To easily obtain a work flow for an acquired object document by retrieving a document similar to an object document from stored documents and outputting a prescribed work flow for the document.

A document storage means 501 stores the document whose work flow is prescribed. An object document acquiring means 502 acquires the object document as a determination object of the work flow. A retrieval means 503 retrieves the document similar to the object document obtained by the object document acquiring means 502 from the documents stored in a document storage means 501. Then an output means 504 outputs the work flow prescribed for the document retrieved by the retrieval means 503. Thus, the object document as the determination object of the work flow is obtained, the document similar to the acquired object document is retrieved, and the work flow prescribed for the retrieved similar document is outputted to easily determine the work flow for the obtained object document.