Work flow and electronic document management

Abstract Work Flow and Electronic Document Management Systems [EDMS] are specified in this paper. Correctly conceived, they provide the solution to many of the problems that plague today's manufacturing information systems. Correctly implemented, they empower workgroups to act autonomously but in concert with overall corporate expectations. Company goals, organizational infrastructures, approaches to resolving problems, and appropriate technology are proposed to frame the environment supported by an EDMS with Work Flow. A document view is adopted because they relate people to processes and provide a viable framework for the definition an EDMS and Work Flow.