Russian electronic document management programs have a great future. Electronic document management (EDM): what is it and how to implement it in organizations Complex multifunctional EDMS systems

Currently, the exchange of documents between business entities and individuals is gradually moving from paper to electronic. The electronic document management system has a number of advantages over plain paper - it saves time and increases the efficiency of decisions. EDMS can be built both within a company and between different companies via the Internet.

Electronic document management is a system of processes for processing documents in electronic form. Most modern accounting and personnel programs are able to generate electronic documents in a standard format established at the legislative level. But in order for such a document to have legal weight, it must be signed by both parties with an electronic signature.

Electronic document management can be divided into two large types - the exchange of documents within the company or between different companies via communication channels. It is allowed to combine these two systems into one global one.

The use of electronic document management within the company requires the purchase of the necessary software package (EDI platform), as well as equipment for its operation (network equipment, server, etc.).

In order to exchange documents between two companies, an electronic document management operator is needed. It guarantees the delivery of messages, controls the format of sent documents, requires certification of work with data by an electronic signature, and stores an archive of documents.

Attention! One of these services is . Documents received through it are legally significant if they have a mark from the EPC of both parties to the document flow.

Advantages and disadvantages of EDI

Main advantages

Electronic document management has undeniable advantages over paper:

• Organizing paperwork - the system will not allow you to assign the same number to different documents, since this will happen in order and automatically;
• Tracking the position of each document - at any time you can find out exactly who is working with the document. The employee will not be able to spoil or lose it. A document deleted accidentally or on purpose can still be restored;
• Acceleration of document processing - if the company's departments are scattered across several buildings, then a paper document must be personally carried there for approval. With EDI, the necessary document reaches the employee in a fraction of a second;
• Convenient work with versions - when editing, the system saves each version. If necessary, you can track who and when made changes to the document;
• Round-the-clock remote access - if necessary, access to the EDI system can be arranged via the Internet from any computer in the world. An employee can work with documents while on a business trip, on vacation or on sick leave;
• Work scheduling - by specifying the creation date and due date, you can plan the execution of incoming documents according to the queue;
• Search for documents - you can search in the general database of documents by keywords and expressions;
• Paper saving - there is no need to print all the documents in the required quantity.

Main disadvantages

Despite the obvious advantages, EDI systems also have disadvantages that can stop a company from implementing it.

These include:

• It is necessary to spend money on the purchase of the system, which, depending on the number of users, can be up to 100 thousand rubles;
• After the purchase, it takes a long time to install, implement and debug;
• It is necessary to conduct training for all users who will be involved in it;
• Ensuring the security of the system - access control between users, issuing the necessary electronic signatures, protection against intrusion from the outside;
• The staff of the company must have an administrator who will monitor the functioning of the system, perform service actions, and resolve user issues;
• In order to preserve information, it is necessary to back up the database with documents;
• If partner firms do not have an EDI, both an electronic and a paper system must be ensured.

Functionality of electronic document management

Any workflow system should provide a set of actions:

• Work with any kind of documents - create them, draw up, process, register, control their implementation, coordinate, etc.;
• Organize workflow flows - define routes within the company, restrict access between individual users, provide the ability to work with one document to several people at once;
• Organize an archive of documents with the possibility of their search, storage.

Attention! Electronic document management should provide the same ability to work with documents as traditional paper.

Large advanced systems provide opportunities for:

• Registration of all passing documents - incoming, outgoing, internal, with their further redirection to the head;
• Ensure a uniform procedure for working with documents in each division of the company;
• Work with the document both individually and collectively;
• Exchange documents between departments and specific employees;
• Limit access to documents;
• Use standard forms for all documents;
• Control that approval, execution and other work with the document will be completed on time;
• Generate reporting - analytical, statistical, etc.;
• Organize archival storage with fixing the date and time of access to them by users.

Is it possible to combine paper document management with electronic?

After the transition to electronic document management in an organization, at first it will still not be possible to completely abandon paper documents.

This can happen for several reasons:

• Not all contractors use EDI;
• The company already has a lot of paper documents in the archive.

However, there are fundamental differences in working with electronic and paper documents. For example, a paper document needs to be printed and brought to the manager for signature, while an electronic one is signed in the system itself. Paper accounting documents sent to a counterparty may be lost in the mail during shipment, while electronic ones reach the addressee.

The main difference between working with two types of documents is their storage. Electronic documents immediately enter the system, where all users can work with them. For paper documents, an archive should still be organized where they will be stored in an orderly manner. At the same time, after entering the company, the paper document must be scanned, and this scanned copy must be uploaded to the system for further work.

Attention! Thus, work within the company should still be carried out only in electronic form. If a paper document arrives, then only those who receive it or sign it see it. At the same time, working with an electronic copy allows you to protect the original from almost any loss, and allows several users to work with it at once.

What are the ED programs?

