Glossary » document management systems

document management systems

systems for entering, tracking, routing, and processing documents, whether documents that were originally created electronically (email and online forms) or documents that are scanned (“imaged documents”). Document management systems form a subset of workflow systems, though they may also have a separate emphasis without the groupware flavor of workflow (that is, more of an emphasis on database capabilities than on routing).

Document management systems may be used to maintain large archives (e.g. libraries, legal documents, cancelled checks, credit card receipts), as form-processing systems (e.g. routing expense reimbursements and employee reviews), or in document production systems (such as newspapers and magazines).