Enterprise Content Management

 Share Page

Managing paper is one of the biggest challenges our customers face, but the thought of organizing it all doesn’t have to end in frustration.

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of document management. You’re probably thinking it involves tons of scanning, storage, automation and money. The thought alone would probably cause a small spike in your blood pressure, but the biggest tragedy would be taking no action at all—a paper stale mate, if you will.

There are a number of tools at our disposal that can help you ease the burden of paper and other materials. Label Value is lucky to have an AIIM Enterprise Content Management Certified staffer, so we challenged him to create this "ECM Beginner's Guide", a reference guide outlining how practices for the largest companies can be scaled down for use by almost anyone, including the smallest e-bay reseller.

What is Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?

1. It's a process of capturing, preserving, managing and delivering documents.
2. ECM is not just one simple solution, but a fabric of solutions that help you access data contained within your documents being organized.
3. Data within an ECM might be used to provide content for Web sites, help you manage architectural drawings, be used for versioning, storage and retrieval of video surveillance footage or to affect live searches on traditional paper business records.

Is ECM right for your business?

Before embracing ECM, you must consider how information will be captured, stored, managed and delivered. It is also helpful to consider factors like the knowledge and skills of workers, available budget, sharing requirements, accessibility and/or limiting access of the information and knowledge that will be managed.

This will ensure that the scope of the project is both reasonable and in keeping with government regulations, business practices and in keeping with the protection of business assets. By way of further example, here are some things businesses often struggle with when considering ECM solutions.

What should businesses consider before committing to ECM?

1. How will email, including attachments, be managed, made searchable and easily retrieved when and if needed?
2. Will more efforts be put into collecting information, or will the information be actively managed and made useable, thereby providing more than a backup but actual value?
3. How will ECM be integrated into business practices to ensure different groups c an access pertinent information, and/or limit sensitive information to those not needing access?
4. What resources will be required to manage the information and will the solution/s be scalable enough to support changes in governmental regulations like Sarbanes Oxley, the Patriot Act etc.?
5. What are the key drivers behind my interests?

Regardless of the specific questions you ask yourself, you should be honest with yourself as to why you want to keep this information as well as what information should be kept and which discarded.

The journey to ECM nirvana has become increasingly more challenging as companies look to save money and defer IT oriented expenses. Here are a few ways poor information management can negatively impact your business.

• Breaks in workflow do not allow timely access of useful information
• Lack of information or consistency during head-count reduction or turnover
• Financial hardship due to inaccurate or inaccessible records
• Compliance challenges
• Poor quality (service or product)
• Expenses born in legal matters where files are misplaced or data like emails, voice mail, instant messaging, or email attachments are not available
• Improper data is stored or data is not stored long enough

Now that you understand the concepts of ECM, let’s dive a bit deeper into the process of ECM and the first process – Capture. Capture is the process of getting information from all sources into your ECM System/Solution. It is the first step in gaining control over the information and to having a meaningful contextual use for it. Data can be captured in a host of ways – Web pages, instant messaging, text messaging, video, scanned documents, electronic documents like text, word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphic or other files.

With paper being one of the more challenging issues to resolve, it might be helpful to look at a few ways to manage this task and the benefits of doing so. Papers stored in file cabinets contain tremendously valuable information but if inaccessible, they are literally of no value. Starting a backfile conversion (a process of converting file cabinets to electronic documents by scanning) not only reclaims expensive office space, but also allows greater accessibility.

• Files can be searched locally by title, or for specific content, assuming they are scanned using OCR (optical character recognition), ICR (intelligent character recognition), OMR (optical mark recognition) and or via bar code recognition.
• Forms processing software can also be a big benefit here.
• Files can be searched by anyone with appropriate network rights allowing worldwide access.
• Being able to search the content of files ensures even a misfiled document can be found and accessed 24-7.
• Multiple users can access the same file at a given time ensuring uninterrupted business flow.
• Documents can be easily referenced and distributed within seconds.