There are many document management systems on the market, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common systems:

System	Peculiarities	Price
A business	One of the largest EDI programs. Great functionality, simplicity and ease of use.	From 11 to 13.5 thousand rubles. for one job
Logics	Can be used in companies of any size, easy to learn, flexible customization	From 4900 to 5900 per seat.
Euphrates	Considered the most advanced of the systems, the package includes its own database system, light and pleasant design	From 5,000 rubles per workplace when deployed on an organization's server, from 10,000 rubles. when placed on the developer's equipment.
1C:Archive	Full integration with any 1C products, the ability to store any files - text, graphics, video and audio.	From 12 to 57 thousand rubles. for the entire program.
DIRECTUM	The optimal system for small and medium-sized enterprises, you can combine electronic documents with paper ones.	From 7 thousand rubles. up to 2 million rubles for a license
OPTIMA-WorkFlow	A new system that is just starting to develop actively. There are several features unique to this system.	From 55 to 75 thousand rubles. for a license.

Interaction of an electronic document with other programs

Taking its place in the electronic environment of the organization, the EDI system should freely support other business applications that are already operating in it during operation. For example, it is necessary to freely process accounting documents - invoices, acts, invoices, powers of attorney, etc.

In addition, the electronic document management system must work with everyone in a consistent manner, and operate with the same data. Therefore, it is necessary that the system be able to support directories used in the electronic environment and be able to update the data in them.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the work with external data - e-mail, trading platforms, etc.

When choosing an EDI, it is necessary to pay attention to the possibility of its interaction with other means and data sources available in the enterprise. Usually, popular, and therefore actively developing systems, incorporate many modules for the most popular programs - 1C, Parus, Oracle and many others.

For example, the electronic document management of the 1C program can allow you to generate, receive and send electronic accounting documents directly from it, while confirming them with a qualified signature.

There is an assertion in the economic literature that in business, supposedly, there are some "more important" and some "less important" components. Proponents of this approach argue that the main processes (which, for example, generate a cache flow or produce a product) are what the enterprise really stands on, and supporting processes, such as, for example, document management in a company, are those components that from which it is possible to refuse with the least losses. On the one hand, one could imagine that such specialists are right, and their point of view is really justified, but only if we are talking about a company with a one-year development horizon. Because as soon as we start talking about a company that really aims to develop in the market - to increase its turnover, increase assets, expand its branch network, it becomes clear that supporting processes, among which, of course, it is The company's document management process plays an equally important role in the success of a business.

About why automation of workflow today is the key to order tomorrow, and what tasks are solved by electronic document management systems in enterprises that are focused on efficiency, we will understand in today's article.

What is SED

To understand what electronic document management systems are, you must first answer the question: “Why, in fact, do businesses need them?”. Many still believe that paperwork and managers running around the corridors with bills, accountants who have skyscrapers of contracts and invoices on their desktops are normal and this is the essence of any business. This article is aimed at those who understand that the current conditions of economic interaction and the level of technological progress create a situation in which business efficiency largely depends on the speed of managing the information available to the business and the organization of the rational movement of this information.

Electronic document management systems solve one of the key business problems in the administrative part - they simplify the interaction between employees.

When all corporate information is securely stored, the levels of access of different employees to different sections of the corporate information system are distributed, simple and understandable documentation management is provided, and all interested parties receive electronic document management tools and standards for its use at their disposal - the productivity of any joint employee activity increases significantly .

The so-called EDMS (Electronic Document Management System) are individually configured interconnected software systems that allow you to manage various types of documents and information.

In any company that actively conducts business, the amount of official documentation is constantly growing and it is impossible to restrain its growth, in particular, for legislative reasons. In this case, it is necessary to create certain workflow automation schemes that will standardize management processes, regulate the activities of employees in this part of the work, free the staff from manual labor and, in fact, increase the efficiency of the entire system as a whole. The objects that such systems are focused on are not only the usual documents in paper or even electronic form, but in general all the company's business processes that are somehow reflected in the information exchange system. That is why leading companies have recently become interested in document management automation in general, and automation of electronic document management systems in particular, seeing huge prospects by increasing overall efficiency through the introduction of such changes. In fact, automated EDMS are becoming a universal business information management system in the broadest sense, which enables a business within one system to get all the necessary tools to work from the moment information appears to its final liquidation.

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Efficiency of EDMS

If we talk about the actual efficiency that can be achieved through the automation of electronic document management in an enterprise, then the following points should be listed:

