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Documents & document management · Understand

Connecting a DMS to the ERP, the CRM and email

Yes, a DMS can be connected to the ERP, the CRM and email, at three levels: a link to the document, a connector, or custom development. The goal is for the document to stay in its folder and for other tools to point to it. What breaks is duplicates, permissions that do not follow, and the attachment becoming the authoritative copy again.

Updated October 20266 minOfficial sources cited

Why link rather than copy

A signed contract often exists in four copies: in the salesperson’s mailbox, in the CRM customer record, in the ERP that issues invoices, and in a shared folder. When an amendment comes, nobody knows which one is current. When an audit comes, all of them have to be found.

Integrating a DMS means reversing the logic. The document lives in one place, with its permissions, versions and retention period. The other tools keep a reference to it, not a copy. A successful integration is measured by the number of copies it eliminates.

Three levels of integration

The link

This is the simplest level. A link to the document is placed in an email, in a field of the CRM record, in a note in the ERP. It respects the DMS permissions: someone without access to the folder opens nothing. It works with any tool, without development. Its limit is the manual step, and the temptation to create a public link “so that it works.”

The connector

A connector links two applications without anyone retyping by hand. It can be native (provided by one of the two vendors) or go through a third-party automation tool. It often relies on standards. WebDAV, defined by RFC 4918, adds the management of properties, collections and file locking to HTTP: an application can read and write in a document space as in a network folder. CMIS, an OASIS standard, describes a common data model and services for communicating with content management repositories. Before relying on either, check that both tools support it, and in which version.

Custom development

When no connector fits, the exchange is written: a call to a programming interface, automatic upload of a file, creation of a folder when a customer account is opened. It is the most precise level and the most costly to maintain, because every update to either tool can break it.

Email, CRM, ERP: what changes

Email: the link replaces the attachment

Sending a link rather than an attachment avoids filling up mailboxes, keeps a single version and lets you withdraw access later. For documents received, email connected to the DMS lets you save the attachment to the right folder from the message. Who does it still has to be decided. Otherwise, the inbox becomes the de facto filing system.

CRM: the sales file and PDFs

The CRM produces quotes, orders and invoices as PDFs. The question is which one is authoritative: the PDF generated by the CRM, or the signed version filed in the DMS. A simple rule: the CRM keeps what it produces, the DMS keeps what comes back signed, and the customer record points to the folder.

ERP: a case-by-case matter

The ERP is often the source of truth for accounting documents. The DMS holds the supporting documents and the approval workflow. The link between the two depends on the ERP: some accept a connector, others only a file drop or custom development. There is no generic answer: it calls for a study, and often a quote.

What to decide before connecting

  1. The source of truth for each type of document: invoice, contract, quote, delivery note. Only one tool is authoritative per type.
  2. Permissions: if a person has access to a customer in the CRM but not to the folder in the DMS, what do they see? The right answer is “nothing,” not “a public link.”
  3. Identities: do both tools recognize the same person with the same account? Otherwise, permissions diverge over time.
  4. Deletion: who deletes what, and when? A deletion in one tool must not leave a dead link in the other, or a forgotten copy.
  5. The connector’s technical account: it often sees everything. Its permissions must be limited to the necessary scope, and its activity logged.
DocumentPossible source of truthOther tools
QuoteCRMLink from the sending email
Signed contractDMSLink from the customer record
Supplier invoiceDMS for the supporting document and workflow, ERP for the accounting entryDocument reference in the ERP
Document received by emailDMS, once uploadedThe message keeps a link, not the original

Example: a distribution SME

Hypothetical case. A twenty-five-person distribution company wants to connect its tools without a heavy IT project.

It starts with the link. Quotes are created in the CRM and sent by email as a link. The signed contract is uploaded to the customer’s folder, and the CRM record points to that folder. Supplier invoices follow an approval workflow in the DMS; the accountant enters the transaction in the ERP, noting the document reference.

Six months later, the volume of invoices justifies a connector between the DMS and the ERP. The project is short, because the source of truth, permissions and file naming have already been decided.

Common mistakes

  • Connecting before deciding. The connector automates the existing mess.
  • Syncing in both directions. Two tools copying each other create conflicts and duplicates.
  • Opening public links to keep things simple. The link bypasses the permissions the DMS was meant to protect.
  • Giving the technical account full rights. It becomes the most attractive account to steal.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a connector to start?

No. The link covers most initial needs. A connector is justified when volume makes the manual step costly.

Is a sharing link in an email safe?

Yes, if it has a password, an expiry date and the minimum permission. See sharing links, partners and downloads.

What is WebDAV?

An extension of HTTP, standardized by RFC 4918, that lets you read, write and lock files remotely. Many tools use it to access a document space.

Can a DMS be connected to a CRM from another vendor?

Yes, through one of the three levels. The link always works; the connector depends on what both tools offer.

What is the difference between sharing, sync and a DMS?

See storage, sync, sharing and DMS.

Where Klytic fits

Klytic services are interconnected. They also communicate with your software in three published ways: through a native connection, through a third-party tool, or through custom development carried out by Klytic on quotation.

  • Klytic Mail and Klytic Docs are interconnected: from an email, you attach a document stored in Klytic Docs, or send a link instead of a large attachment; in the other direction, you save a received attachment directly to Klytic Docs.
  • Klytic CRM: customer records with linked documents, quotes and invoices in your branding; combined with Klytic Mail, Klytic Docs and Klytic Tel, it becomes the hub of sales activity. Inventory, purchasing, project and expense report modules can be enabled as needed.
  • Third-party ERP: Klytic does not publish a native connector. If you have an ERP, it calls for a study and a quote.

Each service is subscribed to separately and works on its own: Klytic Docs without Klytic Mail, Klytic CRM without Klytic Docs. The services rely on open standards and standard file formats. Each customer has a dedicated Klytic Docs instance, of which it is also the administrator.

The limits: no published connector catalog, no equivalence with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace integrations. Klytic is not a SecNumCloud-qualified offering.

This page describes general principles. The feasibility of an integration must be checked tool by tool.

Sources

Consulted in October 2026.

  • IETF, RFC 4918, HTTP Extensions for Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV), June 2007: management of properties, collections and resource locking over HTTP. rfc-editor.org
  • OASIS, Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) Version 1.1: common data model and services for interoperability between content management repositories. oasis-open.org
  • Klytic, home page: interconnected services, and communication with your software through a native connection, a third-party tool or custom development on quotation. klytic.com
  • Klytic, Klytic Docs page: link instead of attachment with Klytic Mail, subscription without Klytic Mail. klytic.com
  • Klytic, Klytic CRM page: documents linked to records, quotes in your branding, combination with Mail, Docs and Tel, modules that can be enabled. klytic.com
  • Klytic, frequently asked questions: each service is subscribed to separately; open standards and standard file formats. klytic.com

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Further reading

Use · Documents & document managementSharing links, partners and uploadsShare internally, send a protected link outside, work with a partner and avoid accidental sharing in Klytic Docs.7 min readRead →GuidesKlytic CRMKlytic CRM: contacts, quotes, invoices and e-invoicing in a hosted, sovereign CRM. Enable only the modules you need. Available worldwide.GuidesRead →GuidesKlytic DocsKlytic Docs: store, share and co-edit documents securely, with access rights and versioning. Sovereign document management for business. Available worldwide.GuidesRead →

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