VersionOne used a research study with 190 senior finance professionals (finance directors and managers) across a range of public and private sector organisations to pimp its electronic document solution. The study reckoned 76% of respondents believe electronic DM could be useful in preventing fraud. Lynne Munns, General Manager of Version One, said: “The false accounting scandal at Enron proved devastating to its reputation and was directly responsible for the company’s downfall. The lessons learnt from this case highlight the importance of managing risk by having effective document management systems in place.”
OK – enough of the sales talk 
On the face of it, the argument is reasonable. No shredded documents, documents embedded as part of the systems of record – it all sounds highly plausible. But no. People who are determined enough to perpetrate a fraud will find a way. So while electronic DM is a laudable and useful thing – it’s also green – and may indeed help mitigate instances of fraud, it isn’t a foolproof response to the problem of fraud.
