Item: M‑Files
Rating: 9
Author: Michael Ellerbeck

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Currently M-Files is being used by a single department to track a lot of documents surrounding COAs and other necessary documents for purchase orders. It is extremely useful for being able to add documents directly from an email. It sends out alerts if certain forms haven't been entered and matched in a timely manner.

Pros and Cons

Easy install, go get your self a demo!
Great outlook integration!
Wonderful API

More more more training docs!
M-Files is a paradigm shift, so wrapping your brain around how its storing metadata takes some getting used to.
Learning curve with advanced features (what product doesn't?).

Return on Investment

Streamlined a mapped drive based manual filing system
Retrieval is 10x Faster
Filing is 10x Faster

Systems Integrated With

Outlook - this is awesome!
File folders - you can you use the m: drive this super easy to understand! Any user can easily use this

Alternatives Considered

I don't have much experience with competing products. The main thing that it was competing is just plain old file shares.

Likelihood to Recommend

It's great for routing documents, creating workflows, and quickly retrieving data and image scans/PDF. Search works really well
Sometimes it is difficult to know how to match its metadata design to a traditional ECM problem. I think that is where lots of training documents, examples templates, and case studies would be very helpful! I like documentation!

M-Files, simple, elegant, love the outlook plugin and the m: drive!

Overall Satisfaction with M-Files