Top 10 Requirements For A File Management System

This is a summary of http://www.intrack.com/intranet/10_requirements.cfm
This document reviews file management systems as a separate class of applications but I think it is more relevant for evaluating small scale electronic records management and document management systems. For these types of systems the key features for building a sustainable system will be the selection and application of metadata, in coordination with strong indexing for accurate retrieval. Although folder structure is important for network drive file management, the fact that a file can only exist in one location at a time is a severely limiting factor for effective search and retrieval.

1. Version Control - ability to maintain multiple versions of files and an audit trail of changes.
2. Metadata - ability to create and store metadata about files.
3. Security - ability to set security by users/groups and folder/files with varying security permissions.
4. Check In - Check Out - ability in coordination with version control facility to lock and control the viewing and editing of files.
5. Search and Indexing - ability to automate indexing and facilitate fast, accurate search and retrieval.
6. File Interdependencies and Groupings - ability to create linkages between related files such as embedded spreadsheets in wordprocessed files.
7. Interface - ability to direct the user through a simple, intuitive user interface built upon common technical conventions such as a web browser.
8. Folder Structure - ability to create heirarchical folders and subfolder storage structures for grouping files.
9. File Type Support - ability to contol different standard file types such as Word, Access, Excel, Text, JPEG and HTML.
10. File Retention Management - ability to set expiration dates for automated file review, archival and deletion.