AWS Marketplace
Why Businesses Struggle with Document Control
Documents support customer service, operations, audits and compliance. But many businesses still manage them across email, shared folders, local computers and separate systems. That is why important information remains hard to find, slow to verify and difficult to control.
Documents support customer service, operations, audits and compliance. But many businesses still manage them across email, shared folders, local computers and separate systems. That is why important information remains hard to find, slow to verify and difficult to control.
A central document management environment helps businesses replace scattered files with searchable and controlled records.
Direct answer: Businesses struggle with document control because important files are spread across email, shared folders, local computers and separate applications. Mayan EDMS on AWS brings documents into one searchable and controlled environment with OCR, metadata, workflows, version history and role-based access.
Why Do Businesses Struggle to Find Documents?
The main reason is document fragmentation. One business process may generate files in email, shared folders, cloud drives, laptops and business systems. This makes one document hard to trace and even harder to control.
As the business grows, the problem becomes bigger. Different teams use different file names, folder structures and approval habits. Without a central system, document retrieval depends on memory instead of structured information.
Documents live in many places
Staff search through inboxes, folders, devices and applications before they can find one file.
File names are inconsistent
Names such as final, final-v2 and latest do not clearly show which document is correct.
Scanned files are hard to search
Image-based PDFs may contain useful text, but basic file search cannot read it without OCR.
Access is not controlled well
Shared folders may expose sensitive contracts, employee files or audit evidence too widely.
Approvals are manual
Reviews happen through emails and follow-up messages, which slows decisions and creates gaps.
Retention is unclear
Important records may be kept for too long or deleted too early because lifecycle rules are missing.
What Are the Risks of Poor Document Management?
When documents are not managed from one controlled system, the result is more than inconvenience. It affects productivity, security, customer service and compliance.
- Employees lose time: Teams spend too long searching, checking with others or recreating files that already exist.
- Wrong versions are used: An outdated contract, process or price sheet can cause errors and rework.
- Customer response becomes slower: Staff cannot answer quickly when information is difficult to retrieve.
- Audits become stressful: Evidence has to be collected manually from many locations and people.
- Security and privacy risks increase: Sensitive files may be downloaded or viewed by people who should not access them.
- Business knowledge becomes fragile: When one employee leaves, important document history can leave with them. Poor document control creates delays, errors, audit pressure and unnecessary business risk.
What Is an Enterprise Document Management System?
An enterprise document management system, or EDMS, is a platform that captures, organises, searches, protects and tracks documents from one controlled environment.
It does more than store files. It can read document content, apply metadata, control permissions, preserve version history, route approvals and support document retention.
Simple example A supplier contract is uploaded into the system. OCR reads the text. Metadata records the supplier name and renewal date. A workflow sends it to review. Access is limited to procurement and legal teams. Later, the contract can be found using a clause, supplier name or expiry date.
How Does Yobitel’s AWS Document Solution Help?
Yobitel provides Document management solution built on Mayan EDMS through AWS Marketplace. It is a pre-configured Amazon Machine Image that launches a complete document management environment on Amazon EC2.
This removes much of the long preparation work usually needed before a team can start managing documents. The subscriber chooses the AWS account, Region, network and infrastructure configuration used for the deployment.
Business users upload, search and review documents through the Mayan EDMS stack on Amazon EC2, while documents remain organised and controlled inside the subscriber’s AWS environment.
What is already prepared?
The application services, OCR capability, search indexing and access-control framework are prepared so the business can move faster to actual document setup and usage.
What Document Management Features Are Included?
Each feature supports a different part of the document lifecycle. Together, they help a business move from simple storage to structured document control.
Optical character recognition
Scanned pages and image-based files become searchable.
Full-text retrieval
Documents can be found using their content, not only their file name.
Metadata and tags
Add business fields and labels such as customer, department or status.
Cabinets and document types
Create clear structures for contracts, invoices, HR files and policies.
Version history
Preserve document changes and reduce confusion about which version is current.
Workflows
Support review, approval, rejection and archive stages.
Retention
Apply lifecycle rules to documents that must be kept for specific periods.
Role-based access control
Control which users or groups can view, change or manage records.
REST API
Connect with ERP, CRM, portals and internal business applications.
How Does Mayan EDMS Compare with Other Document Management Options?
The comparison below focuses on what matters most to organisations that want professional document control, fast deployment and AWS-based operation.
| Requirement | Shared drives and folders | Manually assembled document platform | Yobitel solution on AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose-built search | Basic file search only | Possible after setup and tuning | OCR and full-text search prepared |
| Deployment effort | Low, but limited control functions | High technical effort | Launch through AWS Marketplace |
| Metadata and classification | Mostly folders and file names | Depends on implementation work | Metadata, tags and structured organisation |
| Workflow and approvals | Mostly email based | Must be designed and configured | Workflow capability included |
| Version history | Duplicate copies are common | Varies by setup | Document version support |
| Access control | Folder permissions | Must be designed and tested | User, group and role-based access |
| Deployment location | Depends on the storage service | Chosen by the organisation | Your AWS account and selected Region |
| Integration support | Limited document intelligence | Custom development required | REST API for business integration |
How Do You Deploy Mayan EDMS on AWS?
