ECM can help organizations make better decisions faster by managing content, optimizing business processes and enabling compliance.
What is Information Management?
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is the technologies used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization's unstructured information, wherever that information exists.
The following are all components of an ECM solution.
Business Process Management/Workflow -
The tools that move content throughout an identified business process, such as claims processing. BPM solutions are frameworks that can be used to develop, deploy, monitor, and optimize multiple types of process automation applications-including processes that involve both systems and people. Consider which processes are candidates for automation, and whether they require some degree of ad hoc processing or manual intervention. Workflow is now commonly associated with the manual processes of managing documents. Workflow handles approvals and prioritizes the order documents are presented. In the case of exceptions, workflow also escalates decisions to the next person in the hierarchy. These decisions are based on pre-defined rules developed by system owners.
Content and Documents -
Unstructured content enters an organization's IT infrastructure from a variety of sources. Regardless of how a piece of content enters, it has a lifecycle. Follow a document through its lifecycle as viewed through the use of ECM technology.
Scanning -
Paper generally enters the organization through a scanner, or sometimes, a multifunction device. In centralized scan operations, large volumes of paper are put into the system by dedicated workers. In distributed operations, smaller volumes of documents are captured with lower volume scanners or multifunction devices closer to their point of creation.
Document Imaging -
Software captures the image of the paper document. Increasingly, electronic document images have the same legal status as a paper document.
Forms Processing -
Business forms are ingested into the system. Most forms today are "structured"-the location of the form elements are known. The ability to process unstructured forms, those without a pre-defined form template, is improving.
Recognition -
Technologies that allow paper information to be translated to electronic data without manual data input. Recognition technologies have progressive capabilities from optical character recognition (OCR) to intelligent character recognitions (ICR) and are important for converting large amounts of forms or unstructured data to usable information in a content management system.
Categorization - Taxonomy
A taxonomy provides a formal structure for information, based on the individual needs of a business. Categorization tools automate the placement of content (document images, email, text documents, i.e., all electronic content) for future retrieval based on the taxonomy. Users can also manually categorize documents. Critical step to ensure that content is properly stored.
Indexing -
An essential part of the capture process, creates metadata from scanned documents (customer ID number, for example) so the document can be found. Indexing can be based on keywords or full-text.
Document Management -
Document management technology helps organizations better manage the creation, revision, approval, and consumption of electronic documents. It provides key features such as library services, document profiling, searching, check-in, check-out, version control, revision history, and document security.
Records Management -
Content of long-term business value are deemed records and managed according to a retention schedule that determines how long a record is kept based on either outside regulations or internal business practices. Any piece of content can be designated a record.
Email Management -
As the de facto standard for business communication, removing emails from the server and saving them to a repository isn't enough. Email must be classified, stored, and destroyed consistent with business standards-just as any other document or record.
Web Content Management -
Web content management technology addresses the content creation, review, approval, and publishing processes of Web-based content. Key features include creation and authoring tools or integrations, input and presentation template design and management, content re-use management, and dynamic publishing capabilities.
Digital Asset Management -
Similar in functionality to document management, DAM is focused on the storage, tracking, and use of rich media documents (video, logos, photographs, etc.). Roots of the technology are in the media and entertainment industry, currently experiencing growth, especially in marketing departments. Digital assets typically have high intellectual property value.
Repositories -
Structured and unstructured-the core of many ECM systems. This is where the data resides and where much of a company's investment in ECM resides. A repository can be a sophisticated system that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, or as simple as a file folder system in a smaller company. The key is to have information that can be found once it is placed in the system.
Storage -
Content needs to "live" somewhere. Storage technology (optical disks, magnetic, tape, microfilm, RAID, paper) provide options for storing content online for rapid access or near- or off-line for content that isn't needed often.
Content Integration -
Enables disparate content sources to look and act as a single repository
Migration -
As storage media ages, content must be moved to new media for continued accessibility.
Backup/Recovery -
Backing up content in various formats and/or locations helps to ensure business viability in the face of a disaster.
Search/Retrieval -
One of the greatest benefits of a strong ECM system is the ability to get out what you put in. By having strong indexing, taxonomy, and repository services, locating the information in your system should be a snap.
Syndication -
Distribution of content for reuse and integration into other content.
Personalization -
Drawing on a taxonomy and based on established user preferences, various types and subjects of content can be delivered via user-defined preferences.
Publish -
Content gets where and to whom it needs to go through a number of tools. Content can be delivered via print, email, websites, portals, text messages, RSS feeds.
Paper Electronic -
Portal, Intranet, Extranet, Email, Fax
Security -
Restricts access to content, both during its creation and management as well as when delivered.
Collaboration -
Collaboration technologies enable individual users, such as employees or business partners to easily create and maintain project teams, regardless of geographic location. These technologies facilitate collaborative, team-based content creation and decision-making.
Long Term Archival -
Content that must be preserved over decades must be saved to media, such as paper and film-based imaging, with longevity to match.