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January 27, 2025

The Big 8 Trends in Document Management in 2025

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The Big 8 Trends in Document Management in 2025

These Big 8 Trends will define document management in 2025.

The phrase "your AI is only as good as your data" is becoming the tech industry’s equivalent of "location, location, location" in real estate. And it’s true! Without accurate, structured, and up-to-date information, even the most advanced AI or LLMs are about as useful as a GPS that hasn’t been updated since flip phones were cool.

So, what’s the deal? Most organizations are drowning in unstructured data. Yes, still! PDF files, scanned forms, email messages, CAD drawings are scattered across systems, untouched, and utterly useless to AI unless they’re cleaned up, standardized, and automated.

So, what’s the solution? For businesses chasing efficiency, profitability, and innovation, document management automation is no longer optional. It’s foundational. Without it, all those grand plans for AI-driven growth might crumble faster than a house built on sand.

These Big 8 Trends will define document management in 2025. From Agentic AI to Digital Thread, these innovations promise to turn your document workflows into engines of revenue, creativity, and innovation (while keeping your top talent happy).

1. Agentic AI: Your New Autonomous Co-Worker

Let’s be real: AI isn’t the eager intern it once was, waiting for instructions and constantly needing feedback. It’s grown up. Today’s Agentic AI doesn’t just follow orders. It sees what needs to be done, rolls up its sleeves, and handles it.

Here’s an example: regulatory changes hit overnight. Instead of herding your compliance team into a war room, your Agentic AI flags affected documents, updates them to meet new standards, and moves on. It doesn’t ask permission - it just acts. Kind of scary? Maybe. Incredibly useful? Absolutely.

Or imagine processing thousands of insurance claims daily. With Agentic AI, anomalies are flagged, approvals are processed, and escalations are triggered - no human needed. And yes, when something genuinely complex comes up, it knows when to call for backup.

Why does it matter? Firstly, it’s a proactive, self-learning intelligence that adapts and evolves, saving time, cutting costs, and improving accuracy. If that’s not enough, this helps create operations with fewer manual interventions, faster workflows, and more importantly, happier teams.

Agentic AI is already proving its worth. Industries like finance, healthcare, and logistics are integrating these autonomous workflows to enhance accuracy and efficiency. For instance, compliance audits once requiring days of human effort are now being managed in hours, ensuring companies remain audit-ready at all times. As businesses embrace Agentic AI, the future of document processing looks less like busywork and more like a streamlined, intelligent ecosystem - one that anticipates needs and acts proactively.

Learn more about Agentic AI in Document Management in our recap of the OpenText World 2024 >

2. AI-Driven Data Extraction, Data Validation, Redaction, and RAG: Mining Gold from Your Documents

Unstructured data is a gold mine waiting to be tapped, but only if you have the right tools. AI-driven data extraction, validation, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) are the technologies that turn document chaos into clarity, helping you unlock insights and take action faster.

Imagine This

A supply chain manager analyzing shipping manifests in real-time to predict and avoid bottlenecks. Or a bank instantly enriching customer profiles with details pulled from onboarding forms. And now, take it a step further: leverage data extraction to automate manual data entry and redaction processes, and use RAG to retrieve relevant insights from connected repositories and generate contextually accurate responses or summaries, on demand.

For instance, a compliance officer preparing for an audit can skip manual searches altogether. A RAG-enabled system retrieves the exact regulatory references needed from thousands of files, while simultaneously generating a tailored compliance report.

Why Now?

With the explosion of unstructured data, the pressure is on to make sense of it all.

  • Gartner reports that 87% of organizations face data quality and integration issues as barriers to AI adoption.
  • Forrester found that 60% of enterprises are investing in AI to transform unstructured data into structured formats.
  • By 2026, Gartner predicts that 70% of data preparation for AI projects will use automated tools, with AI-enabled data extraction and RAG playing a key role in delivering actionable knowledge.

The payoff

  • Extract key data from diverse file types like PDFs and CAD files, even legacy, no format is too complex.
  • Redact sensitive information based on role-based permissions.
  • Enable RAG for Smarter Decisions: Retrieve the most relevant information from your documents and generate concise, actionable summaries tailored to specific queries.
  • Seamlessly integrate that data into line of business systems (such as ERP, CRM, PLM, EHR/EMR, HIMS, RIMS, QMS, MES, WMS, SCADA, EHS, KYC, PAS, FRS), dashboards, and analytics platforms.

