Computer Support for Document Management in the Danish Central Government

Document management systems are generally assumed to hold a potential for delegating the recording and retrieval of documents to professionals such as civil servants and for supporting the coordination and control of work, so-called workflow management. This study investigates the use and organizational impact of document management systems in the Danish central government. The currently used systems unfold around the recording of incoming and outgoing paper mail and have typically not been accompanied by organizationa l changes. Rather, document management tends to remain an appendix to the primary work and be delegated to a specialized organizational unit. Several factors contribute to the present document management practices, for example it takes an extraordinary effort to achieve the benefits, and few institutions are forced to pursue them. Furthermo re, document and workflow management is applied most extensively in an institution with certain mass production characteristics, and the systems do not address needs specific to the civil servants.

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