checks the document back in through the DMS, making it available to other users once again.