AMANDA, an acronym for Automated Management of Document Access, is a completely online intraorganizational document based retrieval system. It is both a reference system, in that an indexed summary of surrogate of a document is created and stored for retrieval by computer, and a full text system, and in that the complete document can be entered, searched, and retrieved if needed. AMANDA is capable of handling a wide variety of document types (e.g., letter, memo, report, contract, reprint, book) by tailoring an organizational communication. A system which widens the channels of communication and helps to integrate disjoint functions provides large and complex organizations the means of overcoming a basic operational deficiency. AMANDA is currently in active use within several departments at American Critical Care, a division of American Hospital Supply Corporation. Departments at other divisions access the system from remote sites.