• Complete exclusion or maximum reduction of routine operations and manual work with information. Automated systems greatly simplify such processes as the initial input or processing of data, scanning and control of data or documents, the processes of importing or exporting information from one source to another.
• Creation in the company of a single space of electronic documentation, in which there is an internal hierarchy of access of employees to various information. This eliminates the need to create distributed information stores to ensure its safety or separation of access levels, since one interconnected system can solve this problem. For example, in distributed structures, this becomes an extremely convenient tool for top management, who may need access to some information at lower levels.
• EDMS allows you to implement a convenient search system, which is fully interconnected with all management processes in the company. Thus, a document automation system integrated into a business becomes an internal information retrieval system that may be needed to solve business problems or simply perform its direct functions.
• Reducing the number of paper information carriers to a minimum or their complete exclusion from the work of employees. There are many advantages to this solution - from reducing the actual expenses under the "administrative" item, to reducing the risk that confidential information will leave the company on paper.
• An automated document management system allows you to increase the speed of interaction between employees and departments, as well as increase the degree of their mutual responsibility for actions committed or, on the contrary, not committed within the framework of cooperation. This is a very important aspect of the effectiveness of the EDMS, since, as practice shows, the productivity of the work of departments increases many times precisely against the background of the fact that the parties to cooperation are limited to the framework of the system and work together exclusively on the case. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that “everyone leaves traces” in the electronic system, so it will not be possible to pretend later that someone did not hear something, or it did not happen at all.
• Automated workflow systems have a positive effect on the relationship between management and subordinates due to the fact that orders become clearly oriented, more understandable and guaranteed to be conveyed to the persons to whom the information was intended. It can also be noted that within the framework of automated electronic systems, the speed of formation of intermediate instructions, adjustments, decisions and amendments, as well as control over the execution of orders at all levels, is increasing.
• EDMS allow you to implement in the company a system not only for internal information exchange, but also to develop routes and methods for importing and exporting information with external systems. Thus, a natural filter is formed that regulates the form in which information leaves the company (and sometimes this is extremely important from the point of view of the standard), as well as the form in which incoming information reaches the company's employees within the system. All this makes it possible to achieve an information identity in the company, which is extremely important for the productive work of the enterprise as a whole.

EDMS automation in the global sense is the best basis for the formation of standards and algorithms, according to which all business processes in the company proceed at various levels. Thus, the electronic document management system ceases to be just a part of office work or document exchange, but becomes an important component of the business system, which is responsible for how efficiently information is used by company employees.

Instrumental capabilities of automated document management systems

Thanks to the active development of programming in the last ten to fifteen years, today systems focused on the automation of information interaction make it possible to include exactly the set of tools that a particular company needs. Different areas of business and simply the individual characteristics of its conduct impose a certain list of requirements on such systems that apply specifically here and now.

For some companies, a more or less “classic” set of functions is enough - creating documents, processing information, searching and reviewing data, as well as internal interaction (transmission, notifications of parties, setting and monitoring tasks). Others need significantly more complex systems and a different set of tools that will allow them to build complex hierarchies, form remote commands, remote access, integration with SQL and Oracle database data, give access to servers without special applications and, for example, to connect cloud systems. The most advanced users of automated electronic document management systems can have access to such complex and specific tools as automatic optical recognition of information, barcoding and scanning, a digital signature system, full-text and attribute search, etc.

Benefits of automated workflow systems

Today, the use of automated document management systems, in particular, systems, is becoming not only a competitive advantage for efficiency-oriented companies, but also an objective necessity for all participants in economic interaction who, in principle, are interested in the productive functioning of their business. The world has changed dramatically in the last decade, and this has affected all areas of business and companies, forcing them to change along with the advent of the digital economy. Compared to traditional systems that previously allowed building an information management process in an enterprise, automated document management systems opened up new horizons for businesses in the field of increasing their own efficiency, which resulted in the following advantages of automated document management systems:

1. Such systems greatly increase the productivity of the company by increasing productivity, which is ensured not only by the convenience of process interaction between departments, but also by the presence in EDMS systems of opportunities for unlimited work with the necessary information, from access to cardinal transformations of information in the shortest possible time.
2. Information in electronic form is maintained in a more up-to-date state, since the process of making and agreeing on changes can go on without interruption from the main activity in the "background" mode.
3. Electronic systems are more fault-tolerant and safe than others. They can greatly reduce the impact of human inattention (the so-called "human factor") and guaranteed to ensure the safety of information. It is clear that if you wish and if you have technical capabilities, you can break any system, but even taking into account the possibility of hacking, an electronic system involves more tools for protecting, encrypting or backing up data.
4. ERMS creates the prerequisites for a significant reduction in operating costs, both in terms of direct items of expenditure and in the area of ​​personnel costs, due to a decrease in the company's need for executors.
5. Such a system opens up new opportunities for cooperation between departments, both on direct issues (in the field of information exchange), and in the form of opportunities for joint or stage-by-stage (one after another, parts) work on various business projects. A great tool for remote brainstorms, workgroups, team edits and approvals.

In general, automated document management systems give the company not only the advantages listed above, but also a number of others that are difficult to measure or calculate in conventional units, but which are no less important. We are talking about the growth of technical literacy of staff and a clear increase in staff discipline and responsibility for their actions and their work. Working in a single electronic system, the staff constantly interacts with each other, solving problems that arise at lower levels, and thereby strengthening the corporate spirit.

Automation of the workflow system today is not just an internal tool for optimizing business processes, but a natural need for companies to increase their productivity in the face of global economic crises. The significant reduction in opportunities to raise funding and grow businesses through investment injections leads companies from traditional industries to understand that opportunities for improving business performance are hidden within the companies themselves. If twenty years ago it was only important to “sell a lot”, today it is important to “sell effectively”, and this is completely impossible without a modern automated system for working with information.

