3.9 Workflow
Workflow is a complex process and some document management s ystems have a
built- in workflow module. There are different types of workflow. Usage depends on
the environment the electronic document management system (EDMS) is applied to.
Manual workflow requires a user to view the document and decide who to send it to.
Rules-based workflow allows an administrator to create a rule that dictates the flow of
the document through an organization: for instance, an invoice passes through an
approval process and then is routed to the accounts-payable department. Dynamic
rules allow for branches to be created in a workflow process. A simple example
would be to enter an invoice amount and if the amount is lower than a certain set
amount, it follows different routes through the organization. Advanced workflow
mechanisms can manipulate content or signal external processes while these rules are
in effect.
3.10 Collaboration
Collaboration should be inherent in an EDMS. In its basic form, a collaborative
EDMS should allow documents to be retrieved and worked on by an authorized user.
Access should be blocked to other users while work is being performed on the
document. Other advanced forms of collaboration allow multiple users to view and
modify (or markup) a document at the same time in a collaboration session. The
resulting document should be viewable in its final shape, while also storing the
markups done by each