Always clean and tidy!

About document organisation with the open source DMS

Anyone working on an order- and project-related basis needs functions to be able to organise electronic documents accordingly. In addition to a formal structure, the content, project or order name and number are usually elementary search and filing criteria.

With a database-supported document management system, different views and categorizations are possible that offer more than just a simple tree structure. bitfarm-Archiv DMS guides the user when setting up new documents with clear specifications and/or mandatory entries, so that later access to the data for all users can take place quickly and purposefully.

Flexible categorisation

bitfarm-Archiv DMS offers many possibilities and ways to build a structure that fits the real needs. In addition to the Explorer-like tree, database and control fields are available, which can be switched dynamically depending on the category and requirements. Document links represent n - n relationships between documents.

A document is not necessarily only part of a single process, but can also be present in various projects and contexts. In addition to the links, so-called "symbolic links" allow the same document to appear at different storage locations in the DMS structure.

Sort and assign

The assignment and maintenance of the shortcuts and database fields does not necessarily have to be done manually - the bitfarm-Archiv server rules offer various possibilities for automatic assignment. Pre-selections, for example customer and supplier lists, are also available as drop-down boxes. These can be transferred fully or partially automatically from ERP systems.

Everything in the right place automatically

Do your business documents have a transaction, order or project number/description? In most cases, bitfarm-Archiv recognizes these automatically, not only on the self-created documents of the ERP system, but also in external documents such as invoices, delivery notes, drawings or e-mails. This allows to automatically link all documents to the same topic / reference without additional effort. The advantage for the user: With just one click he can access all relevant information.

bitfarm-Archiv DMS uses an intelligent pattern search for this purpose. It is not necessary to have a special set of rules where the order number is located in the document. Rather, the software learns "what order numbers look like" and can then identify them anywhere. The maintenance effort is minimal with maximum work facilitation due to the automatic linking. This may require some supplier education, because the document management system can, as expected, only work with the printed information found on the document.

Distributing Documents

Various document distribution mechanisms ensure that documents arrive quickly electronically where they are needed, e.g. directly in the company at the respective employees. Tools for monitoring workflows are integrated with controlling and document history.

The enforcement of document management standards within a particular area or workplace is known as document control. It is a type of quality control that involves the development and implementation of a set of control procedures and practices.

Sector independence

The possibilities provided by bitfarm-Archiv are not only applicable to a few industries. Thanks to the fundamentally open and flexible architecture, there is hardly any use case where a good to very good adaptation is not possible. A look at the references shows some examples. Our freeware GPL version is also perfectly suited for private document management, making it easy to get started with digitization under Windows.

„bitfarm-Archiv Document Management is the best and most appropriate IT investment we have made in recent years.“
Christina Küken, business economist