Scanning can be accomplished with inexpensive multifunction printers (MFPs), with dedicated document scanners from manufacturers like Kodak, Fujitsu, Xerox, Pearson and HP or be outsourced to a host of companies, each resulting in a cost-to-value benefit for almost every company size and budget. In fact, many low-cost software applications like Dymo File matched with an entry level document scanner make this solution affordable for the SOHO (small office, home office) user.

Like with any project, if you outsource this function, be sure to understand your requirements and choose a partner accordingly. Consider, support services, service level agreements (SLAs), subject matter expertise and costs. Also consider legal implications (especially if data is housed offshore), current disaster recovery plans, privacy policies and how audits will be conducted. Remember, that the reliable data storage and immediacy of its access (on-line, off-line, near-line) is crucial to the overall success of this ongoing project. Don’t forget potential data disposal plans too.

By now the benefits of ECM should be coming clear, but let’s take a few seconds to look at a few less obvious ways in which the information we have captured, managed, stored and preserved can be repurposed and or delivered for even greater value.

How can I start with ECM today?

Enterprise content management or document management is a journey and embarking upon that roadway can be as simple as starting to use common tools already at your disposal. Here are a few ways you can start your journey today.

• Update Contact Information - use an online service like Plaxo, a social network like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook to update contact information – name, address, phone, email etc.
• Scan Business Cards - if you commonly receive business cards, consider purchasing a scanner and contact management utility like Neat Business Card Scanner or CardScan.
• Receive Electronic Faxes - consider a service like eFax where faxes are received electronically rather than on paper.
• Invest in Affordable Technology - save money by using your MFP to scan documents into PDF format or conside the purchase of a dedicated document scanner like a Kodak ScanMate or Fujitsu ScanSnap.
• Archive Voicemail - route your VOIP voicemail through your email so recordings can be stored and archived indefinitely.
• Backup, Backup, Backup – archive and manage all files by burning onto DVDs or other long term technologies.
• Use Document Management Software - like Dymo File, Cardis, Fujitsu’s Rack2-Filer, CardScan Executive, Plaxo, ACT!, Microsoft Business Contact Manager, Microsoft XPS Document Writer, Iris Business Card Scanners or Filenet.

How will ECM benefit my business?

• Reduce time lost to searching for files and other pertinent information - better organization will create efficiencies and ultimately reduce costs.
• Foster a more collaborative environment by sharing or making accessible robust data stores.
• Control the paper problem, by turning piles into files.
• Eliminate costly file cabinets and stop paying rent for lost office space.
• Reduce off site storage expenses.
• Peripherals like scanners are a tremendous bang for the buck as they can be used for other internal business needs too.
• Put information to work through repurposing.
• Scare your competition by looking larger and more efficient through the use of affordable technology.
• Innovation.

Where do we go from here?

1. Additional resources related to content management can be found at www.aiim.org
2. Do not hesitate to contact Label Value regarding your needs or challenges. Our AIIM Enterprise Content Management Certified staff will be happy to work with you at no cost or obligation.
3. Check out our other informative overviews.
• Dymo File: Turn Piles into Files
• DLS8: Dymo Label Software

Enterprise Content Management – a continuous process of capturing, preserving, managing and delivering documents.

Versioning – Tracking the evolution of documents through managing changes in a successive fashion.

Workflow – the structure or a work procedure and its relative order.

Backfile Conversion – a process of systematically converting files and file cabinets to electronic documents.

Forms Processing – Extraction of specific data from printed forms via electronic methods.

MultifuntionMultifunction Printers (MFPs) – an all in one peripheral usually containing a printer, scanner and having a relatively small desktop footprint.

NAS – Network attached storage.

SAN – Storage area network.

RAID – Redundant array of independent disks.

Arrays – a disk storage system using multiple disks or drives.

WORM – Write once, read many/multiple times.

Magneto Optical Disks – an optical disk drive capable of reading and writing data without physically contacting the magnetic storage material.

Computer Output to Laser Disk (COLD) – software that transfers printed documents to optical or magneto optical disks.

Optical Disks – a technology using light, laser or electromagnetic waves to read and store information. One of the most currently recognized uses of this technology is CD and DVDs.

PDF/A – Adobe format for Portable Document Formats w Archival characteristics suitable for long term documents.

VOIP - voice transmission over internet protocol.