i've been searching through google and hotscripts.com for document management software to keep track of not only our digital files but our hard copy files as well.

i've come up empty for something that can do both. i've found quite a few that look good to keep track of digital files.

what we want is to have a tree similar to what windows explorer provides that would show both the digital and hard copy file that pertains to that branch and give properties of those files like the location of the file, its creator, manager, creation date, who has access and a notes field that can be added to.

i can write something to do this but it would take a while and i'm not that thrilled about doing it.

thanks for any suggestions.

8/10/2006 9:47:38 AM

http://www.documentum.com

8/10/2006 9:52:22 AM

A comprehensive document flow/management system would be um ... nightmarish to try to program. Just THINK of the all those pretty feature requests

Do you guys already have a digital sender/scanner? What software does that vendor/manufacturer recommend for use with its product?

8/10/2006 10:49:20 AM

well here's the deal with the hard files -

they keep EVERYTHING. if it's less than 3 years old, it's here. and i mean EVERYTHING. invoices, check copies, newspaper clippings that relate to current construction projects, binders full of shit. there's a room upstairs with no less than 15 6' x 4' x 2' filing cabinets full of stuff.

now the vast majority of that (like invoices and checks) would just be "upstairs filing cabinets"

but i know who would have to deal with scanning thousands of documents in and that's not going to be feasible. hence something that can keep track of the shit without having to do that.

but it is the appropriate action. i am going to push that as a going forward thing, but doing all the currently held shit would be a nightmare.

8/10/2006 11:27:32 AM

Seems like there are three parts to this scenario:

Part I: Manage Physical
-No clue. We have a "Records Management" warehouse which takes care of this where I'm at. You send it to them and they can retrieve it if need be. Otherwise, gets shredded after X number of years.
-Custom database/app does everything to manage this.

Part II: Physical -> Electronic
-My suggesiton woudl be to look up a HP Digital Sender 9200c. Runs about $3000 depending on which vendor you go through. It's worked wonders for us.
-LDAP funcitonality, email sending, can scan directly to a general file folder, customize users file folders, and has HP JetDirect configuration. If you want to be ultra-secure / piss off your users, you can integrate Active Directory with it (i.e. they have to type in their password on the LCD every time they use it).
-Current documents would be hellish to convert over ... easiest to hire a temp person to get it done. New records wouldn't be so bad, just need somebody to do it.

Part III: Managing Electronic
-No clue, and I'm guessing this was your original intention in your post.

8/10/2006 11:52:54 AM

I already posted the best solution.

It's in use everywhere.

8/10/2006 11:54:51 AM

i talked them into doing it the right way and just scanning the important documents and then scanning everything going forward

PRAISE JEBUS

8/11/2006 9:57:48 AM