What is document automation?

How to make the full lifecycle of your documents run automatically, from creation to archiving, without manual steps.

5 min readM-Files + dox42

In short

Document automation is the automatic execution of all steps in the lifecycle of a document: creation, routing, approval, storage, archiving, and deletion, driven by preset rules and data.

On this page

What is document automation?
Benefits of document automation
Manual vs. automated
How do you start with document automation?
Frequently asked questions

What is document automation?

Document automation goes beyond document generation. While document generation only automates the creation of a document, document automation covers the entire process: a document is generated, sent to the right person for review, goes through an approval workflow, is stored with the correct metadata, and after the retention period expires, is automatically archived or deleted.

In practice, this means that a quote that used to take 45 minutes of manual work, drafting, checking, requesting approval, sending, storing, now happens with one click or fully automatically.

SoftAdvice implements document automation via M-Files for workflows, permissions, and archiving, and dox42 for automated document generation, two platforms that work together seamlessly.

Benefits of document automation

Radical time savings

Manual steps that take hours become seconds. Employees focus on value-adding work.

No forgotten steps

Every document goes through the right process. No forgotten approvals, no documents stuck in inboxes.

Complete audit trail

Every step, every approval, every version automatically registered. Ready for audit and compliance.

Stricter access control

Rights are automatically adjusted based on process step and status.

Better collaboration

Everyone always works on the right version. No email traffic about who has which version.

GDPR automation

Retention periods, deletion rules and proof of processing automatically managed.

Manual vs. automated

Manual vs. automated document process
Process step	Manual	Automated with M-Files
Creating document	Word + copy-paste, 30-45 min	dox42 generates in seconds
Routing for review	Email, risk of loss	Automatic workflow notification
Approval follow-up	Manual reminders	Automatic reminders
Archiving	Manual save to folder	Automatically in correct location
GDPR retention	Manual follow-up	Automatic on date

How do you start with document automation?

Step 1
Process analysis
Identify which document processes take the most time and have the highest error risk.
Step 2
Process design
SoftAdvice translates your process logic into M-Files workflows: steps, responsible persons, deadlines.
Step 3
Configuration and integration
Workflows, templates and data source connections configured in your M-Files environment.
Step 4
Adoption and training
Your team is trained on the new way of working and guided through adoption.
Step 5
Measure and optimise
Via periodic sessions, SoftAdvice monitors process results and optimises where needed.

Frequently asked questions

What is document automation?

Document automation is the automatic execution of all steps in the lifecycle of a document: creation, routing, approval, storage, and archiving.

What is the difference with document generation?

Document generation is one step: the automatic creation of a document. Document automation covers the entire lifecycle including workflows, storage, and archiving.

Which processes can I automate?

Approval workflows, invoice processing, contract management, onboarding, and GDPR retention processes are typical candidates. SoftAdvice designs the process logic to fit your needs.