For anyone unfamiliar, Integrated Document Management (IDM) and Enterprise Content Management (ECM) are the strategies, methods and tools used to capture & collect, store, preserve, manage, secure, retrieve, track, archive, maintain, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. These tools and strategies most often involve the use of one or more document or content management software systems, which will integrate either directly or basically (e.g. screen scrape) to other pieces of organizational software.
IDM/ECM allows for the mining and assignment of vast amounts of data to individual documents or content. Retrieval is then transformed from the traditional method of having to remember which folder something was placed in, to searching on one or more pieces of data associated with the content. There are even pieces of information automatically assigned to content, such as ‘”storing user” and “date & time” which are easy to use as search criteria. This intelligent organization also leads to powerful abilities of reporting and business analysis.
Work Anywhere, Anytime
In many cases, the content can be accessed, organized, printed, emailed, approved, or commented on from any sort of workstation or mobile device at any time. Organizations and users are empowered with the infrastructure and ability to easily and efficiently operate remotely.
Security and Feeling Secure
Not only is it much easier to find a document or content, it can be secured on multiple levels. First, many of the software systems have impressive security to even get access to the system itself. Then, individual users can be restricted from seeing certain types of content. Ultimately, the biggest win here is not having to worry about losing a document in a transition/hand-off process or to some natural disaster like a coffee spill or hurricane. Everything can be backed up electronically.
Time is Precious
How much time is spent walking a piece of paper from one person to the next? How about having to mail a document for a signature and then wait to receive it back? How much time is spent filing papers…then retrieving them when needed? We could go on and on. Imagine uploading a document and placing an electronic stamp on it to have it automatically sent to the next person needing to take action; then maybe that person gets a notification on their phone, opens an app, hits approve, and the work begins or you get paid or whatever outcome has now been reached. A process that previously may have taken days, has been cut down to 30 seconds. …and that’s just ONE, small example…
Freedom
Some businesses have entire rooms and even entire facilities dedicated to file cabinets and paper document storage. It’s not uncommon to have the savings from not needing these to completely pay for the entire software solution. On a personal level, just to have a paper free desk, all while being assured immediate access to anything I need is a liberating, comforting feeling.
Value, and What I Do: Connect People to Value
There are many more advantages and solutions these software systems can provide and virtually anyone can benefit from a good document and content management strategy. It is my job to help connect those who can benefit to those who can provide the best solutions. That is my mission.
Stay humble, grow stronger!
Steven Harris-Weiel