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Document management
Document management is the control of the life cycle of an organisation's documents: how they are created, where they are stored, under what name, who can consult them, when they expire and how they are retrieved when needed. It covers internal documents (quotes, invoices, delivery notes, contracts) as well as third-party documentation (suppliers, contractors, candidates, insurers).
Why I consider it important
A document that cannot be found is the same as a document that does not exist. In administration, document management is what makes it possible to answer an audit, a complaint or an internal query without rebuilding the case from scratch. It is also the basis of traceability: if every step of the process leaves a document in the agreed place, a case's history reads itself. And in regulated settings — healthcare, contractor coordination, data protection — it is a legal obligation, not a preference.
How I apply it
I apply three rules: one single place per document type, a naming convention anyone can work out, and controlled expiry dates for documentation that has them. I prefer systems with version history over uncontrolled shared folders.
Concrete examples
Dicom Events2008–2014
managing supplier and contractor documentation in CTAIMA for contractor coordination (CAE): registering each supplier, tracking mandatory documents and checking expiry dates before each event build.
UOC2021–2023
collecting and filing the documentation of the hiring round's finalists — degrees, contracting data, declarations — on the university platform, with a common naming convention for all 250 applications.
INDIBA2023–present
every technical service case has its incident report, quote, customer approval, invoice and shipping note attached, all reachable from the case record in Dynamics 365.
Clínica Dermik2015–2021
filing quotes, insurer authorisations and consent forms in SALUS, linked to each patient's record.
Tools I use for it
Related skills
Frequently asked questions
What is a document management system?
A program or method that sets where each document is stored, under what name, who has access and which version is current. It can be a dedicated tool (CTAIMA, Kimobox) or an agreed structure in Google Drive or SharePoint.
What is CAE documentation and why must it be controlled?
Contractor coordination (CAE, in Spanish regulation) requires checking that external companies and workers entering a workplace have their risk-prevention, insurance and training documents in order. If a document expires, access must not be authorised.
Is document management the same as filing?
Filing is one part of it. Document management also includes deciding what is kept, for how long, who can see it and how it is retrieved, and applying that rule consistently.