Understanding Document Management

The term "document management" and "paperless office" is the subject of countless articles and books. Everyone wants to achieve this lofty goal but not everyone understands what the terms really mean. Before you can embark on the journey of achieving total document management, it's important that you have a good basic knowledge of the terms and concepts that go with it.

Once you start investigating the various software solutions that are available you're going to run into some document management abbreviations, acronyms, and general terms that you might not be familiar with. Here is a "cheat sheet" that will help you to understand the material that you'll encounter as well as the conversations that you'll be having with document management solution providers.

Electronic Document Capture (EDC)

This is the generic term that refers to the entire process of converting paper documents into their electronic equivalents. It covers concepts such as scanning, text recognition, image conversion and indexing for later retrieval. In other words, it is a catchall phrase for the entire document management process.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR is a process that recognizes the printed words that are present on a physical document. OCR is generally used when processing documents that are printed in "normal" printer or typewriter fonts.

Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR)

This process is similar to OCR but is generally capable of also processing certain handwritten documents on special forms. It can also recognize and process "tick marks" and bar codes.

Electronic Document Management System (EDMS)

Sometimes referred to as Document Management (DM) or Document Management System (DMS), this term encompasses not just the electronic conversion of paper documents, but the management of electronically created documents including word processing and email. EDMS systems are used to locate and display documents as well as to maintain different versions of the source document.

Electronic Record Management System (ERMS)

Also known as Record Management (RM) or Record management System (RMS), this term refers to systems that are used to insure that important records such as payroll, human resources, patient records, contracts, etc, are stored and available during their useful lifetime.

Web Content Management (WCM)

Also called a Content Management Systems (CMS), this term refers to software that is used to store and publish content to a web site. A CMS separates the web content from the underlying HTML design so that any authorized person can publish or remove content from a web site without having to know HTML.

Workflow Management (WFM)

WFM systems are used to management document preparation in a structured environment where certain preparation, review, or approval steps have to be done in a defined order. WFM systems direct the documents to the correct people, in the correct order, until the entire process has been completed.

Knowledge Management (KM)

These systems are used to make the total legacy "knowledge" of an organization available to everyone. KM systems eliminate the need for employees to "reinvent the wheel" when dealing with questions, processes, or any other issue that has already been dealt with by someone in the organization. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) system is a good example of a valuable KM system.

Now that you have an understanding of the basic terms that you will encounter, your next step is to determine the type of document management system that best meets your requirements. After that you can begin the process of identifying the available solutions and pick the one that meets your organization's needs.

Cavyl Stewart is the owner of http://www.find-small-business-software.com. Never again slave away at boring tasks inexpensive software can do twice as fast. Find out how by subscribing to her exclusive free 100% orginal content ecourse:"Discover 52 ways to do more with software," by sending a blank email to: http://www.find-small-business-software.com.

Alexis limo rentals ..
In The News:

