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ECM Elise
Dive into the world of Elise and discover how our cloud-based ECM is revolutionizing information management.
Our glossary
Check out our glossary for the main terms used in electronic document management (EDM), with context-based explanations.
Unlock the meaning of key concepts with our comprehensive glossary.
Archivage électronique
Digitization
Retention period
ECM
EDM
Electronic invoice
IDMS
Workflow management
Reliable Audit Trail
Business process
Optical character recognition
CRM / URM
Workflow
Accessibility
Electronic signature
ERM
ERL
Capture
Registration
LAD / RAD
Automation tool
Indexing
Digital archiving
What is it?
Electronic archiving and document classification help businesses structure and manage their documents for fast and efficient access.
Archiving involves storing documents that are no longer actively used but must be retained.
Classification is the structured organization of documents—placing each one in its proper, predefined location.
It’s important to distinguish classification from storage:
Classification refers to the logical, intellectual organization of documents based on clear criteria.
Storage is the physical or digital placement of documents in containers or systems.
Both archiving and classification are governed by regulations. Not all documents have the same legal retention periods—these depend on the document type and its purpose.
Why does it matter?
Effective archiving and classification allow for quick and reliable document retrieval. To be efficient, the classification system must align with the company’s internal logic and processes, and it should be flexible enough to evolve over time.
Properly managed documents lead to significant productivity gains and improved compliance for the organization.
How is it done?
The Elise EDM system automates the classification and organization of documents and emails. By leveraging metadata, Elise creates connections between related documents while ensuring full compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
Digitization
What is it?
Digitization, also called dematerialization, is the process of converting paper documents and information into electronic files. It often means scanning paper originals to create an exact digital copy.
Any type of document in a company can be digitized, whether it comes from inside or outside the organization (like payslips, invoices, or internal reports).
But digitization isn’t just about creating digital copies. It also means transforming all paper-based document flows and their processing into digital workflows and automated operations. In short, it’s about automating business processes.
Digitization involves four key steps:
Creating digital documents
Managing them efficiently
Distributing or sharing them
Storing and preserving them securely
Why digitize?
Digitization makes managing archived data, documents, and content much easier. It speeds up access to files and makes sharing seamless.
For businesses, the benefits include lower costs and faster processing times. Plus, digitization strengthens data security and protection. It also helps reduce the environmental impact by supporting a “paperless” approach.
How does it work?
DocFactory, a multi-location document platform, brings together all your documents, no matter where they come from, into a single centralized system.
Retention period
What is it?
Every document created or received by an organization must be kept for a defined period of time. These retention periods are set by law and vary depending on the type of document.
Why does it matter?
If an organization fails to keep documents for the legally required duration, it can face penalties or fines. Authorities may conduct audits to ensure compliance.
That said, companies are free to store documents longer than required, unless personal data is involved—in which case strict data protection rules apply.
How is it managed?
With a solution like Elise ECM, retention periods can be managed automatically using a records schedule. Based on the document type, the system can assign a retention deadline and determine what should happen next—whether the file should be archived, deleted, or closed—all without manual input.
ECM
What is it?
Enterprise Content Management (ECM), encompasses the practices, rules, methods, and tools that help organizations manage all their business-related information electronically.
It also includes tools that support document management and collaborative content creation, such as workflows, version control, and transaction management.
Why is it important?
ECM is an essential tool for efficiently managing your content and all its versions. It’s flexible and scalable, designed to maximize the use and value of your information.
ECM impacts every department and business area within an organization, helping to leverage information to improve and streamline business processes.
By managing both structured and unstructured data—from applications, documents, and communications—ECM connects all this information within a powerful software platform. It controls where documents are stored, who can access them, and manages their full lifecycle from creation to destruction.
How does it work?
Solutions like Elise ECM handle document flows from multiple channels and integrate easily with internal systems like ERPs, business apps, and other IT infrastructure.
EDM
What is it?
EDM stands for Electronic Document Management. It’s a process that uses specialized software to simplify and automate the capture, organization, filing, and archiving of both incoming and outgoing documents. The entire document lifecycle is tracked, with any changes automatically updated to ensure traceability and reduce the risk of loss. EDM involves four key steps:
- Acquiring documents
- Organizing documents
- Storing documents
- Sharing documents
Why use it?
EDM ensures that documents can be accessed anytime and simultaneously by everyone in the organization. Documents are securely stored in a single platform, making all relevant information available to all employees.
