A document management system (DMS) is a database-supported system for managing digital objects. Digital objects are familiar to us all as electronic documents, for example in the form of Office files. The classical Windows Explorer can be used to save and archive the majority of documents. However, some electronic documents, such as revision-proof emails, contracts, quotations, invoices, etc. – some of which are crucial to the company – must be saved, parameterised and archived in a legally secure and ISO-compliant manner. As the norm ISO 10166 (DFR Document Filling & Retrieval) already suggests, DMS is a component of the enterprise digital chain. With the other components of groupware & collaboration, web content management & portal, workflow & BPM (business process management) and records management, DMS forms part of the enterprise content management system (ECMS).

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