Modern Russian society is characterized by widespread digital transformation, which affects many areas of activity, including education. Electronic document management systems (EDMS) are an integral part of corporate and government management.

An electronic document management system is a unified electronic space that converts an organization's paperwork into a digital format, simplifying all stages of document management [1]. This system ensures efficient creation, processing, storage, and execution of documents. Its use significantly reduces time and material costs, and enhances the transparency of business processes. Higher education institutions also need up-to-date solutions for document management. The transition to paperless document management will allow the university to increase its competitiveness and the quality of its educational services.

Belgorod State National Research University uses several electronic document management systems at once, for example: «InfoBelGU: Document Management/Business», «InfoSED: Document Management», «1C: Salary and personnel of a public institution». This practice is conditioned by the different needs of the structural units. But the parallel use of several unrelated EDMS has certain problems:

1. The complexity of integration — each platform has its own means of implementation, and if something changes (for example, a new legislative norm is coming out), all integration solutions have to be finalized simultaneously. This requires the resources of the IT department;
2. It is extremely difficult for university departments responsible for information systems to carry out unified centralized control over document flows and receive reports, since the data is distributed across different platforms;
3. Many employees have to master work in several interfaces at once, which reduces overall user satisfaction and work efficiency. People face difficulties in finding and losing documents due to the multitude of accounting systems;
4. You will not be able to create a single archive — each platform stores documents separately in its own directories;
5. Using three systems leads to high financial costs for paying for software licenses and technical support. For example, if a company has three accounting systems and two provider platforms, six integration modules will be required, which increases support costs.

To avoid shortcomings, the management of Belgorod State National Research University decided to implement a single digital platform that will combine all services for working with electronic documents. This will automate processes and avoid disparate solutions. The choice fell on the «1C:Document management».

«1C:Document management» is not just an automated document accounting system, but a comprehensive platform for managing an organization's business processes [2]. Its implementation opens up a number of significant advantages for the university.

This system combines all types of documents into a single information space: organizational, administrative, personnel, accounting, financial, incoming and outgoing correspondence — all in a single database. This ensures transparency of all processes. «1C:Workflow» allows you to set up complex document routes with set deadlines. Due to this, the processes of approving orders, contracts, and memos are accelerated and the loss of the document «in the drawer» is eliminated.

In my opinion, the most important advantage for BelSU is the possibility of deep integration with products already in use on the 1C platform, such as 1C:Accounting», «1C:Salary and personnel», «1C:Medicine» and others. That is, a single information environment unites the disparate areas of the university's activities into an integrated system.

In 1C:Document management» management can put orders and decisions of the BelSU Academic Council directly in the system, monitor their execution in real time and promptly receive reports.

The system has built-in tools for discussing documents, creating joint tasks and projects, which contributes to effective teamwork of employees from different departments.

The system ensures full compliance with the norms of Russian legislation in the field of documentation management and archival affairs, including the requirements for the use of an electronic signature.

But despite the obvious advantages, the complete abandonment of paper documents carries certain risks that must be taken into account. First of all, these are possible failures in the operation of server equipment, data loss due to cyber attacks or human factors. To minimize them, a well-thought-out backup and information security policy is necessary. Insufficient legal elaboration of issues related to the legal force of electronic documents in certain situations requires careful methodological support for such a transition. Already at the initial stage of implementation, there is staff resistance to innovations, «digital anxiety» and the need for mass retraining of employees. An important element is the conduct of explanatory work and the organization of step-by-step training.

So, the introduction of such a system as 1C:Document management» at Belgorod State National Research University is a logical and strategically important step towards the digital transformation of the university. Such a system will eliminate the key disadvantages of the previous stage of automation related to the fragmentation of information systems.

Consolidation of office work on a single, integrated and functional platform will significantly improve the efficiency of administrative activities, minimize the time spent by employees and strengthen control of management processes. For employees who are document scientists, secretaries, HR staff and archivists, studying and working with a system such as 1C:Document management» is not only of academic, but also of great practical interest, forms competencies that are in demand in the modern labor market.

A single digital platform will create an integrated ecosystem for working with electronic documents, ensure resource savings, user convenience and reliability of business processes.

References:

1. «Системы электронного документооборота: виды, функции, плюсы и минусы» [Электронный ресурс] // Финансы Мэйл. — URL: https://finance.mail.ru/card/sistemy-ehlektronnogo-dokumentooborota-1145/ (дата обращения 10.03.2026).
2. «Обзор возможностей «1С:Документооборот 8» [Электронный ресурс] // Клерк. — URL: https://www.klerk.ru/blogs/rgsoft/633474/ (дата обращения 10.03.2026).