Document Management (DM) or Electronic Document Management (EDM) is the method by which a paper document (made electronic by scanning) or an existing computer file is indexed to a computer storage location for easy access by search criteria over a network or the internet.

The ability to handle large and complex flows of information quickly and efficiently can be a factor that differentiates a successful business. Traditional methods of handling paperwork and electronic files do not generally allow staff the speed of access to information that modern business practice demands. In addition, paper records are vulnerable to misfiling, loss and destruction – accidental or otherwise.

The solution to these challenges is 'Document Management' - scanning paperwork to electronic documents and with existing computer files, efficiently managing them within an organised and planned system. Paper documents, once scanned into the system, can be viewed by staff authorised to see them. Once in the system, these electronic images can be:

• sent to other workstations or offices
• e-mailed or printed
• attached/appended to other document
• edited, e.g. the addition of an electronic “paid” stamp, signature or commen
• saved and indexed with suitable criteria so that they can then be retrieved using a simple or complex search
• used for archiving for secure long-term storage & business continuity planning.