What’s at stake here?

Failing to implement AI-driven data extraction and RAG leaves your unstructured data untapped, costing you time, money, and opportunities. While your competitors make informed, real-time decisions powered by AI, your teams could be stuck searching for the right file—or worse, missing the insights entirely.

Integrating document automation, data extraction and RAG into your document management strategy turns your unstructured data into a critical resource and a competitive advantage.

See what the leading AI experts say on best practices for data preparation for AI deployment >

3. Hyper Workflow Automation: The End of Bottlenecks

Imagine workflows that think for themselves, adjusting in real-time to the type of document, its metadata, and the rules that apply. That’s the promise of hyper workflow automation, and it’s already transformation businesses.

Consider this: a multinational organization is flooded with contracts daily. Some are supplier agreements, others are NDAs, and each needs to follow a different approval path. With hyper workflow automation, contracts are automatically categorized by type and routed to the correct department (legal, procurement, or compliance) without any manual intervention.

Or imagine an accounts payable process where invoice approvals are no longer stuck in endless queues. Invoices under a certain threshold are approved instantly, while higher-value ones are flagged for further review. If a supplier’s risk rating changes, the system adapts its rules on the fly, ensuring every decision is contextually accurate.

Hyper workflow automation is already making waves in industries like finance and logistics, where complex workflows are being automated to reduce costs and improve accuracy. For example, intelligent document processing tools are helping enterprises automate not just tasks but entire processes, creating workflows that essentially manage themselves.

Learn more about how data-driven process flows are changing workflow automation, and how document management is impacted >

4. ECMs as Intelligent Content Hubs: Ditch the Filing Cabinet Mentality

Think of the old days of document management: Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems were digital filing cabinets. Organized, yes, but static. Once a document was stored, it just sat there, waiting to be retrieved. But now, ECMs are getting an IQ boost, evolving into intelligent content hubs that don’t just store content—they analyze, enrich, and put it to work.

Imagine this scenario: A global corporation needs to generate compliance reports for multiple regions. Instead of creating each report from scratch, their ECM assembles custom documents on demand, pulling from pre-approved content blocks tailored to specific jurisdictions. Not only is the process faster, but it’s also airtight in terms of legal compliance.

Or consider a healthcare provider managing mountains of patient data. Their ECM automatically tags and classifies newly uploaded files, suggesting metadata that makes retrieval a breeze. Searching for a specific patient’s treatment history now takes seconds instead of hours.

Why This Matters?

The smarter your ECM, the more value it delivers. It’s not just storing documents; it’s driving action.

Learn more about how your documents can work for you and the rise of the Automation-Enabled Smart ECM >

5. AI-Generated Audit Trails: Compliance Without the Headaches

Let’s face it: compliance used to be a fire drill. But now, with AI-generated audit trails, every document interaction is logged, tracked, and ready to report.

Picture this: a healthcare provider operating under strict regulations like HIPAA needs to track every interaction with patient records. With AI-generated audit trails, every action (whether a document was accessed, modified, or approved) is logged in real time. If a potential compliance issue arises, the system sends an alert before it becomes a problem. No more scrambling to piece together what happened; the answers are already at your fingertips.

Or take a financial institution preparing for an audit. Instead of spending weeks compiling reports, their AI instantly generates an audit-ready document detailing every touchpoint in the document lifecycle. From creation to deletion, it’s all there, neatly organized and ready to impress even the most meticulous auditor.

What sets AI-driven compliance apart is its ability to make accountability effortless:

  • Lifecycle Tracking: Every step of a document’s journey—from creation to deletion—is logged automatically.
  • Proactive Alerts: Real-time notifications flag potential compliance violations, so teams can address issues before they escalate. Example Applications: Compliance in Action
  • Continuous Monitoring: AI tracks adherence to regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX, ensuring every document interaction is above board.
  • Instant Audit Reports: Detailed compliance logs are ready at a moment’s notice, saving time and reducing audit stress.
  • Proactive Risk Checks: AI scans for missing elements or risky language in contracts, safeguarding against potential breaches.

