Use DocuWare with AI via MCP
DocuWare holds invoices, contracts and personnel files in audit-proof archives, structured by index fields that lend themselves well to precise queries. There is no MCP server yet, so we connect the system to CompanyGPT individually via the documented Platform REST API.
What is DocuWare?
DocuWare is a document management and workflow system from DocuWare GmbH in Germering near Munich, part of the Japanese Ricoh Group. Companies use it for audit-proof archiving, invoice processing, contract filing and digital approval processes. It is available both as DocuWare Cloud in a SaaS model and as an on-premises installation in your own data centre.
For AI assistants, a DMS is a rich source because it stores not only files but also their metadata: document numbers, suppliers, amounts, deadlines and workflow status. This combination of full text and index fields enables answers that plain file search cannot deliver – for example, which contracts with a given supplier have a notice period falling in the current quarter.
Connection at a Glance
- MCP server
- None official – individual integration via the REST API
- Interface
- DocuWare Platform REST API, .NET SDK, webhooks
- Authentication
- OAuth2 via the DocuWare Identity Service
- Operating model
- Hybrid – DocuWare Cloud (SaaS) or on-premises
- Permissions
- Service account scoped per file cabinet, role-based control in CompanyGPT
How to Connect DocuWare to CompanyGPT
DocuWare does not currently offer an official MCP server; the few publicly available community projects are experimental and not suited to production use. For CompanyGPT we therefore build the connection individually.
The basis is the DocuWare Platform REST API, which allows searching file cabinets, reading documents and index fields, storing documents and triggering workflows; the .NET SDK and webhooks are available in addition. Authentication runs via the DocuWare Identity Service using OAuth2. Because the API is cleanly documented, it can be described in OpenAPI form and turned into MCP tools – and we select exactly the operations your use case requires. Where an automation layer makes sense, n8n can serve as an intermediate step; innFactory operates it as a separate service.
The operating model makes a difference: with DocuWare Cloud, CompanyGPT calls the API directly over the internet. If DocuWare runs on-premises in your data centre, the target system is made reachable through your network setup. In both cases the integration uses its own service account whose rights you can limit to specific file cabinets, while roles and groups in CompanyGPT decide who may use the integration.
Note for on-premises operation: CompanyGPT runs in your own Azure tenant – so your on-premises network can be connected directly: via a site-to-site VPN (Azure VPN Gateway) or ExpressRoute between your corporate network and the virtual network of your CompanyGPT environment. The system does not need to be publicly reachable; we set up the connection together with your IT team.
Typical Use Cases
How AI agents in CompanyGPT work with DocuWare
Find invoices in the archive
Accounting queries documents by supplier, period or amount and receives the matching documents with their index data instead of a long hit list.
Review contracts and deadlines
The agent compiles contracts with upcoming notice or renewal dates and summarizes the key terms so the team can prepare.
Trace approvals
For questions about a case, the assistant shows the status and history of the associated workflow – for example who approved an invoice and when.
Frequently Asked Questions
DocuWare and AI – the most important answers
Does DocuWare have an official MCP server?
No. DocuWare does not yet provide its own MCP server, and the available community repositories are experimental. We build the CompanyGPT connection on the official Platform REST API instead.
How does the individual integration work technically?
We describe the required API operations as an OpenAPI specification and expose them to CompanyGPT as MCP tools. The assistant then calls exactly the functions that were approved for your use case.
Does this also apply to an on-premises installation?
Yes. The Platform API is available in both operating models. With an installation in your own data centre, the only addition is the network link between your CompanyGPT environment and the DocuWare server.
Does the AI see every archived document?
No. The integration uses a service account whose permissions you limit to specific file cabinets and document types. On top of that, roles and groups in CompanyGPT control which employees can use the integration at all.
Can the AI store documents in DocuWare?
The REST API supports storing documents and triggering workflows. Whether we enable those operations or configure the integration read-only is your decision – the tool scope is defined per use case.
DocuWare and Your AI – GDPR-Compliant with CompanyGPT
CompanyGPT is the enterprise AI assistant in your own cloud tenant: all relevant AI models, your company data and integrations like DocuWare – centrally managed, with roles and permissions. We set up the connection together with you.
DocuWare is a trademark of its respective owner (DocuWare GmbH (Ricoh Group)). Its mention describes compatibility and does not imply any partnership or endorsement. Availability and scope of the connection depend on the respective vendor.