DMS versus QMS: Document Management vs Document Control There is an essential difference between document management (DMS) and document control (QMS) Document control is a more
Document Management Software (DMS) for SharePoint & Microsoft 365
With Shareflex Documents, you receive a tailor-made solution for process and document management with SharePoint and Microsoft 365.
- Manage documents more efficiently
- Simplify access and speed up searches
- Increase productivity and save costs
SharePoint Document Management – Keep an eye on all your documents
Our DMS software for SharePoint Online is a tailor-made DMS solution that offers integrated, document-centric business applications functionality. The standard document management functions of SharePoint remain available in our SharePoint DMS solution. However, in addition to the SharePoint standard, Shareflex offers further DMS functions if these are required from the perspective of the respective business application. These include, for example, the linking, copying and moving or the resubmission of files and documents. All DMS documents are stored in your own M365 tenant, giving you the freedom to integrate additional M365 services with the DMS—such as backup, data security, reporting, Power Apps, Copilot AI, Purview, MFA, AppSource, to name a few. The DMS Software for SharePoint can also be tailored by us to meet your specific needs.
Want to see the details? Browse the complete end-user manual, read how versioning in Shareflex compares to SharePoint, or see how Shareflex integrates with Microsoft Purview.
Technical details
Benefits of DMS Software on SharePoint
The main benefits of the Lialis DMS software on SharePoint Online and M365:
- All your DMS data is stored securely in your own M365 tenant in the Microsoft cloud.
- Full integration with MS Office (Word/Outlook) without storing files on local PCs or network drives.
- All M365 features are available, such as backup, MFA and document encryption, all from the Microsoft cloud.
- Microsoft Copilot AI can optionally be licensed from Microsoft.
- Single sign-on for MS Office, Outlook and the SharePoint DMS software.
- Complete version history of all data, including viewing, restoring and downloading old versions.
- If you end the SaaS contract with Lialis, all your data remains available in your SharePoint and can still be viewed and exported. You just can no longer create new DMS documents.
Microsoft 365
Document work revolves around Word documents, so it makes sense to store them in SharePoint for seamless integration with Microsoft 365. With the M365 cloud you are at the forefront of IT, as Microsoft leads the way in office automation. Our DMS software is installed on your own M365 SharePoint Online tenant. The benefits are many:
Security
- Advanced security: your data is protected by Microsoft’s latest security measures.
- Full control: you have complete control over your own data and who can access it.
- No more local storage: saving files on your PC is a thing of the past.
Integration
- Seamless integration: works perfectly with Microsoft Word and other M365 applications for a smooth workflow.
- Easy access: work anywhere, anytime with just a browser and no extra software to install.
- Support for many M365 features: all the M365 features you want to use are supported automatically, including Syntex, backup, Purview, Copilot, Power BI, MFA, Entra ID and more.
Backup
Automatic backups: your data is backed up automatically by Microsoft, so you no longer have to worry about data loss.
Compliance
- Meets the highest standards for privacy and compliance, so you can work with confidence.
Audit Trail
- Full insight: complete visibility of all changes to files and documents, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Scalability
- Adapts easily to your growing needs without complex infrastructure.
Microsoft AI Copilot
If your organization has a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, Copilot can be fully integrated into our Shareflex DMS solution. Users can then boost their productivity with advanced AI capabilities directly inside their Shareflex applications.
DMS Features
- User-friendly interfaces
- Integration with Microsoft 365 Office (e.g. document collaboration)
- Version control for files and documents
- Restore previous versions
- Multi-format viewer (300+ formats)
- Task and rollback options
- Filing from Outlook, upload and drag-and-drop
- Linking files and documents: files to files, documents to files and documents to each other
- Copying and moving files and documents
- Combined metadata and full-text search
- Saving favorites and search filters
- Exporting search results to Excel
- Document storage in the customer’s own Microsoft 365 tenant
- Latest document publications
DMS Services
- OCR and full-text indexing
- Format conversion (e.g. Word to PDF)
- Splitting, merging and barcode processing
- Document generation with Office templates
- Scan and detect
Workflows
- Standards-compliant document control
- Multi-stage, configurable approval process
- Registered acknowledgement of published documents
- Due-date monitoring, including document resubmission
- Automatic cumulative email notifications
- Delegation (proxy) rules
- Change requests for documents
Notifications
- Daily cumulative email notifications about approval tasks, published documents, change requests, invalidated documents and more
- Reminders for open approval tasks at a definable interval
- Acknowledgement of published documents with read confirmation
- Customizable and extendable email templates
- Freely definable intervals for sending emails
Permissions
- Individual permissions configurable through a rule system
- Bulk updates of existing documents with admin functions
- Clear overview of permissions
Document Administration and Audit Trail
- Mapping of the complete document lifecycle
- Full history of all versions, workflows, tasks etc. of a document
- History of changes made to a document
- Stable link to managed documents
- Easily adjustable master data for document classification
- Reorganize documents with admin tasks, for example when department names change
Analysis & Reporting
- Flexible reports based on all metadata
- Export to Excel
- Graphical reports with Power BI
Archiving
- Complete archiving of all document versions
- Archiving of review and approval information, as well as workflow data
- Archiving of invalidated and withdrawn documents
- Long-term secure storage with the capabilities of Microsoft 365
- Option to convert documents to PDF/A
Form Design and Layout
To a certain extent you can adjust the layout of the forms yourself with Shareflex Form Design. All you need is a browser and, of course, sufficient permissions.
- You can move fields on the form.
- You can add new fields, provided you create the required SharePoint columns for them.
