DMS Project Brief Template: What to Include Before Talking to Vendors

Walking into a DMS vendor demo without a project brief means the vendor controls the conversation. A written brief gives you and any consultant you hire a common starting point. Use this template as a starting structure — adapt it to your business.

Section 1: Business Overview

• Organisation name and sector
• Number of employees (total and document system users)
• Number of sites / locations
• Current technology environment — Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace / other; cloud or on-premise infrastructure?
• IT resources — do you have in-house IT, an IT support company, or nothing?

Section 2: Current State (the Problem)

• Where documents currently live — shared drive, SharePoint, email, paper, a mix?
• Current pain points — can't find documents, version confusion, no mobile access, compliance concerns, security gaps?
• Approximate document volumes — how many documents are created or received per month? How many years of existing documents need to be migrated?
• Document types in scope — contracts, invoices, client files, HR records, quality documents — list the main categories
• Paper documents in scope? — yes/no; if yes, estimate volumes and how documents currently arrive on paper

Section 3: Requirements

• Mandatory requirements — things the system must do to be considered (e.g. GDPR-compliant, integrates with Sage, works on mobile)
• Important requirements — things that matter but aren't absolute dealbreakers
• Nice to have — things you'd value but wouldn't pay significantly more for
• Integration requirements — list every other system the DMS should connect to: CRM, ERP, accounting, HR, email
• Compliance requirements — GDPR, ISO 9001, sector-specific regulations?
• Access requirements — does it need to work from mobile? From remote locations? By external partners or clients?

Section 4: Project Constraints

• Budget range — be honest with consultants and vendors; they can filter options to your range. Give a realistic range rather than "as low as possible."
• Timeline — is there a deadline driving the project (lease on premises, compliance audit, contract expiry)?
• Internal resource — how much staff time can be committed to the project? Who is the internal project lead?
• Technical constraints — anything the system must or must not use (e.g. must be UK-hosted, must not require VPN, must support ADFS/SSO)

Section 5: Success Criteria

• How will you know the project has succeeded? Define 3–5 measurable outcomes:
  • "Staff can find any document in under 60 seconds"
  • "No documents stored outside the DMS within six months of go-live"
  • "Retention schedule implemented and retention labels applied to all document types"
  • "SAR response time reduced to under one hour"

Section 6: Stakeholders

• Project sponsor — senior leader with authority to approve spend and remove barriers
• Project lead — day-to-day manager of the implementation
• Key users to involve in requirements — one or two representatives from each major user group
• Decision maker(s) — who signs off on vendor selection?

How to Use This Brief

Send this brief to any consultant you're evaluating before your first meeting. It allows them to prepare relevant questions and relevant experience rather than starting from zero. It also filters out consultants who can't engage meaningfully with a brief. When talking to vendors, share the brief — it prevents demos being a generic walkthrough and forces them to address your specific requirements.