The solution is delivered through AWS Marketplace. The exact screen details may vary by AWS account and chosen EC2 configuration, but the general flow is straightforward.
Open the AWS Marketplace listing
Select Document management solution built on Mayan EDMS and review the product details.
Subscribe and continue to EC2
Accept the Marketplace terms and move to the EC2 launch flow.
Select instance and network settings
Choose the EC2 instance type, key pair, storage, network and security group.
Control who can access the interface
Allow access only from approved networks or users.
Sign in to the application
Use the initial administrator credentials and change the password immediately after the first login.
Set up the business structure
Create document types, metadata, tags, cabinets, users, permissions and workflows.
Enable backups and operating controls
Use AWS and internal processes to manage backups, monitoring, patching and recovery.
How Do You Access Mayan EDMS After Deployment?
Default usernameadmin
Initial passwordYour EC2 instance ID
After the Amazon EC2 instance is running and the application has completed its initial startup, open the instance address in a browser. Sign in with the username admin. Use the deployed EC2 instance ID as the initial password, for example i-0123456789abcdef0. Change the administrator password immediately after the first sign-in.
Who Can Use Mayan EDMS?
The platform can support any team that needs fast retrieval, structured records and controlled access to documents.
Healthcare administration
Manage referral letters, consent forms, internal records and operational documents with stronger control.
Financial services
Organise KYC files, audit evidence, statements, approvals and controlled retention records.
Legal and contracts
Manage contract versions, review stages, case files and restricted access to confidential material.
Human resources
Protect employee files, agreements, onboarding records and policy documents.
Manufacturing and quality
Track procedures, inspection reports, certificates and revision-controlled documentation.
Public sector and records management
Support structured filing, retrieval, access control and lifecycle-based record handling.
Any organisation that creates, receives, reviews or approves important documents can use Mayan EDMS to improve search, access control, workflow visibility and records management.
How Do Metadata, Tags, Cabinets and Workflows Work Together?
These four features work as one connected document-control process. Metadata describes the document, tags show its current meaning or status, cabinets provide a clear place to browse it, and workflows control what should happen next.
Metadata gives every document context
Metadata records structured facts such as supplier name, document type, owner, department, effective date and expiry date. This makes documents easier to search, filter and report on.
Tags show status and priority
Tags add flexible labels such as Approved, Confidential, Renewal Due or Urgent. A document can carry several tags without being copied into several folders.
Cabinets make browsing familiar
Cabinets organise records into a structure that reflects the business, such as Legal, Finance, HR, Customers or Projects. Users can browse logically even when they do not know the exact document name.
Workflows turn documents into action
Workflows move documents through review, approval, rejection, renewal and archive stages. Each stage can be assigned to the right team or role, reducing manual follow-up.
Example: managing a supplier contract The contract is stored in the Procurement cabinet. Metadata records the supplier, contract value, start date and expiry date. A Renewal Due tag highlights upcoming action. The workflow sends the document to Legal for review, then to Finance for approval, and finally to an authorised user for activation. Every step remains connected to the same controlled document.
Take Control of Business Documents on AWS
When documents remain spread across email, shared folders, devices and separate applications, every search takes longer and every approval carries more risk. A central document management system gives teams one place to capture, search, organise, review and protect business records.
Document management solution built on Mayan EDMS gives organisations a faster route to those capabilities through AWS Marketplace. It runs inside the subscriber’s AWS environment and brings together OCR, full-text search, metadata, workflows, version history, access control, retention and integration support.
For businesses that want stronger document visibility without assembling the full software stack manually, the Yobitel AMI provides a practical starting point that can be launched, configured and managed through the organisation’s existing AWS account.
View on AWS Marketplace Explore Yobitel AWS solutions
FAQ
What is the best way to manage business documents on AWS? A purpose-built document management system is usually the best option when the organisation needs OCR, search, metadata, permissions, workflows, version history and retention. Yobitel’s AWS Marketplace AMI packages these capabilities in a Mayan EDMS-based environment.
Why is a shared drive not enough for enterprise document management? A shared drive mainly stores files in folders. It does not provide the same level of OCR search, structured metadata, workflow routing, version history and role-based document control expected from an EDMS.
Can scanned PDFs be searched? Yes. OCR reads text from scanned documents and images, and the extracted text can be included in full-text search.
Where are the documents stored? The solution runs inside the subscriber’s AWS account. The subscriber chooses the AWS Region, network and infrastructure settings used for deployment.
Does the solution support role-based access control? Yes. Users, groups and roles can be configured to control who can view, download, update or manage documents and system functions.
Can the system support document approvals? Yes. Workflows can move documents through review, approval, rejection and archive stages based on the organisation’s process.
Can it connect with ERP, CRM or internal applications? Yes. A REST API is available for integration with business systems and internal applications.
Do I need to install everything manually? No. The AWS Marketplace AMI is pre-configured to reduce the manual installation work typically required to prepare the application and its supporting services.
How do I sign in after deploying the AWS Marketplace AMI? Use the default username admin. The initial password is the deployed Amazon EC2 instance ID. Change the administrator password immediately after the first sign-in.
Mayan EDMS and its trademarks belong to their respective owners. Yobitel Communications Limited is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Mayan EDMS project or its maintainers. Yobitel independently packages, maintains and supports the AWS Marketplace image.
