Document-Management Technology and Acquisitions Workflow: A Case Study in Invoice Processing

Abstract

Library acquisitions has moved from paper to online records for ordering and receiving, but the audit archive for invoices has remained largely paper based. Document-management technology (DMT) offers a solution to this condition. The authors survey the literature on DMT and its potential for use in the library acquisitions environment. This article considers the rationale and policy decisions that underpin the elimination of paper in favor of image files as an audit archive in library materials invoicing. A case study of the implementation of DMT to support and enhance traditional invoice processing in the acquisitions department of a large research library is included.