These days, most every company has at least some sort of digital solution(s) for capturing and processing their documents. Efforts to reduced the use of paper have spawned various electronic sources (fax, email, mobile, shared folder, etc.) but in the end many of us are still just performing a classic store/retrieve action with our documents.
If this is the case for your company, I hate to break it to ya but in terms of the technology and end user expectations your solution has become somewhat of a Baby Boomer. This is not completely bad but similar to other baby boomer editions, there are limitations to the flexibility, speed and functionality (wink,wink).
As a result, your ability to respond to current business demands can fall short if your Electronic Content Management (ECM) solution is not able to deliver. If you’ve recently made a substantial investment in your solution then an upgrade and/or addition of functionality on top of a solid solution can add new life and improve efficiency. When your core system is solid then it is possible to keep additional investment to a minimum while keeping your business relative to today’s competitive environment.
So if your ECM solution is outdated or just needs a tune-up what can you do?
- Assess if your current solution is meeting your business needs against your competitors. Who is the market leader and is system speed and functionality giving them the advantage?
- Determine if the underlying technology and functionality available for your ECM system is up to today’s standards and needs.
- If your underlying solution is solid then consider adding functionality that aids to automate your processes (OCR data extraction, workflow, mobile capture, etc.). Also look for functions that allow integration with your other systems in place of manual keying or rework.
- Even if your processes are fine you might look at dashboard reporting and similar applications that allow you to analyze processes and make ongoing improvements that drive down costs and speed delivery to customers.
- Reach out to your solution partner for help in analyzing where you are and what could be done to get you the most for your continued investment.
Don’t end up like a baby boomer that stays in the past with old, tired processes and solutions. Keep your options up to date and the life of your ECM system will be fuller and longer!