In conclusion, I would like to note that any automation in a company is associated with impressive investments, while (if we mean the program itself) it is not a significant part of them. Their basis is the development of a methodology for building a system, but in the long term they more than pay off due to the increasing efficiency and speed of the company's business. As already mentioned, not only the smartest, but also the fastest market participant wins today, so the document management system is one of the opportunities for the favorable development of the company in the future.

Today, 100% of documents in the office are created electronically, but still more than 80% of them are printed out (for approval, familiarization, start-up). Can such an approach be effective?

It seems that the introduction of electronic document management is the most reasonable action on the part of decision makers. But the business need for automation is far from instantaneous. And only after receiving a number of signals, the management comes to the conclusion that the enterprise needs a special information system for content management (ECM-system). It is then that there is a need to manage information at all stages of its existence, until it becomes obsolete.

What is an electronic document, EDMS, ECM

There are many definitions. We will try to give you the most understandable and capacious.

Electronic document- a set of information (text, image, sound recording) stored on a computer (Word, Excel files, etc.). It is accompanied by a card with attributes, just as books in a library are accompanied by a file cabinet. By attributes (title, author, date of creation, etc.), a document can be quickly found.

Workflow(workflow) - a sequence of actions of employees within a specific business process. An example of such a sequence is the receipt of a document, its registration, consideration and execution of the document, and a business process is work with citizens' appeals.

Electronic document management(EDI) is a way of organizing work with documents, in which the bulk of documents are used in electronic form and stored centrally.

Do you need an ECM system

To assess whether an EDMS or an ECM system is needed, answer the following questions for yourself:

• can you quickly find the right document while talking on the phone with an important partner?
• will it be possible to say exactly which of the instructions you have issued have not been completed and are overdue at the moment?
• Are you sure that the existing speed of document approval creates a positive image of your organization?
• Are you satisfied with the volume of papers that are on your desk?
• Can you confidently say where the document that was sent for approval is currently located?

Advantages of electronic document management

Transparency of business processes. Thanks to the system, you can track all stages in the activities of the organization. Business processes become absolutely transparent for management, they are easier to control.

Higher performance discipline. According to statistics, 20% of the tasks received are not carried out by the employees responsible for them. With full control of all stages of work, the ECM system directly affects the performance discipline of employees.

Lower labor costs for managers and employees. The system reduces the time employees spend on almost all routine operations with documents: creation, search, approval, etc. Accelerates document flow. And as a result, all processes in the organization go faster.

Information confidentiality is ensured. A data breach can cost an organization millions of dollars. Unlike the traditional "paper" workflow, the ECM system provides access to documents strictly in accordance with the assigned user rights. All actions on the document (reading, modifying, signing) are logged.

Complies with ISO 9000 standards. Setting quality management has now become one of the priority tasks in Russian companies. Among the requirements for the quality management system (QMS) is a transparent document flow, as well as information exchange between employees.

Easily innovate and train newbies. Thanks to the notification system built on the basis of the ECM system, you can quickly bring new work rules to all employees. The training time for new employees is reduced due to the quick search for the necessary information (regulations, instructions, etc.). It is easy to change routes and document templates, after which employees automatically start working in a new way.

Development of corporate culture. The introduction of an ECM system establishes and maintains the internal policy of the company, leads to team building. At the same time, the responsibility of each employee for the qualitative performance of the task given to him is increasing.

More competitive advantages. The ECM system directly affects the company's competitive advantages over other market players. The speed and quality of customer service are increased due to the rapid movement of information flows and precise control of all processes. The work of even the largest enterprise is becoming more mobile and less dependent on some "irreplaceable" employees.

ECM technologies

Enterprise content management can be approached both from the side of practice and theory.

Let's start with the last one. Pay attention to the components of the life cycle, indicated in the canonical definition from the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) glossary:

• capture (Capture),
• management (Manage),
• storage (Store),
• protection (Preserve),
• delivery of information (Deliver).

It is necessary to manage information throughout its entire life cycle: from creation or receipt by the organization, to delivery to the end user or destruction after the expiration of the storage period.

Information permeates all the processes of the organization, it is created and processed in different software and with the help of various applications. But only an ECM system focuses on a unified approach to data management throughout their life.

From a business point of view, the stages in the life cycle of a document are important, which have a direct impact on business processes when it participates in workflows (workflow). But from a technical point of view, they do not carry a pronounced semantic load and are designated by the general term "document management".

Functionality and classification of EDMS and ECM systems

According to the research company Gartner, systems that support at least 3 out of 6 functions can be classified as ECM:

• document management: check-out/check-in, version control, security, document grouping, etc.;
• collaborative work on common documents and support of project teams;
• document scanning and paper document image management;
• records management for long-term archiving, automating retention rules and regulations, ensuring that records comply with laws and regulations;
• workflow for business process support, content routing, assignment of work tasks and states, route tracing and execution control;
• web content management for publishing automation, dynamic content management and user interaction management for these tasks.

