We define a Document Management System (DMS) as a software tool that controls the life cycle of business documents, including email.

A Document Management System (DMS) manages and controls the “electronic documents” that drive our business- word processing documents, spreadsheets, web-related content, email, etc. – and standardizes the process of document creation, collaboration, and retention across the entire business, including email management. Extensive management tools, Audit Trails, and other procedures for protecting and securing the information helps your business organize, find, and share information in a quickly accessible, secure, and efficient manner. Standard features may include

• Tools and processes for organizing and improving the way employees create, save, catalog, and retrieve electronic documents and files
  
• Controlled user access and document permissions
  
• Integration with Outlook
• Full Text Search and Retrieval based on concepts, not just categories, giving users enterprise wide access to their documents
  
• Tools for viewing multiple types of files even when their source programs are not installed on the local client system
  
• Archiving tools for moving dated or unused files to lower priority storage, while still keeping them accessible when needed
  
• Revision Tracking tools for tracking the evolution of a document, and ensuring that the correct version is being used and edited
  
• Audit Trail tools for auditing a document’s history: who did what to it, and when
  
• Tools for helping multiple authors coordinate their activities on a single document