Document Management for Small Firm

We're a small consulting firm and we're starting to think about
implementing document management and I'm looking for some context on the
kind of solutions available.

Some background first: our main workproducts are the reports we issue to
our clients. These are composed of multiple chapters that are usually
generated as separate files and passed around throughout the firm by
various means for editing and other input. At the end of the process,
the chapters are combined into one report.

Off the top of my head, here's some of our considerations:

1) Versioning. This is what got us thinking about document management in
the first place. It would be great to have version and change tracking,
so the people reviewing a document can see what was done by who. Also,
comparison tools or support for comparison tools would be a big plus.

2) Online collaboration. A significant portion of the work for any given
project may be performed by people outside the office. Right now, we
give and receive input via fax and email. Any solution that would allow
those people to collaborate seamlessly with those in the office would be
a big step forward for us.

3) Workflow. A bit of an extension of the above, but workflow would be
very useful for keeping projects moving smoothly.

4) Cost and ease of implementation (of course). We don't have a big IT
budget or staff, so whatever the solution is, it can't be too expensive
or maintenance-heavy.

So that's what I've got for now.

Thanks in advance,

Carlos Nunes-Ueno

.

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