You can learn more about this topic in the headings of the "EDMS and ECM functionality" section:

An example of a business process in an ECM system

What not to expect from an ECM system

Currently, complex automation of enterprises is built by integrating several systems, each of which solves a certain range of tasks. Therefore, it is very important to understand what exactly to implement within each system.

Consider the most common business requirements, the implementation of which in the EDMS and ECM system should be reasonable.

HR records management. Despite the fact that it is directly related to documents, the task of this area is not the document flow itself, but accounting and personnel management.

An employee needs various selections by personnel - by education, gender, specialties, date of admission / dismissal, etc., for this information should be stored in a structured form in a database, and not in the form of separate unstructured documents.

The creation of each document should be reflected in a change in the state of personnel, therefore, to automate personnel records management, it is better to use specialized personnel management systems that can be integrated with an ECM system for storing unstructured information (CVs, photographs, personnel orders, etc.). In addition, it is useful to automate the processes of approval of these documents in the ECM system.

Accounting for financial documents.The situation is similar with structured financial documents: invoices, waybills, acts of work performed, etc.

For tax and accounting, which are based on primary documents, specialized accounting systems are designed, as well as specialized modules of the ERP system. The ECM system cannot replace them, although scanning and organizing an electronic archive of scanned images of financial documents are the tasks of the EDMS. The need to implement such solutions usually arises when there are a large number of documents and business process participants who will work with financial documents as with EDMS documents, taking into account access rights, electronic signature, etc.

In addition, it is now possible to exchange financial documents (invoices, contracts, waybills and acts) with counterparties in electronic form. And the storage of such documents in the EDMS will give an additional advantage. .

Analysis and modeling of business processes.

As a rule, systems of the BPM class () are used for the analysis and modeling of processes. These are specialized business analyst tools for an enterprise or external consulting firm. The simulated business processes may contain actions that are not related to documents, performed manually (for example, delivery of documents by courier), external entities (for example, suppliers) or with the support of other classes of systems (ERP, CRM).

Classical EDMS can provide information for the analysis of business processes (for example, in the form of reports on delays in the execution of certain types of tasks). But this is only a small part of the data needed for a full analysis.

It makes sense to integrate EDMS with modeling systems for reference data, for example, types of documents or organizational structure.

Implementation of an ECM system

Implementation effect

Evaluation of the results of an ECM project is no different from an analysis of the effectiveness of an IT project, and the latter - from the evaluation of any company project.

Here, the motive is the maturity of the company's technologies, without which the enterprise simply cannot be considered effective. In other cases, the benefits are almost impossible to calculate, although the need for implementation is beyond doubt. And sometimes the calculation of the effect is more expensive than the technology itself (as, for example, providing employees with unlimited access to the Internet). In all of these cases, the focus is rather on the cost of the project and the potential of the solution, including how easily the implemented system will solve other problems of the company.

EDMS and solutions based on it can not always be attributed to systems, regarding the effect of which everything is clear. Traditional methods of analyzing the effectiveness of the use of assets are not applicable to information, as well as the formula "the ratio of profit to total costs is efficiency." This is due to the fact that information is an intangible asset involved in production together with material and labor resources. The introduction of an ECM system is accompanied by a change in business processes and labor costs. The costs of information systems, including ECM, are in most cases indirect, which can be calculated per unit of output only using some economic planning model. And formalization is often quite difficult.

Stages of implementing an ECM system

The choice and purchase of an ECM system is only the first step towards building an electronic document management system in an organization. Before it starts to work and really starts to bring an effect, there will be an implementation process.

The implementation of an ECM system usually consists of the following steps:

• organization of the project, allocation of personnel (project manager and working group);
• research of the enterprise and design of solutions for the use of the ECM system;
• setting up and adapting the ECM system;
• training;
• trial operation.

In any case, the following rules are mandatory for successful implementation:

• active participation of management in the process of implementation and use of the ECM system;
• allocation and in-depth training of key employees for the implementation and support of software;
• organizing training for all users and providing instructions on how to work with the system.

Problems and risks of implementing an ECM system

In many ways, they coincide with the implementation projects of other information systems and lead to the following negative consequences:

• the deadlines and budget of the project are violated;
• not all goals are achieved (the system works, but not in full: less/worse than planned);
• implementation is completely disrupted (the system does not really work).

Risk specifics due to the fact that most of the employees of the enterprise need to be transferred in a short time to completely new methods of work for them (reading documents in electronic form, receiving resolutions and signatures of management in electronic form, etc.). The most characteristic risks of implementing an ECM system include:

• conservatism of users, rejection of new methods of work;
• low computer literacy of ordinary users and senior management;
• unstructured processes (lack of regulations);
• insufficient/inadequate technical equipment;
• fuzzy project management.

Ways to prevent risks standard:

• detailed and preliminary design of the operation of the ECM system at a given enterprise;
• clear directives and personal example of leadership;
• staff training and operational support in solving problems;
• phased implementation.

Reliability and legality of the electronic document

The field of electronic content management and paperless interaction in companies is now actively developing. The legislation is also changing, some rules are fixed in it after they have settled in life, and some, on the contrary, are introduced after the adoption of new norms at the state level.