By organizing documents effectively, EDM supports teamwork by giving users easier access to the company’s knowledge and document repositories.
How does it work?
Not all EDM systems are created equal. Solutions like Elise EDM offer extra features such as mobile access, electronic signatures, and email integration. With a comprehensive EDM system like Elise, information is centralized, organized, secured, and controlled—allowing real-time oversight across all departments of your organization.
Electronic Invoice
What is it?
An electronic invoice is a bill issued and received in a digital format. It must meet three key requirements:
Authenticity of origin: confirming who issued the invoice.
Integrity of content: ensuring the invoice is tamper-proof, with any attempts to alter it being detectable.
Readability: the invoice must be understandable by both users and regulatory authorities.
These requirements apply from the moment the invoice is issued until the end of its legal retention period.
Why use electronic invoicing?
Electronic invoicing brings notable advantages, including saving time and reducing costs. By cutting down on paper and speeding up processing and delivery, businesses benefit from lower expenses.
The quicker transmission times also lead to better productivity. Additionally, employees no longer have to manage the administrative burden that paper invoices create, allowing them to focus more on their main tasks.
How is it handled?
Electronic invoices can be fully managed within ECM systems like Elise, which track them throughout their entire lifecycle.
For public sector organizations, electronic invoices must be processed through the Chorus Pro portal, which tracks invoice progress and payment status. ECM solutions like Elise, equipped with the Chorus connector, make handling these invoices seamless and efficient.
IDMS
Less and less common today, this acronym stands for Integrated Document Management System. It emerged alongside the rise of the internet and the need to manage both digitized and natively electronic documents. Nowadays, the term EDM (Electronic Document Management) is generally preferred.
Workflow management
What is it?
Workflow management involves defining, creating, and overseeing workflows to streamline and improve business processes. This can be achieved either manually through software features or by using dedicated workflow management systems.
Some workflow tools also handle the dependencies between individual steps, a concept known as workflow orchestration.
Why use it?
Workflow management enhances approval cycles by assigning tasks to the appropriate team members. It ensures workflows remain operational and compliant over time.
This leads to more efficient employee workflows and increased overall productivity.
How does it work?
There are two main types of workflows:
Fixed workflows that consistently follow the same approval steps. For example, the workflow for invoices is automatically triggered once the document is entered.
Flexible workflows which can be modified in real time. Users can add or remove steps in the approval process without admin rights, allowing for the management of complex cases and exceptions.
With workflow management solutions like those in Elise GED, you can automate, monitor, and optimize your document flows using flexible workflows.
Reliable audit trail
What is it?
A reliable audit trail means setting up ongoing checks at every step of processing an electronic invoice. This ensures a clear link between the invoice received, the business transaction carried out, and the payment made. All documents forming the audit trail must be kept for six years, regardless of their original format.
Why is it necessary?
The reliable audit trail is one of the main ways to secure invoices. It provides the necessary documentary evidence to confirm the legitimacy of an invoice.
How does it work?
With Elise GED, the person responsible for verifying an invoice’s validity can access all related documents in one place. Using SmartLink, connections between documents are automatically generated and organized into the appropriate folders.
Business Process
What is it?
A business process refers to an activity or series of activities designed to complete a task, deliver a project, or achieve a specific objective. It ensures full traceability of all operations. Compliance with regulations like GDPR and maintaining a reliable audit trail are integral parts of the process.
Business Process Management (BPM) involves using workflows and procedures to guarantee that business processes are executed correctly. It represents a collaborative effort between business departments and IT to develop efficient, logical workflows.
Why is it important?
Business processes generate value by enhancing company performance, boosting productivity, improving staff efficiency, and elevating the quality of customer service.
Multichannel business processes can be integrated with business applications, thereby streamlining employees’ work.
How does it work?
The BPM solution Elise offers a mix of automated and flexible workflows that handle exceptions and complex cases, providing adaptability to the company’s internal processes. It also integrates with various business applications to support seamless operations.
Optical Character Recognition
What is it?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR), is a technology that transforms images of printed, typed, or handwritten text into editable and searchable digital data. Typically integrated into software, OCR analyzes image files (such as PDFs, JPEGs, PNGs) and converts the text within them into formats like Microsoft Word or Excel, enabling users to modify and manipulate the content.
OCR systems are capable of recognizing a variety of fonts and printed characters.
Why use it?