See Shareflex Documents in action
Shareflex Documents runs inside SharePoint Online, so your team works in a familiar Microsoft 365 environment. A few screens from the end-user manual:
From quote to contract: document management by dossier
Most document management systems are built around folders. Shareflex Documents is built around your business process. Documents live in dossiers – such as quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, invoices, projects and contracts – which are linked to each other and to your business partners. So when you open a customer, you see the whole chain: from the first quote to the final contract.
| Part | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Dossiers | Quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, invoices, projects and contracts – each with its own form, metadata and documents |
| Relations | Dossiers linked into one structure, e.g. quote → sales order → invoice → project, visible on every dossier |
| Master data | Business partners, customers, vendors, contact persons, legal entities and locations, reused across all dossiers |
| Actions | Search in all dossiers or all documents, my tasks, my resubmissions, overdue tasks and absence management |
| Documents | Office integration, version history, multi-format viewer (300+ formats), filing from Outlook, drag-and-drop |
The dossier types are configurable – add your own processes, fields and forms, or let us tailor them for you.
Why SharePoint alone is not a complete DMS
SharePoint is an excellent document store, and all its standard features remain available in Shareflex. But a document library is not a complete DMS. Shareflex adds the business layer on top – ready to use, without building it yourself. Also read: can you build a DMS with Microsoft 365 alone?
| Requirement | SharePoint on its own | With Shareflex Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Version history | Yes | Yes, with restore from the dossier form |
| Dossiers per business process (quote, order, invoice, project…) | Folders and libraries you design yourself | Ready-to-use dossier types, configurable |
| Linking dossiers and documents to each other | No | Yes – files to files, documents to files, documents to documents |
| Business partner and master data | No | Customers, vendors, contacts, legal entities, locations |
| Copy and move documents with their metadata | Limited | Yes |
| Resubmission and task follow-up | No | My resubmissions, my tasks, overdue tasks |
| Combined metadata and full-text search across all dossiers | Search per site or library | Yes, with saved favourites and search filters |
| Filing emails from Outlook | Manual | Yes, via the Shareflex Outlook plugin |
| Document services: OCR, Word to PDF, split/merge, barcodes | Extra tools or licences | Included as DMS services |
| Document generation from Office templates with metadata | No | Yes – see metadata into Word |
| Approval workflows | Build it yourself in Power Automate | Multi-stage and configurable |
| Audit trail | File versions only | Full history of versions, workflows and tasks |
Need controlled, ISO-compliant documents instead? See Shareflex Document Control (QMS) and the difference between DMS and QMS.
Who uses Shareflex Documents?
Sales & order processingQuotes, sales orders, purchase orders and invoices in one chain per customer or vendor.
Engineering & constructionProject dossiers with drawings – including AutoCAD DWG integration.
Project organisationsAll project documents, tasks and relations in one place, from quote to delivery.
Finance & administrationInvoices and contracts linked to business partners, with PDF tools like NitroPro integration.
Trusted by 300+ organisations. Shareflex is developed by Portal Systems AG and used by more than 300 organisations. Lialis customers include Mitsubishi Motors Europe, Sonoco – a packaging manufacturer with 20,000 employees in 33 countries, where Shareflex replaced 10 complex legacy IBM applications – and the Municipality of Opwijk.
“The Shareflex RichPoint Library app allowed us to replace several legacy apps. Additionally, Lialis built a custom Pricing Approval app for us using Shareflex.”Mitsubishi Motors Europe
Pricing
Shareflex Documents is a SaaS solution that runs in your own Microsoft 365 tenant. Pricing is based on the solution type and the number of users – with no distinction between read-only and content-creating users – and the software is invoiced annually. Ask us for a quote, or try it first.
See for yourself
This demo will give you a detailed introduction of Shareflex DMS, the solution for DMS on the basis of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. We show you the main features and give you a first impression of the software’s user-friendly interface. But it’s best to see for yourself!
DMS SharePoint – Important articles selected for you
AutoCAD integration of DWG files in Shareflex DMS AutoCAD is a desktop application for editing DWG files (drawings). At the client’s request, it has been integrated
Inheriting Shareflex Metadata Values into Word Documents In the Shareflex solution Document Control (QMS), it’s possible to sync QM record metadata automatically to the Word document.
End User Manual Document Management We provide two types of document management applications: Shareflex Document Control. This is a comprehensive, strictly controlled document management application for
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a DMS and document control (QMS)?
A DMS (document management system) organises and finds all your business documents, such as quotes, orders, invoices and project files. Document control (QMS) is about controlled documents like procedures and work instructions that must be reviewed, approved and periodically re-checked, for example for ISO 9001. Lialis offers both on SharePoint: Shareflex Documents and Shareflex Document Control.
Is SharePoint on its own enough as a DMS?
SharePoint is a solid document store with versioning and permissions, and all of that remains available. What it lacks out of the box is a business structure: dossiers per process, links between dossiers and documents, business partner master data, resubmissions, document services and approval workflows. Shareflex Documents adds these on top of SharePoint Online.
Where are our documents stored?
All documents and data are stored in your own Microsoft 365 tenant, in SharePoint Online. You keep all Microsoft 365 features such as backup, MFA, encryption and Purview.
Can we file emails directly from Outlook?
Yes. With the Shareflex Outlook plugin you can store emails and attachments in the right dossier straight from Outlook, and drag-and-drop works as well.
Which file formats can we view?
The built-in multi-format viewer shows more than 300 file formats in the browser, without opening the original application.
Does it support OCR and full-text search?
Yes. DMS services include OCR and full-text indexing, format conversion (for example Word to PDF), splitting, merging and barcode processing. Search combines metadata and full text across all dossiers.
What happens to our documents if we stop using Shareflex?
Your data stays in your own SharePoint environment and remains available to view and export. Only the creation of new dossiers and documents through Shareflex stops.