Determining the authenticity and legal significance of a paper document is a clear procedure for everyone: the document must have the necessary signatures and seals. But how to determine the authenticity of an electronic document?

Created for this electronic signature (ES)- details of an electronic document designed to protect it from forgery. You can identify the owner of the signature, as well as establish the absence of changes in the electronic document after its signing.

In its simplest form, the EP mechanism works as follows:

• a certification center (subdivision or external organization) is allocated, which, using specialized software, generates so-called “key certificates” for each user;
• an ES key is created - this is a unique sequence of characters. It consists of a private key, which is available only to its owner and they can sign the ES document, and a public key - available to everyone, with its help you can determine who and when signed the electronic document.

When using an ECM system, all the "difficulties" that the user may encounter are hidden. The user, as a rule, should simply select the desired function: “Sign the document” (the document signed by the ES will be closed for changes at the same time) or “Get information about signatures”. The legitimacy of electronic documents is recognized.

parting word

We wish you success in mastering new knowledge, and our materials will always help you with this.

Additional and archival materials

The successful existence of software developers in the market of IT products and services is almost impossible without a developed partner network. Partners help reduce the costs of marketing and sales processes, organize communication between the manufacturer and consumers of software products, provide additional services (including the development of basic software functionality and customer training), and solve the problem of geographic completeness of the business. TAdviser has prepared an overview and rating of affiliate programs of Russian vendors of EDMS / ECM products ().

The Russian EDMS market is changing following changes in business approaches and needs. The focus is not just on the customized movement of documents and user-friendly interfaces, but first of all on the efficiency of processes. The quality of their automation is reflected, among other things, by workflow engines. Workflow allows you to speed up routine processes and repetitive tasks, ultimately increasing productivity and solving both operational and strategic management tasks. You can analyze the current capabilities of Russian electronic document management systems in terms of process automation based on the results of a survey of suppliers conducted by TAdviser.

In the course of the TAdviser study, 12 developers of electronic document management systems were interviewed about the capabilities of the workflow engines they offer (modules responsible for document routing) within the framework of: initiating processes, starting processes, moving along routes and developing routes. The systems were evaluated according to 35 parameters, taking into account the level of implementation of the functionality and the fact of its use by customers ().

The document management system of an enterprise incorporates many specific organizational, structural and production features, corporate settings, corporate standards and requirements, certain procedures for interaction between services and performers, and so on.
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The introduction of electronic document management systems (EDMS) can significantly improve the efficiency and corporate culture of working with documents at enterprises of any form of ownership, as well as in government institutions.
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Basic terminology(GOST R 7.0.8-2013)

• Document - Information recorded on a carrier with details that allow it to be identified
• Electronic Document - A document whose information is presented in electronic form.
• Electronic document management - Document management using an automated information system (electronic document management system).

Today, electronic document management boldly breaks into our lives, today almost all companies use electronic documents, use e-mail, electronic declarations, especially since for VAT taxation the mandatory declarations are established by law. Someone moved on and uses electronic document management systems in everyday life and transferred all reporting and primary documents to electronic form.

The concept of electronic document management and the advantages of electronic document management

Electronic document management is a way of working with documents. Features of electronic document management are that electronic documents signed with an electronic digital signature. Such a document, signed with an EDS, is equal in value to a document on paper.

Electronic document management has its pros and cons.

Table
Pros and cons of electronic document management

Advantages of electronic document management	Disadvantages of electronic document management
The ability to quickly find documents; Availability of a centralized document management structure; Systematized storage of documents in electronic archive; Simplicity in registration and coordination of documents; The ability to sign and send documents via electronic communication channels, which saves time; Possibility of drawing up similar documents; Conducting an electronic audit	The need to purchase an electronic digital signature; Impossibility of use if the counterparty does not use electronic document management; Additional costs for electronic document management; Lack of unified document flow formats; Distrust of some users to electronic documents

At the same time, electronic document management is developing more and more. And there are prerequisites for this.

Firstly, electronic document management is provided for in tax legislation. For example, when reporting on insurance premiums or personal income tax, it must be submitted electronically if the company has more than 25 people. Electronic reporting must be submitted electronically. In addition, explanations, if the reporting is submitted electronically, in 2017 will also need to be given in the form of an electronic document.

Secondly, electronic document management is accepted in accounting. According to Law No. 402-FZ "On Accounting", the primary accounting document is compiled on paper and (or) in the form of an electronic document signed with an electronic signature.
Thirdly, in 2017, electronic document management will be further developed in legal proceedings. Thus, many are accustomed to the fact that court decisions are published electronically on the Internet. According to Article 4 of the Arbitration Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, a statement of claim, statement, complaint, presentation and other documents may be filed with the court on paper or in electronic form, including in the form of an electronic document signed with an electronic signature in the manner established by the legislation of the Russian Federation, by filling out form posted on the official website of the court in the information and telecommunications network "Internet". Similar provisions are established in the part of the civil process.

