Why use a document management system?

It might seem strange to you that in addition to a learning management system (LMS), WF Associates supports a document management system or DMS. However, in the same way that there is merit in the LMS as a virtual class room there is also a need for a well structured DMS to fulfil the need for a virtual library.

Therefore it is appropriate to think of the DMS as more like a library. In the same way that a conventional terrestrial learning institution has a library for students and staff; then so too the virtual learning institution needs a library for students and staff. Although the relationship between the LMS and the DMS has not been generally recognized by the 'community', nevertheless it is an important relationship. In this respect the student needs the ability to 'borrow' library material, in some cases the student may need to update library material, or the student needs to participate in a work group that will need to access material, or even solicit the assistance of a 'librarian' to make material available. Tracking these activities and the provisioning of material in a simple manner is not beyond the general capabilities of the LMS, but it is it something that is more appropriate for the more sophisticated capabilities of the DMS. One of the DMS's used by WF Associates, KnowledgeTree, is growing into a very capable product, and like the LMS, Moodle, it is open source. 

In summary the DMS is very useful for the students, course teachers, researchers and other guests. Ultimately, WF Associates believes that there is the necessity in the world of virtual learning for the DMS to go so far as integrating onto the students desktop and provide a facility whereby documents can be managed in a seamless manner between their desktop and the central DMS.  This will, in the long run, also integrate with the LMS assessment/grading system. Finally allowing students to work on assignments and the teacher to check and verify progress as the student is undertaking their work. 

To enter the KnowledgeTree Document Management System (KT.DMS) click on the option in either:

• the opening window of the KnowledgeTree web site,
• then select from the download or demo options

There is a growing list of KnowledgeTree manuals available, and for more information either check out the:

• KnowledgeTree web site , or
• SourceForge.net KnowledgeTree web site

Within the DMS an organisation can store a growing number of documents.  The broad concept behind these documents is to provide the organisation with a library for:

• project, course or research documents;
• additional learning documents from inside and outside courses or research initiatives;
• documents that the organisations stakeholders can upload as part of their participation in a learning community;
• documents that previous participants and associates consider enables the sharing of specific knowledge; and
• documents that associates and academics with core competencies have created through research and collaborative knowledge interaction with other parties.

If you are interested in knowing more about the WF Associates document management approach then complete the following form then click 'Send e-mail':

The next sections describe in broad terms the objective and type of documents stored in the WF Associates DMS:

• Business management documents;
• Project management documents;
• Sales management documents;
• Workshop documents; and
• White papers

The business management documents are focused round the nature of managing and the managers job.  The classifications have been taken from Davidson Paul, Griffin Ricky W., 2006. Management – An Australasian Perspective 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Milton, QLD, Australia. ISBN 0 470 80692 3 and consist of:

• The environmental context of management
  • External environment
  • Internal environment
  • Culture
• The ethical and social context of management
  • Individual ethics
  • Social responsibility
  • Legal obligations and requirements
• Diversity management
  • Changing diversity
  • Global diversity
  • Diversity and multicultural organisations
• Management in a global context
  • International business
  • The global economy
  • Environmental challenges of international management
• Managing risk and planning
  • Goal setting
  • Planning concepts
  • Risk management
• Strategy and strategic planning
  • Strategic management
  • Business level strategies
• Decision making and problem solving
  • Rational, behaviour and group decision making
  • Problem solving strategies
• Managing entrepreneurship and new venture formation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Entrepreneurial organisations
• Organizing process
  • Job design
  • Departmentalisation
  • Reporting
  • Authority
  • Coordination
• Managing organisational design
  • Design models
  • Situational design
  • Strategic design
• Managing organisational change and innovation
  • The nature of change
  • Managing change
  • Areas and types of change
  • Innovation
• Managing human resources in organisations
  • Human resources context
  • Development of human resources
  • Employee relations
  • Occupational health and safety
• Managing individual behaviour in organisations
  • Individuals in organisations
  • Personality
  • Attitudes
  • Perception
  • Stress
• Motivating employee performance
  • Nature of motivation
  • Content perspectives
  • Process perspectives
  • Reinforcement perspectives
  • Emerging perspectives
  • Reward
• Leadership and influence
  • Nature of leadership
  • Leadership traits and behaviours
  • Situational approaches and related perspectives
  • Politics
• Managing interpersonal relations and communication
  • Interpersonally
  • Communication and the manager
  • Forms of communication
• Managing group and team processes
  • Groups and team in organisations
  • Teams
  • Conflict
• Managing control in organisations
  • Operations control
  • Financial control
  • Structural control
  • Strategic control
• Managing quality in organisations
  • Quality
  • Productivity
  • Operations management
• Managing information and information technology
  • Information and the manager
  • Information technology needs
  • Information systems

The project management documents are focused round the nature of projects in contemporary organisations.  The classifications have been taken from Meredith Jack R., Mantal Samuel J., 2004. Project Management: A Managerial Approach 6th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA. ISBN 1 471 71537 9 and consist of:

• Strategic management and project selection
• The project manager
• Project organisation
• Project planning
• Conflict and negotiation
• Budgeting and cost estimation
• Scheduling
• Resource allocation
• Monitoring and information systems
• Project control
• Project auditing
• Project termination

The sales management documents are focused round the nature of selling and sales management.  The classifications have been taken from Dalrymple Douglas J., Cron William L., & DeCarlo Thomas E. 2004. Sales Management 8th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA. ISBN 1 471 23060 X and consist of:

• Strategy and sales program planning
• Sales opportunity management
• Account relationship management
• Customer interaction management
• Sales force organisation
• Recruiting and selecting personnel
• Leadership
• Ethical leadership
• Motivating sales people
• Compensating salespeople
• Evaluating performance

The workshop documents are focused round the topics contained in the workshops and come from a rich and varied source that relates to each workshop.

The white papers are informal papers usually stating a position or proposition related to topic, an authoritative report or a draft specification.