Document Management
The word System is often misinterpreted as “IT system” which it often includes, but not exclusively comprises of.
In the case of Document Management, the interaction of both IT, processes and people makes out the Document Management System.
Benefits of Document Management
A robust and maintained Document Management System enables multiple benefits for the organisation.
The Features of Document Management
Security
Manage the access to documents in your organisation.
Search
Easily locate the documents you are searching for.
History
Track and view creation of and changes on documents by different users.
Collaboration
Enable collaboration across departments and work areas.
Automation
Reduce manual tasks by automating repetitive tasks. For example convert documents to PDF and distribute to external storage like ESCROW.
Classification
Store and organise documents to support better search and automation.
Distribution
Enable documents to be distributed both within your organisation and to business partners and clients.
Approval
Make approval of documents and procedures easy and secure by workflows.
Context
Relate documents to the right context - e.g. add purchase specifications to the part or bill of material for easy navigation.
SAP DMS
SAP has built-in advanced document management functionality, that can easily be connected to business transactions. For example purchase specifications can be distributed to suppliers along with purchase orders
Windchill PDMLink
Windchill PDMLink includes functionality to maintain and update 3d CAD models and 2d drawings and documents.
Challenges and Barriers
Document Management is not rocket science, but the implementation and adjustment of current state to a new normal can easily become very complex and subject for discussion.
Moving onwards, any DMS (re)implementation will tend to spark lengthy discussions on e.g. “how to structure documents?” or “what governance should be put in place?” All of these discussions are important but not infrequently tend to be very difficult to facilitate from within the organization. Balancing multiple needs and preferences, whilst having an eye on the overall DMS setup’s maintainability and robustness, require a great deal of experience and overview.
Once the tech, processes and governance are defined and agreed upon, implementation and migration can start. There are definitely some do’s and don’ts to be aware of as well as laying out a future roadmap for the evolution of Document Management makes sense.
Erik Løber
Managing Director
Senior Business Consultant
Erik.Lober@BoostPLM.com
Tel: +45 2223 5655
Peter à Porter
Senior Business Consultant
Peter.Porta@BoostPLM.com
Tel: +45 5170 3655
How can BoostPLM help You?
Assistance from an experienced partner in the initial scoping and architectural stage can be an effective way to define a feasible future state based on hands-on industry experience.
BoostPLM has vast experience with these kind of organizational change processes and can assist you all the way, and is a knowledgeable and experienced partner in this part of implementing Document Management. Furthermore, we are highly skilled within Windhill PDMLink and SAP.
Please reach out to us if you are planning on (re)introducing Document Management or just want to have an outside evaluation on your current setup for identifying potentials for improvement.
Read our Articles about Document Management
Document Management in Windchill
Windchill is a great system for control of not only CAD and drawings, but also technical documents. However, the out-of-the-box solution for document reviews are limited and often requires additional manual procedures in e.g. Excel to manage and drive the document reviews.
Learn in this article, how to use Windchill more efficiently for Document Management.
What is the foundation for Document Management? (Video)
Good Document Management Systems require the right people behaviour, governance & ownership, classification & attributes and last but not least workflows. In this video Peter á Porta will take you through this foundation.
Is Windchill Document Management only for Engineering?
Windchill is a powerfull PLM tool for administrating CAD-models and Bill of Materials.
Using Windchill for Document Management provides additional benefits.
Four elements in Succesful Process Improvements
Have you ever attended endless workshops on reengineering processes with out success? Learn in about the four elements you have to focus on in order to succeed.
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