OCR software significantly reduces the time needed to process documents by automating text extraction. It eliminates the need to manually re-enter handwritten or printed text, allowing for quick and easy conversion. OCR tools are user-friendly and facilitate fast digitization of documents.
Once a document is OCR-processed, users can search for specific words and extract relevant information as metadata.
CRM / URM
Citizen Relationship Management (CRM), also known as User Relationship Management (URM), refers to the set of tools and processes used by local governments to efficiently handle citizen inquiries, requests, and services. Its primary goal is to enhance communication between citizens and public administrations, ensuring more responsive and higher-quality public services.
CRM places the citizen at the heart of the process, using digital platforms to make interactions smoother, faster, and more transparent.
Solutions like illico by NeoLedge help municipalities improve citizen engagement by enabling seamless collaboration across departments. Whether it’s going fully paperless with mail management, digitizing city-wide administrative processes, or offering a 360° view of citizen interactions, illico empowers cities—large and small—to operate more efficiently and provide better public service.
Workflow
What is it?
A workflow is a defined sequence of steps, tasks, or actions designed to complete a process from start to finish. Each step often depends on the completion of the previous one, especially in sequential workflows. Many Document Management (DMS) and Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems offer built-in or customizable workflows to help teams complete tasks more efficiently, accurately, and with fewer manual steps.
Workflows formalize how tasks move through a process, following conditions or rules established by users. This ensures consistency and clarity in execution.
Why use it?
Workflows help accelerate task processing by automating repetitive actions and supporting collaboration. They reduce manual workload, cut operational costs, and improve productivity. As a decision-making and monitoring tool, workflows simplify document approval and information sharing by making processes faster and more reliable.
Accessibility
Accessibility means ensuring that users can access documents and information easily, quickly, and securely.
In France, the RGAA (General Accessibility Improvement Framework) defines the standards for making digital services—both public and private—accessible to all. Based on international guidelines like WCAG 2.1, RGAA also includes specific criteria adapted to the French context.
To support inclusive access, the Elise platform is developed in full alignment with RGAA standards.
Electronic signature
An electronic signature is a secure way to confirm a person’s identity and protect the integrity of a digital document. When used in line with regulations (such as RGS in France or the eIDAS regulation across Europe) it carries the same legal value as a handwritten signature.
ERM
Electronic registered mail (ERM) is the digital version of traditional registered mail. It offers full traceability and legal proof of both the sending and the receipt of content by the recipient. It’s commonly used when legal requirements don’t demand a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt (AR).
ERL
The Electronic Registered Letter (LRE) is the digital equivalent of a traditional registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt (AR). Since January 1, 2019, it has held the same legal value in France as a paper-based registered letter with AR. At the European level, the eIDAS regulation, in effect since July 2016, formally recognizes and governs the use of LREs.
LRE requires stronger identity verification for both sender and recipient, ensuring enhanced security. The key difference between LRE and ERE (Electronic Registered Delivery) lies in their level of legal enforceability—LRE is more secure and legally binding.
CAPTURE
In electronic document management, capture refers to the process of digitizing paper documents and importing digital files into a centralized system. It enables organizations to convert physical records into usable, searchable digital formats.
Multichannel capture extends this capability by allowing documents to be collected from a variety of sources (email, scanners, mobile apps, web forms, etc.) ensuring that all incoming content is efficiently centralized and structured within the document management platform.
REGISTRATION
The registration phase in an Electronic Mail Management (EMM) solution is crucial for efficiently managing incoming documents. It starts with receiving mail in both physical and electronic forms. Paper mail is digitized to be incorporated into the electronic system. Each piece of mail is tagged with metadata like the date received, sender information, and subject, which simplifies searching and tracking.
Subsequently, the mail is entered into the EMM system’s database, enabling easy access and streamlined management. This process guarantees a centralized, well-organized archive of incoming mail, ensuring both traceability and accessibility.
LAD / RAD
LAD (Automatic Document Reading) and RAD (Automatic Document Recognition) are automation technologies used to extract, analyze, and structure information from digital or scanned documents. These methods are often part of broader Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) systems that combine AI, machine learning, and OCR to automate and enhance document handling and business workflows.
AUTOMATION TOOL
An automation tool is a technology component designed to perform repetitive or complex tasks autonomously, without human intervention.
INDEXING
Indexing refers to the process of assigning metadata or keywords to documents in order to organize, classify, and make them easily accessible through search tools. It is essential for effective information management within an organization.
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