M-Files
M-Files describes itself as a metadata-driven document management system that organizes documents by context and automates workflows. It is not automotive-specific, and is listed here because dealerships use document management systems.
M-Files: Context-first document management
Its site says it connects documents to the people, projects and work they support, works with Microsoft 365, and lists use cases from customer information management to contract lifecycle management.
| Product or service | Function |
|---|---|
| Context-first document management | Organizing documents by metadata rather than folders. |
| Workflow automation | Automating document-heavy work. |
| Use cases | Customer information, project information, enterprise asset, quality, risk and compliance, and contract lifecycle management. |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Working alongside Microsoft 365. |
Restoring a version without erasing its history
The M-Files user guide says checking a changed document back in creates another saved version. Rolling back uses a previous version's content and metadata to create a new version, leaving the intervening history in place. userguide.m-files.com
Access to an older version also depends on the relevant permissions. A dealership evaluating storage for signed agreements should distinguish retrieving an earlier file from overwriting the current record. userguide.m-files.com
Test who can see a historical document and who can restore it; those are different permissions from merely opening the latest file. userguide.m-files.com