Must-See ECM Solutions for 2009

Marketing is the second-oldest profession in the world. And behind every product—regardless of its purpose or practicality—resides a marketing message that can be difficult to ignore. It’s a little scary to reminisce about the things that we couldn’t live without. Remember New Coke? Parachute pants? Polaroid cameras? And in terms of personal style, who can forget (as much as we’d like to) mullets and rat tails?

Consumers have always been more than happy to invest in the latest and greatest. The Walkman, the Betamax, the 8-track player, Pong, and even the Ginsu knife (if you’ll excuse the pun) were once considered cutting edge technologies. Innovations that once reigned supreme—laser discs, Palm Pilots, floppy disks, camera phones, etc.—have since been replaced with products that are more technologically advanced. Still, behind every product was a fervent marketing message advertising its relevance to contemporary society.

Clearly, technology has evolved. So, too, have marketing messages. ECM vendors will undoubtedly be touting must-see software for the new year. Predictably, in addition to improving your business, these new solutions will offer all things to all organizations. They will claim to slice, dice, chop, and—if you act now—revitalize your business processes. Call now, because supplies are limited. But wait…there’s more! There’s always more. This year you will be inundated with alluring marketing messages telling you what you need. Admittedly, it is hard to resist the idea of a quick fix. It is tempting to imagine that there might be shiny new software that can address all of your business challenges. Unfortunately, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

When you can’t see the forest for the trees

Must-see solutions for 2009 are definitely a reality. And you are going to see them. But what you “must see” foremost is what’s going on right in front of you. Look around. Because unless you have a solid grasp on your current business processes, any ECM solution that you implement is doomed to never live up to your expectations.

It is essential that you have an understanding of the business processes that drive your organization, along with the data and documents that drive decisions within those processes. You also have to have an awareness of your existing inefficiencies.

Typically, organizations are well aware of the benefits that are associated with the reduction of paper throughout their enterprise. In many cases, they implement an ECM system solely for the purpose of making information available electronically. This is a huge mistake. Don’t get me wrong—businesses will see improvements in turnaround and customer service by reducing paper and implementing electronic storage and retrieval. The technology provides obvious gains. But organizations that stop here will be barely scratching the surface of what ECM has to offer. ECM is not solely about the elimination of the manual passing of paper. It is about the distribution of information. Overlooking its versatility would be akin to buying an iPhone or BlackBerry and using it only to make and receive calls.

Looking internally at must-see solutions

Once you can grasp and document your existing processes and inefficiencies, you can start making an educated list of needs. This might include such capabilities as remote access, integrated document access within your current LOB applications, implementing automated workflow, records management, decentralized scanning, etc. The goal is to let your business processes dictate your solution. Implementing an ECM system successfully is not solely about vendor product offerings. The last thing you want to do—especially in this economy—is look at the great shiny things that vendors are offering in 2009. Forget about them for now. Figure out what you need, and find an integrated solution that addresses those needs.

Think about not only what is going on today; but what will be in store for the future. Are there lines of business that you will be adding or dropping? Do you have plans to expand? This is of equal importance when you create your needs list. Consider the economy. Despite the prevailing marketing message, don’t be tempted by what is new and shiny. ECM vendors will be promoting must-see solutions to any organization that expresses a need, but without an understanding of your current business processes, you will be wasting your investment.

Getting the most out of your software implementation

Let’s face it. In this economy, no one is rushing out with a bucket full of money to buy anything. The right solution is the one that fits your business needs—and your budget—the best. It is very tempting to look for an external solution. ECM vendors—and their marketing departments—will be more than happy to tell you (and sell you) what they think you need.

So do your homework. The ad campaigns may be difficult to ignore, but until you are able to perform an honest internal assessment of your business processes, ignore them you must. Despite what the marketing messages would have you believe, fifty percent of all ECM implementations fail. This usually is not due to any intrinsic fl aw in any one ECM software system. As you might guess, failure typically is the result of organizations having high expectations of technology but little understanding of their business processes. Let your processes dictate your solution, and choose a product that has the fl exibility and extensibility to address your needs no matter what your size or industry. If you are intimidated by the prospect of a self-evaluation, invest in a professional assessment of your business processes. Above all, though, remember that the must-see essential is right under your nose.

For more information or to schedule a demonstration, please Contact DocFinity now.