Document management is the systematic process of storing, indexing, tracking, retrieving, and distributing information found in electronic media and paper-based documents.

Before Computers

Before computers, document management usually consisted of storing pieces of paper in filing cabinets based on a convenient system, alphabetical or otherwise. In the early 1980’s, as businesses became computerised, document imaging systems were developed to capture, store and manage scanned images of paper-based documents. These systems were the first document management systems.

Modern Document Management

In today’s world of high technology, with the demanding pace of business and the ever-increasing volume of information, modern document management is achieved through sophisticated systems of hardware and software. A document management system can capture, index and store the contents of electronic documents (containing text, graphics, images, audio and video and other data) for later retrieval.

Document Profile

In addition, context information, or metatdata, is stored with each document. This information enables users to find documents by searching the associated metadata. In Trackfile, this metadata is called the document profile. It includes:

• Date and time when the document was first stored
• Identity of the person storing the document
• Ownership of the document
• Document title
• Cataloguing data based on customers and projects
  

Paper-Based Documents

For paper-based documents, a document imaging system is also needed to scan paper-based documents into electronic images, which then be captured in a document management system. In turn, the document images can be translated into editable electronic documents using optical character recognition (OCR) technology.