Who needs roads? The WindRunner aircraft was designed specifically to haul massive wind turbine blades, some of which are over 459 feet long.
A Google DeepMind team has developed an artificial intelligence system that can play video games like a human and take native language commands from players.
Four of the largest school boards in Ontario, Canada have launched lawsuits against TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat, claiming that they have impacted students' thinking and behavior.
Finalists for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in nonfiction publishing, were unveiled on Wednesday.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson breaks down whether the government is watching citizens and what they can do to protect online privacy.
A benchmarking group for artificial intelligence has released new results evaluating the speed of hardware in running AI applications and responding to users.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane provides a glimpse into the future of space travel. Traveling to space may become a part of everyday life.
The new European Hyperloop Center in the Netherlands aims bring in a new era of transportation. The center will use a steel tube as a proving ground for testing the new vehicle.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
While it may be incredibly tempting to have a “go with the flow" mindset like the rest of your vacation, your technology definitely should not be compromised while traveling.
Have you ever accidentally deleted an app from your iPhone that you’ve already paid for? Don't worry. We’ve got a trick that will help you get it back without having to buy it again.
Apple's new Journal app has raised privacy concerns among Apple's userbase. Tech expert Kim Komando examines social media rumors and explains what steps to take to protect yourself.
Although Facebook has denied that our phones listen to us, they do have other ways of finding out what we are talking about, listening to and searching for.
With the integration of OpenAI technology, Figure 01 has taken a significant leap forward, showcasing the potential of robots to understand and interact with us on a personal level.
Port Ellen, newly reopened whisky distillery in Scotland, is using SmokeDNAi technology to understand mouth-feel and flavors during the whisky maturation process.
Telly, a smart TV firm, is promising to give out their 4K 55-inch TV for free. What must you give in return? The innovative, yet potentially unsettling, answer might shock you.
The moment a spam invite hits your calendar, it’s like an uninvited guest at a party. So, what do you do? Show it the door.
Identity thieves are now targeting children and are making large sums of money by exploiting children's identities, possibly hurting their financial future.
There's a clever way to change the notification sounds on your Android without having to look at your screen. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
If your bank accounted has been hacked, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent it from happening again. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The Wave House, a data center in Heidelberg, Germany, is the the largest 3D-printed building in Europe. Its walls were built in about 140 hours.
Some government agencies around the world are struggling to meet their staffing goals when it comes to hiring artificial intelligence experts.
Google Maps' recent upgrades have introduced real-time ETA and turn-by-turn directions to your phone's lock screen while you are traveling.
Kat Cammack says AI could disrupt the 2024 election. A report says shared AI image tools generate election disinformation in 41% of cases and voting disinformation in 59% of cases.

Great Plains Dexterity Customization Options ? Overview For Developers

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More

Adware, What Is It?

Adware is a type of Spyware program that displays some... Read More

Navision Attain Database access via C/ODBC in ASP.NET Application

Navision Software was purchased by Microsoft and now it is... Read More

What is Groupware?

Vince Lombardi once said that, "The achievements of an organization... Read More

Downloading Spyware Removers: Think Before, not After

Just imagine: you are walking, say, towards your car, and... Read More

Windows Screensavers Explained

In this article you will find some background information about... Read More

Where to Find Free Fleet Maintenance Software

Costs of fleet maintenance software can vary widely. It is... Read More

Microsoft CRM: Implementation, Customization, Support ? Consultant Overview

Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is present several years on the... Read More

Four Desktop Tools To Drastically Increase Your Productivity

Sticky Noteshttp://www.deprice.com/stickynote.htmWith StickyNote 9.0, you can create beautiful 3D notes... Read More

Microsoft Office Selecting Secrets

Stop the Runaway MouseWhat's the "runaway mouse?" You've seen it...you... Read More

Easy Guide to RAID Recovery

What is RAID RECOVERY?RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive... Read More

Microsoft Navision and Crystal Reports - An Overview

Microsoft Business Solutions ? Navision is an integrated solution for... Read More

OLAP, An Alternative Technology Over Spreadsheets

Are Spreadsheets Robbing your Enterprise of Competitive Advantage?'90% of "average"... Read More

Microsoft Navision Customization and Reporting ? Tips For Programmer/IT Specialist

C/SIDE (Client/Server Integrated Development Environment) - The core of... Read More

ERP Implementation: Success Factors

As seeing large number of implementations ? in our case... Read More

Four Easy Ways To Prevent Spyware

How would you like to prevent spyware and adware from... Read More

Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS) SQL Customization ? Overview for Programmer

Microsoft Retail Management System serves retail single store as well... Read More

Run Your Own Search Engine

Our hosted solution allow you to run your own search... Read More

A Case Study on Selecting Contract Management Software

Professional services firm cuts costs and improves productivity with integrated... Read More

Linux Vs. Windows

This article will not attempt to advocate the use of... Read More

Bridging the Gap between Paper and Data

The cornerstone of successful automated office systems is the ability... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Partner Selection: Overview

Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Axapta are Microsoft Business... Read More

Snort for Network IDS

What is Snort?Snort is an open source network intrusion detection... Read More

New SQL Delta Version 3.1

COMMAND LINE FUNCTIONA powerful command line script processor has been... Read More

Increase Office Efficiency With One Simple Tool

When you need a phone number, you do a quick... Read More

car service from Midway Alsip ..