Electronic Document Management (EDM) is the process of systematically organizing, storing, accessing, and sharing electronic files and documents within an organization. The process involves using software and applications to manage electronic documents throughout their lifecycle, including the creation, distribution, and archival stages. The tools also provide additional features, including a centralized repository, version control, access rights management, live tracking, and metadata management. EDM enables organizations to improve efficiency, reduce paper usage, and easily retrieve and enhance collaboration and security around electronic documents.
This can be compared to how one manages physical documents. They are stored in files and folders, which are labeled. EDM does the same for electronic documents. It converts physical documents to electronic documents using scanning and data extraction, assigns specific metadata (data about documents) to them, and stores them in a repository similar to the ones we use on our computers/laptops.