From Prototype to Enterprise-Wide DMS Platform

Starting point

An internationally operating mid-sized company in the financial industry, specializing in IT equipment lifecycle, was about to implement a document management system with AI-powered classification. The strategic question — which platform, which implementation path, which workflows first — remained unanswered. Requirements were unspecified, budget and KPIs undefined, and the compliance track (BAIT, ISO 9001) looming in the background. The pressure: the group-level decision on the DMS platform needed to be made within three months.

What we did

We restructured the initiative in two steps: a time-boxed proof of concept before the platform decision, followed by phased full implementation. During the PoC, two workflow prototypes — OPEX invoices and end-of-lease equipment returns — were built to near-production quality, serving as a discovery instrument for the platform selection rather than a final product. Scope: project architecture, risk and stakeholder management, agile delivery with a five-person team, handover including rollout recommendation for 2024. PoC duration: 8 weeks.

Results

What we learned

When requirements are unclear and the platform decision is politically open, a near-production prototype is the fastest specification tool. It delivers not just code but language: stakeholders discuss real conflicts on concrete screens. That is more efficient than any requirements analysis running in parallel with the vendor selection process.