The outcome is trust and efficiency rolled into one. Any organization in a highly regulated industry where regulations are constantly changing can appreciate that.

6. Bring-Your-Own-AI Models (BYO-AI): Security, Simplicity, and Smarts in One Package

Let’s be honest: handing your sensitive business data over to a public AI model feels like letting a stranger hold your wallet while you tie your shoes. Sure, they might give it back intact, but are you really willing to take that chance? Enter Bring-Your-Own-AI (BYO-AI) - a smarter, safer way to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) while keeping your data secure and your peace of mind intact.

With BYO-AI, you’re not just licensing another shiny tool; you’re partnering with an AI solution that’s already been vetted, trained on your business taxonomy, and comes with a clear, pre-established pricing system. Our advice, invest in solutions that keep your data where it belongs and your business running like a well-oiled machine. And hey, your security team might finally stop giving you that “why are you doing this to us?” look.

Here are 7 Reasons why your data extraction and document automation partner must leverage BYO AI or BYO LLM approach >

7. Document & System Interoperability: Finally, Systems That Play Nice

Data silos are the enemy of efficiency. You’re juggling multiple systems: an ECM for content storage, a CRM for customer management, and an ERP for financial workflows. Moving data between these platforms feels like passing notes in class: slow, clunky, and may not reach their destination.

Document and data interoperability ensures seamless communication between ECMs, CRMs, ERPs, and more. Think of an organization needing to analyze contract data. With integrated workflows, documents stored in SharePoint are processed to extract key data, which is then funneled directly into SAP for reporting. The whole process happens in real-time, with no one lifting a finger.

The power of interoperability lies in its simplicity and efficiency:

  • Plug-and-Play Connectors: Diverse systems can now communicate seamlessly without custom code or complex setups.
  • Real-Time Data Syncing: Data flows effortlessly across platforms, ensuring everyone has the most up-to-date information.
  • Integrated Data Workflows: Extracted document data from SharePoint feeds directly into Salesforce or SAP for instant action.
  • Multi-Platform Management: Documents move seamlessly between ECMs, data analytics tools, and other platforms, eliminating manual transfers.

By breaking down barriers between platforms, document interoperability ensures that every system contributes to a larger, unified workflow, connecting people, data, and processes in ways that drive smarter, faster decisions.

Learn more about the impacts of document interoperability on your business scalability and efficiency >

8. Digital Thread: Connecting the Dots Across Your Enterprise

Imagine trying to put together a puzzle where each piece is locked away in a different room. That’s how many organizations feel when they can’t connect their data and documents. The Digital Thread changes this narrative by weaving all those pieces into a single, seamless picture. It provides a unified view of data and documents across the entire enterprise, ensuring everyone works from the same source of truth.

Picture this: a manufacturing team is developing a new product. The engineers are referencing CAD drawings, the compliance team is reviewing contracts, and the suppliers are sending invoices. With the Digital Thread, all these data points are linked. Everyone has access to the most current information, whether they’re on the factory floor or in a boardroom. Miscommunication? Eliminated. Redundant work? Gone.

Or take a life sciences company working on regulatory approval for a groundbreaking drug. Every clinical trial report, regulatory submission, and correspondence is seamlessly connected, creating an unbroken audit trail that accelerates approvals and ensures nothing is overlooked.

Organizations in manufacturing, life sciences, and logistics are already leveraging the Digital Thread to revolutionize their operations. For example, aerospace companies are using it to connect every component of their supply chain, ensuring that no detail is lost from design to delivery.

Intelligent document management and smart ECMs enable the Digital Thread. Your ECM and document automation tools and workflows are the operational backbone that process, standardize, and route volumes of data and documents, all to maintain seamless connectivity and traceability required for the Digital Thread.

Conclusion: Innovate, Automate, Dominate

As these trends unfold, businesses must evolve to stay competitive, adopting technologies that drive action, insights, and operational efficiency. The age of static documents is over. 2025 marks the dawn of dynamic, adaptive document ecosystems. It is time to start making your documents work for you. What a time to be in the documents industry!

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