11.1 Document management and PDM

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11.1 Document management and PDM

Many functions of a DMS are the same, or are very similar to, those of PDM; data storage, CM, and workflow support are parts of both domains. On the other hand, a DMS includes some functions that are only marginally included in PDM or are entirely absent. Document conversion and, in general, different techniques for importing documents of different format or from other media are specific functions of a DMS. Similarly, archiving (long-term storage) of documents is a function characteristic of document management, which is hardly present in PDM. In recent years, we have witnessed that the term document management is often replaced by the term content management. However, these terms are not equivalent. The meaning of document management is slightly different from that of content management. Content management considers in the first place, information (i.e., content itself) and its organization. Many tools include only content management, and many DMSs do not include all of the functionality of content management. However, in general, content management is an integral part of document management. Figure 11.1 shows the overlap of PDM and DMS. There is less overlap between SCM and document management. The document management functions present in both PDM and SCM (e.g., CM and version management) are much more similar to PDM functions than SCM functions. In many PDM tools, document management is its integral part, as described in Section 2.5.2. Several suppliers of PDM have integrated a DMS with their PDM tools. All this makes the boundary between PDM and document management indistinct.

Figure 11.1: The overlap of DMS and PDM functions.

Enterprises, the core business of which is information delivery, are by definition in need of a document management tool that keeps effective their internal processes and facilitates the flow of information to customers. If using a DMS, such enterprises have no need for PDM or SCM tools. It may be asked if companies already using a PDM or SCM tool need additional support for document management or if the functions already available are sufficient? The answer to this is that it depends on the intensity of the documentation and information management and the type of documentation handled. A DMS focuses on the life cycle of a document, which is not necessarily the same as a PLC.