Preparing for your ECM Implementation: A Short (and sweet) Primer for Success

By Allen Gavlak, Account Manager, Optical Image Technology

(This article originally appeared in a September, 2008 publication of ECM Connection)

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When you look back on the personal milestones in your life—buying a house, getting married, having children, etc.—you probably remember the planning stages of the events as vividly as the events themselves. The minutia and logistics that are associated with successful planning are often the difference between success and failure. Even simple tasks such as planting a garden or traveling internationally require careful forethought and preparation.

In the business world, the right preparation can result in tremendous dividends down the line. If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably committed to implementing an enterprise content management (ECM) system. You’ve put a lot of time, energy, and effort into researching a solution, choosing a vendor, and acclimating your staff to the transition from paper processes to digital. You’ve studied your enterprise, consulted with staff and other professionals, and outlined a plan of action. But what’s next? What steps can you take now to get the most out of your upcoming software implementation?

Backfile Scanning

The logical starting point for most organizations is to commence backfile scanning. This will enable immediate access to your existing records and files as soon as your ECM system is implemented. You will need to decide whether onsite or offsite backfile scanning is your best option. Should you choose to box up your documents and send them offsite for scanning, bear in mind that you will be without those documents for the duration of the scanning process.

Some organizations choose to perform their backfile scanning in-house, designating specific employees and resources for that task. Alternatively, you can contract a vendor to scan your documents onsite. This would allow you to access them if they are needed during the backfile conversion period. This option usually results in the least amount of disruption to your business processes. Ideally, your ECM vendor should have an existing relationship with a backfile scanning company in order to make the process quick, smooth, and painless.

Indexing

As you are converting your backfiles to electronic media, it is important to enact an indexing scheme that will be meaningful to your organization regardless of which department is attempting to retrieve information. Assess the needs of your entire enterprise, and take into consideration suggestions from staff from various levels of your business. Thorough planning is critical. Establishing an indexing scheme that is relevant to everyone in your organization may be one of the more difficult aspects of your conversion to paperless processes.

As you develop an indexing strategy, be sure to take into consideration your future searching needs. Enlist your vendor’s help to establish an indexing scheme that will be meaningful and relevant as your organization expands.

Security

When you think about security, you want to consider it from some different perspectives. Obviously you will want to place limits on who can access specific information. Knowing in advance the security restrictions that you are planning to offer to different departments and individuals can help expedite your transition from paper to electronic processes.

In addition to considering security from the perspective of your staff, you should also think about it with respect to compliance requirements. Specifically, you should take into consideration lifecycle management strategies that are mandated by your industry. Regulations often dictate the amount of time that certain records need to be retained. Going into your installation, you can talk with your vendor about automating retention and destruction schedules for your records. Your ECM system will ensure that documents will not be kept beyond their retention requirements, and will not be destroyed prematurely.

Consultation

Don’t underestimate the value of a consultation with your vendor’s professional services department. Expert vendors usually have more than twenty years of experience with ECM implementation. Taking advantage of this experience can be an investment that will pay for itself many times over. As you are all too well aware, ECM implementations sometimes do not meet the needs of organizations. Sometimes they even fail. A consultation with your vendor’s professional services team can uncover potential roadblocks to success as well as streamline efficiencies.

A business process analysis from an experienced vendor can help you to optimize processes throughout your organization in ways that you never dreamed possible. A professional services team can work with you every step of the way—from discovery and design through implementation and support. Furthermore, if you want to address any needs that might involve customization, it can be extremely beneficial to address these with a services team prior to software implementation

Conclusion

Industry experts agree upon the rule of Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance. By making efforts up front to get the most out of your ECM installation, you ensure significant dividends down the line. Your vendor may have further recommendations about how to make the most of your pre-implementation phase. Establish a dialogue now to ensure that your needs are met in the future.

To learn more about preparation for an upcoming ECM implementation, please contact Optical Image Technology (http://www.docfinity.com) at 814.238.0038 or email info@docfinity.com.

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