Document Scanning Blog

If there is one acronym you learn this year, it should be EDMS. What is EDMS, you may ask? Technically, it means Electronic Document Management Solutions, designed to support the life cycle of a document and/or document-based information. In today’s digital world, a “document” often refers to more than just a sheet of paper; it can also include images, medical records, test results, confidential customer information, email correspondence and much more. There are several systems already in place to manage the movement and storage of documents as they travel into and out of the work flow. These include CDs, optical storage, laser discs, groupware, intranets, etc., and each of these can be indexed, classified, searched, secured and retained using various functions. When these technologies are integrated to create integrated systems for data manipulation and management, it is known as EDMS. EDMS can often utilize a number of different software applications to make record-keeping easier for employees. An outside consultant can be very helpful in determining the best strategy for enterprise-wide document management. Keeping in mind that documents serve a purpose - conveying information – it is important for a any EDMS solution to be manageable and accessible for the average person. Whether a company is using spreadsheets, vector data, moving images, graphics, or just plain text, a smart document management program will address all needs of the company upfront, and will be implemented only after ongoing consultation between the client and the document management provider. The most important challenge will be deciding on the technologies that make the most sense for your organization.