Fourthly, electronic technologies have firmly entered our lives in terms of the use of electronic document management in tender documentation, conducting electronic auctions. According to the article of the Federal Law of 05.04.2013 No. 44-FZ (as amended on 03.07.2016) “On the contract system in the field of procurement of goods, works, services to meet state and municipal needs”, an auction in electronic form (electronic auction) means an auction , in which information about the procurement is communicated by the customer to an unlimited circle of persons by placing a notice of such an auction and documentation about it in a single information system, uniform requirements and additional requirements are imposed on the participants in the procurement, such an auction is provided on the electronic site by its operator.

The fifth reason is related to the fact that today many companies operate in different regions, with different cities, therefore, in order to organize an effective business, it is necessary to speed up the document flow and simplify the relationship between the parties. In this regard, intuitively, many companies introduce electronic document management.

How to introduce electronic document management?

At the first stage, it is necessary to make a fundamental decision on the introduction of electronic document management. Such a decision is issued by order of the enterprise. Some companies develop special local acts that regulate document flow and coordination of documents within the company, such features include the coordination of documents between departments, control, signing by management and storage of archival documents.

At the second stage, you need to choose which signature the company will use when processing documents.

A simple electronic signature is an electronic signature that, through the use of codes, passwords or other means, confirms the fact of the formation of an electronic signature by a certain person.

Unqualified electronic signature is an electronic signature that:

1. obtained as a result of cryptographic transformation of information using an electronic signature key;
2. allows you to identify the person who signed the electronic document;
3. allows you to detect the fact of making changes to an electronic document after the moment of its signing;
4. created using electronic signature tools.

Qualified electronic signature is an electronic signature that meets all the features of an unqualified electronic signature and the following additional features:

1. the electronic signature verification key is specified in the qualified certificate;
2. to create and verify an electronic signature, electronic signature means are used that have confirmation of compliance with the requirements (Article 5 Federal Law of 04/06/2011 No. For security purposes, it is the enhanced qualified signature.

The third step will be the selection of a special certification authority. to choose a company specializing in electronic document management, it is important to evaluate the convenience of working with a particular company. It is important to establish the cost of the services provided, the possibility of additional functions, as well as services for electronic document management, it is also important to establish what responsibility the certification center company bears in case of technical failures and problems in document management.

At the fourth stage, it is necessary to provide documents for the conclusion of the contract.

The fifth stage is the conclusion of an agreement with a certification center. According to Article 2 of the Federal Law of April 6, 2011 No. 63-FZ (as amended on December 30, 2015) “On Electronic Signature”, a certification center is a legal entity, an individual entrepreneur or a state body or local government body that performs the functions of creating and issuing key certificates verification of electronic signatures, as well as other functions.

The sixth stage is the introduction of electronic document management in the company, the organization of a specific exchange of electronic documents. Invoices are drawn up in electronic form by mutual agreement of the parties to the transaction and if they have compatible technical means and capabilities for receiving and processing these invoices in accordance with the approved format.

What should the agreement with the certification center contain?

When concluding an agreement with a certification center, it is necessary to pay attention to the legal status of the certification center. Accreditation of a certification center is carried out on the condition, in particular, that it fulfills the requirements for the availability of financial security for liability for losses caused to third parties as a result of their trust in the information specified in the certificate of the electronic signature verification key issued by such a certification center, or the information contained in the register of certificates , which maintains such a certification center, in the amount of at least 1.5 million rubles.

When concluding an agreement with a certification center, it is important to pay attention to the subject of the agreement. According to Article 432 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, these are the conditions that are mandatory for contracts of this type. The contract is considered concluded if the parties, in the form required in the relevant cases, have reached an agreement on all the essential terms of the contract. That is, it is important to prescribe the subject of the contract as clearly as possible.

The subject of the agreement follows from the law "On Electronic Signature".

Verification Center:

1. creates certificates of electronic signature verification keys and issues such certificates;
2. establishes the validity periods of certificates of electronic signature verification keys;
3. revokes the certificates of electronic signature verification keys issued by this certification authority;
4. issues, at the request of the applicant, means of electronic signature;
5. maintains a register of certificates issued and canceled by this certification center for verification of electronic signatures;
6. establishes the procedure for maintaining the register of certificates;
7. creates, at the request of applicants, keys for electronic signatures and keys for verifying electronic signatures;
8. checks the uniqueness of the keys for verifying electronic signatures in the certificate registry;
9. checks electronic signatures at the request of participants in electronic interaction;
10. carries out other activities related to the use of an electronic signature.

The responsibility of the certification center comes in the following cases:

1. non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of obligations arising from the contract for the provision of services by the certification center;
2. failure to perform or improper performance of duties (clause 3 of Article 13 of the Federal Law of 04/06/2011 No. 63-FZ (as amended on 12/30/2015) "On Electronic Signature").

Insurance may be provided as additional terms of the agreement with the certification center.

How to organize electronic document management within the company?

Inside the company, electronic document management should be organized like clockwork. After all, it is important that electronic document management involves scanning documents, signing with an electronic digital signature. And this means that a specialist is needed who is responsible for electronic scanned copies, and special software must be installed at the workplaces of managers, allowing them to sign documents.

