--- title: "What is a DMS? Document Management System simply explained" description: "A DMS is software that captures documents, automatically indexes them, makes them searchable and archives them in an orderly way. Definition, functions, benefits." type: "wissen" product: "documents" slug: "dms-was-ist-das" source_language: "de" target_languages: ["de", "en", "es", "pl", "tr"] published: "2026-06-10" status: "publish" faq_json: [{"q":"What is a DMS?","a":"A document management system is software that centrally captures documents, automatically indexes them, makes them searchable and archives them in an orderly way – from arrival to compliant retention."}, {"q":"What distinguishes a DMS from a file server or cloud storage?","a":"A file server stores files but knows nothing about their content. A DMS reads and classifies documents, makes them findable via content and regulates retention."}, {"q":"What functions does a DMS typically have?","a":"Capture through several channels (scanner, email, upload), automatic text recognition and classification, full-text search and filters, workspace and audit-oriented archive."}, {"q":"Who is a DMS worth it for?","a":"For every company in which records arrive through several channels and need to be found again – from the sole proprietorship to mid-sized businesses."}, {"q":"What does a DMS cost?","a":"Depending on the model: licenses per user, flat rates or Pay per Use. Usage-based works without base costs, for example from 0.09 euros per processed document."}] language: "en" source_id: "wissen/dms-was-ist-das" source_hash: "7de243bc76027368fa8a6aa69a4958b6d7944603fb06dc9078c70cf84e6cf126" --- A DMS (Document Management System) is software that centrally captures a company's documents, automatically indexes them, makes them searchable and archives them in an orderly way. It accompanies the entire lifecycle of a document – from arrival via scanner, email or upload, through processing, to compliant, tamper-proof retention. The key difference from a file server: a DMS knows the content of its documents. ## DMS vs. file storage: the decisive difference A folder – whether on the server or in cloud storage – stores files. It doesn't know what's inside them. A DMS, by contrast, processes every document upon arrival: it reads the text, recognizes the document type (invoice, contract, letter), extracts attributes such as date and amount and makes everything searchable. "Scan_0047.pdf in some folder" becomes "Invoice from the carpentry shop dated 12 March for €1,840" – findable in seconds. ## The four core functions of a DMS 1. **Capture:** Documents enter the system through several channels – browser upload, scanner connection (e.g. WebDAV), SFTP/FTPS for batches, email import for mailboxes. 2. **Indexing:** Text recognition, classification and extraction of attributes run automatically; manual tagging is largely eliminated. 3. **Search:** You find documents via content, document type, time periods and amounts – not just via file names. 4. **Archiving:** Completed documents move into long-term retention; for tax-relevant records, tamper-proof over the statutory periods (keyword GoBD). Many systems supplement this with workflows – for example, that a deadline recognized in the document is automatically prepared as a task. ## What companies use a DMS for - **Incoming invoices:** automatically import from the mailbox, check, archive - **Contracts:** store centrally, keep an eye on deadlines - **Paper mail:** scan upon opening, process further digitally - **Records:** deliver quickly when customers, tax advisors or the tax office have queries The common denominator: less search time, no lost records, audit-proof retention. ## What a modern DMS looks like in practice [webRichtung documents](https://www.webrichtung.de/module/documents/) shows the current state of the art: you upload – via browser, scanner, WebDAV, SFTP or email import – and the platform reads, classifies and makes every document searchable. The collection is divided into a workspace (active documents) and an archive (long-term retention in the GoBD archive with Object Lock for 6, 8 or 10 years). Billing is usage-based from €0.09 per document (€0.06 in batch), account and user cost €0. You can find more details in the [documentation](https://docs.webrichtung.de/documents/). ## Clarifying the terms: DMS, archive, ECM The terms are often mixed up. An **archive system** retains documents in a tamper-proof way – that is a partial function. **ECM** (Enterprise Content Management) refers to comprehensive corporate suites with workflow designers and lengthy implementation projects. A **DMS** lies in between: the practical toolbox for capture, search and archiving in day-to-day operations. For most small and medium-sized companies, exactly this middle level is the right one – the main thing being that the archive meets the GoBD requirements. ## Is a DMS worth it for you? A simple rule of thumb: if you regularly search for records that should be "somewhere," or if invoices arrive scattered across several mailboxes and storage locations, the threshold has been reached. The article [Document management for small businesses](/de/wissen/dokumentenmanagement-kleine-unternehmen.html) describes how to get started without a major project.