Document management techniques to account for user-specific patterns in document metadata

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing an electronic document management system for accounting for patterns in metadata to:

• identify one or more user-specific naming patterns in metadata created by a first user in connection with a first plurality of electronic documents;
• record, in said at least one storage medium, said identified one or more user-specific naming patterns in at least one of a naming patterns file (NPF), database, and lookup table;
• receive a document query from a second user;
• modify the document query based on the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns;
• and
• account for, in said modified document query, at least one of aliases, acronyms and shorthand spellings from the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns,
• such that the document query returns one or more relevant electronic documents from the first plurality of electronic documents despite the second user's ignorance of the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns.

An electronic document management system (DMS) for accounting for patterns in metadata, the system comprising:

• a DMS server having at least one computer processor;
• at least one storage medium storing electronic documents and metadata associated therewith;
• and
• at least one of a user interface and a network interface,
• said DMS server being configured to:
• identify one or more user-specific naming patterns in metadata created by a first user in connection with a first plurality of electronic documents;
• record, in said at least one storage medium, said identified one or more user-specific naming patterns in at least one of a naming patterns file (NPF), database, and lookup table;
• receive a document query from a second user;
• modify the document query based on the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns and at least one of aliases, acronyms and shorthand spellings from the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns such that the document query returns one or more relevant electronic documents from the first plurality of electronic documents despite the second user's ignorance of the one or more identified user-specific naming patterns.