Drawing up, execution and approval of draft electronic documents is carried out according to the general rules of office work established for similar documents on paper. An electronic document must have all the details set for a similar document on paper, with the exception of a seal, since a seal is not a mandatory attribute. Within the company, methods can be used to confirm actions with electronic documents in which an electronic digital signature is not used. For example, without an electronic digital signature, documents can be put under control.

If you want to organize document flow with your counterparties, then you need to include the relevant provisions in the contract with the counterparty.

Documents are generated and signed electronically. The means of electronic digital signature used must be certified in accordance with the established procedure.

The easiest way is to organize electronic document management with authorities, for example, with the tax service. for this, it is also necessary to obtain an electronic signature and conclude an agreement with a certification center. Most often, taxpayers submit declarations, explanations, and invoices to the tax authority. As a "feedback" documents are formed by the tax in accordance with the Order of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated April 15, 2015 No. ММВ-7-2 / [email protected]“On approval of the Procedure for sending documents used by tax authorities in the exercise of their powers in relations regulated by legislation on taxes and fees, in electronic form via telecommunication channels and on recognizing as invalid certain provisions of the order of the Federal Tax Service dated February 17, 2011 No. ММВ-7 -2 / [email protected]».

These documents include:

1. clarification requirements;
2. notices of controlled foreign companies;
3. notifications about the call of the taxpayer (payer of the fee, tax agent);
4. tax notice;
5. decisions to suspend operations on the accounts of the taxpayer (payer of the fee, tax agent) in the bank and transfers of his electronic money;
6. decisions to cancel the suspension of operations on the accounts of the taxpayer (fee payer, tax agent) in the bank and transfers of his electronic money;
7. decision to conduct an on-site tax audit;
8. other documents.

Thus, if we talk about intra-company electronic documents, then their circulation will be regulated by internal local acts, if we talk about relationships with counterparties, then such relationships are regulated by the parties, and if the document flow is organized with authorities, then the authorities will act in accordance with the procedure for electronic document flow, adopted for a particular company.

How to organize the storage of electronic documents?

The main regulatory act governing the storage of electronic documents is the Rules for organizing the storage, acquisition, accounting and use of documents from the archival fund of the Russian Federation and other archival documents in state authorities, local governments and organizations (approved by Order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation dated March 31, 2015 No. 526, hereinafter - the Rules). For the first time, this document establishes the rules for storing electronic documents.

How should documents be stored?

Firstly, it is necessary to prepare a nomenclature of affairs of a particular organization. The nomenclature of cases will vary depending on the company, field of activity.

The nomenclature of cases is used to group executed documents into cases, systematize and record cases, determine their storage periods and search for documents. The nomenclature of cases is the basis for compiling inventories of cases of permanent and temporary (over 10 years) storage, as well as for recording cases of temporary (up to 10 years inclusive) storage.

Secondly, it is necessary to form cases. To do this, it is necessary to conduct an examination of the value of documents that will be stored in electronic form. Please note that there are certain time limits for the storage of certain documents. For example, accounting documents are kept for 5 years, and tax documents for 4 years.

Thirdly, it is necessary to put a mark that the data is stored in electronic form in the nomenclature of cases. For example, “Timesheets. Electronic Documents.

Fourth, you need to archive the documents.

Before placing an electronic file for storage, it must:
- unload from the electronic system (if the document is created in any special software product);
- protect against possible changes by saving in a suitable format;
- write to a storage medium.

The generally accepted format for storing and archiving electronic documents is PDF/A. It should be distinguished from the usual PDF, with each update of which new possibilities for working with files appear. PDF/A is meant for something else: it is a format for long-term archival storage of electronic documents.

Fifth step is to write descriptions. The inventory includes all electronic files that have been generated in relation to electronic documents. However, instead of the number of sheets, which is indicated when forming cases on paper, the volume of electronic documents is indicated.

The description format might look like this:

Name of the position of the head structural unit
	Signature	Decryption
Signature date
AGREED Job title head of the DOE service
	Signature	Decryption
Signature date
Archive manager (person in charge of the archive)
	Signature	Decryption
Signature date

In general, it is much more convenient to store documents in electronic form, because there is no need to search through a whole room of paper documents when searching for documents. It is also easier to provide documents in electronic form at the request of the tax, the Pension Fund, as well as other inspectors.

In some cases it is necessary to destroy the documents. For example, service notes were stored for a long time, the storage period has expired and it is necessary to destroy them. In this case, an examination of the value of documents is carried out. Such an examination can be carried out by a special commission. Based on the results of the examination, an act is issued on the allocation of documents for destruction. The form of such an act is developed by the company independently. And on the basis of the act, disks or other storage media are simply destroyed.

In conclusion, it should be noted that, of course, the future belongs to electronic documents. However, it is important to properly organize electronic document management. Many companies are faced with the problems of improper organization of document management, when only one workplace in a department or even a department is connected to electronic document management, when most of the documents are still kept on paper. Therefore, all issues regarding electronic document management need to be resolved "on the bank" at the stage of system implementation.