The dematerialization market is evolving thanks to various growth drivers linked to the digital revolution and regulatory obligations. According to Xerfi, this sector should reach sales of around 9.5 billion euros in France by 2024, with a forecast annual increase of 5.3%.

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This study bears witness to the growing interest companies are showing in the digital management of their content and documents. Today, many companies are moving away from paper formats to electronic solutions, including document management systems such as EDM and EAS.

Like many professionals, you don't know the difference between Electronic Document Management (EDM) and Electronic Document Archiving (EDA)? To help you make informed choices for your company, Docloop reveals the main differences between these two concepts.

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Electronic document management (EDM) is often mistakenly perceived as a simple process for storing documents. Much more than a digital processing, backup and archiving tool, an EDM solution helps optimize a company's Business Process Management (BPM).

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What is Electronic Document Management (EDM)?

Electronic document management, or EDM, is a software package for processing all types of documents, from receipt to archiving. These may be in paper or digital format, such as :

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• Business documents
• Supplier invoices
• Pay slips
• Expense reports
• Employment contracts
• Customer contracts
• Mail, etc.

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Why use a corporate EDM system?

Integrating an EDM system into your company facilitates the exchange of data between your employees. 

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In addition to saving time, this archiving solution offers other interesting advantages, including :

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• Lower invoicing management costs : the average cost of manual invoicing is between €9 and €15. With an EDM, you can save up to 60% by invoicing electronically.
• Respect for corporate social responsibility (CSR ): the use of dematerialized documents promotes a paperless policy, reducing the company's environmental impact. Less printing means less paper use, fewer trees cut down, less pollution and better CSR compliance.

Automating business processes: EDM helps to increase efficiency by automating and dematerializing a number of processes (processing expense claims, electronically signing legal and tax documents, etc.).

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Often confused with EDM, the electronic archiving system offers digitization, storage and archiving solutions in a single, secure space. But what is the difference between AES and DMS?

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What is a Electronic Archiving  System (EAS)?

The electronic archiving system is content management software, just like the EDM, except that it confers probative value on dematerialized documents. The aim of the SAE is to preserve corporate documents and secure access to them in compliance with the NF Z 42-013 archiving standard.

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By implementing various processes such as digital certificates, time stamping and electronic signatures, the EAS fulfills four objectives:

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• Traceability
• Integrity
• Durability
• Document security

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What's the point of integrating an EAS into a company?

There are several advantages to adopting an electronic document management system, including reduce paper-related costs and more secure electronic documents.

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Unlike an EDM, this document management tool authenticates your digitized archives, reinforcing their credibility in the eyes of the authorities and the law. This reduces legal risks in the event of litigation or a tax audit. 

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OCR, ECM, SGC, CMR... these acronyms may hold no mystery for you, but do you know what the difference is between EDM and EAS? 

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Comparison of EDM and EAS

Although both solutions can manage digital documents, they differ in several respects, as shown in the following table:

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EDM and EAS fulfill distinct roles throughout the lifecycle of digitized documents. While the former provides for the storage of current documents, including their modification and sharing, the latter guarantees their long-term legal preservation. With EAS, electronic archives can be consulted, not deleted.

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What are the main EDM functions?

EDM is an effective solution for optimizing a company's operational processes. It frees up employees to spend 50% of their time searching for documents, allowing them to concentrate on more important tasks.

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EDM features include :

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• Receive documents: scan or import.
• Indexing with OCR (optical character recognition) systems.
• Data storage, archiving and security.
• Search and consult documents.
• Distribution: e-mailing, sharing.
• Document management: electronic signature, invoice processing, etc.

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What about EAS functionalities?

The SAE is considered a digital safe with multiple functionalities:

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• Archive transfer: the SAE solution enables documents to be imported for digitization, while ensuring their legibility and integrity. 
• Document backup: the electronic archiving system ensures that documents are stored reliably and securely.
• Information consultation: any employee with access to the system can consult digitized company documents at any time.

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The integration of documents into the SAE complies with the archiving rules and legal provisions in force. No modification or deletion is possible once documents have been archived.

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Electronic document management and electronic archiving are distinct but complementary management solutions. They are not interchangeable, as they respond to different needs and objectives.

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In concrete terms, EDM aims to simplify internal document management and collaboration within the company. The EAS, on the other hand, focuses on standardizing and securing document storage.

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To choose the most appropriate solution, ask yourself the right questions, taking into account your company's needs. At Docloop, we offer a range of tools for automating your business processes. 

Need a data extraction or translation solution for your entire logistics operation? Schedule a demo with Docloop and benefit from 100% European tailor-made support.

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