Planning and Executing Your ECM Project: Assembling the Right Team

By Ron Prichard, President, Optical Image Technology

View printable PDF (opens in new window)

Do you find it challenging to communicate a corporate vision that is correctly interpreted and unanimously understood by your staff? Do goals sometimes slip from the radar due to a lack of staff commitment or motivation? Are you convinced members of your staff have creative ideas and observations that would benefit your company, but are never shared? If so, you’re not alone, but if you are about to embark on an enterprise content management (ECM) implementation and maximize the value of your digital content and your people, management challenges like these must be addressed.

Strong executive leadership is critical in establishing a vision that’s embraced and supported by employees. Leadership, passion, communication, commitment, listening, problem solving, perseverance, creativity, and good judgment are only some of the skills required to be successful. ECM projects require all of this from a company’s executive leaders. They also require something that is too often overlooked: the right team of players, from the start, who work together to sharpen the vision, devise strategies to support it, and make it real. The people on the team, their skill set, alignment of strategies with vision, and ability to communicate effectively are as integral to a project’s success as the solution that is chosen.

Creating an environment that encourages and empowers staff to think creatively, communicate openly, and work together toward established goals isn’t easy. Not all leaders welcome new ideas and candor, yet both are vital for ECM projects as well as for business process management (BPM) implementations, the automation of processes related to your critical content. It’s important to set clear goals and high standards, but it’s equally critical to demonstrate your belief in staff’s individual and collective ability to succeed.

Assembling the right team

Although it’s tempting to take a purely top-down approach to an ECM project, try to think of it more like a football game or an orchestral performance. Neither fast-moving linemen nor stellar musicians bring a team or an orchestra to their full potential unless all of the positions are filled by capable people who understand and are personally committed to the articulated goals of the game or performance. A shining quarterback and tight end can’t do everything alone, and a great symphonic piece is nothing without all of the instruments represented. The coach and conductor are vital, but they can only soar with the creativity, talent, candor, and commitment of the players. The players, in turn, only excel under the clear direction of their leader. Your role is to make sure the team is complete and to bring out the best in them, from the most visible players to those who fill essential supporting roles.

There are eight key role types that are required on any ECM project team, although the exact positions and numbers of people will vary greatly depending on your company size and individuals’ responsibilities. Whether your company has a staff of four who wear multiple hats or four thousand with many specialists, make sure the people who assume the functions described below are part of your team. Both you and they must understand the vital part each plays in the process.

1. Executive-level management: establishing vision and excitement for ECM

Executives (CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs) who stand behind an ECM project make a huge difference in successful adoption and implementation. Leaders need to recognize the business needs that are driving the ECM implementation, the benefits that will result, and have the authority to drive the project forward, including necessary changes. Financial backing, authority, clear project ownership, and an overall understanding of time, quality, and budget components are critical in defining project focus and meeting strategic initiatives.

Executives who delegate involvement to others further down the chain and withdraw from the process and communications entirely make a big mistake. Employees only embrace a solution fully when they know their leaders have a solid vision, believe in the solution, can communicate its value to the business and to the users, will establish high standards and clear expectations, and will encourage staff to succeed. Don’t just give an executive nod of support to your ECM project. While you don’t need to be the primary cheerleader from start to finish, the tone you set will lay the foundation for everyone.

2. Line-of-business managers: understanding how your business works

Even company-wide ECM and BPM implementations typically start with one or two departments that will benefit most from automation or have the greatest need of change. Starting with one or two areas is wise, as it lets you reach early, demonstrable achievements and benefits that propel innovation across the enterprise. Management involvement from the departments that are involved is crucial. As a leader, you may be primarily focused on the ideals of tomorrow, but your line-of-business (LOB) managers understand the daily “pains” of business today. They concentrate on organizational effectiveness through current processes, and are the bridges that will carry your business forward. Managers have the most holistic overview of their departments—their everyday processes as well as their strengths, weaknesses, and potential. They can help you reach your destination because they understand where they are right now, where they need to be, and the barriers in between. Their voices must be heard.

LOB managers are well aware of what is done in their departments and why. They know what documents are received and processed, the data sources (Web, paper, voice mails), the point where documents enter specific processes, and records retention rules pertaining to their business area. They also know which other business areas need access to their documents and data. LOB managers usually have keen insight into operational systems, processes, and policies that support their organization’s mission. When you automate a department’s routine processes, you must have input from the managers who are most familiar with the ins and outs so they can ensure that the solution matches the need.

3. Business analyst: providing perspective and discerning opportunities for improvement

Whether you have business analysts in house or plan to hire the services of your ECM vendor and relieve your staff of the burden, analysts play a decisive role in process automation. You have the most complete view of your company as a whole, but analysts have (or will obtain) the most extensive view of the labyrinth of processes that comprise everyday business. Business is best understood as a series of interrelated processes that drive a company. In order to streamline and automate them effectively, those processes must be diagrammed, analyzed, and understood thoroughly so they can be improved. End users involved in specific processes help analysts find the puzzle pieces. The analyst assembles them so the company can be understood operationally as a whole. This person also verifies that BPM strategies align with the ECM vision and will deliver anticipated results.

4. Records managers and compliance officers: making sure solutions match needs

Regulatory compliance is a major ECM driver. Executives should include records managers and compliance officers on the team, even when projects are purely focused on operational efficiency. Solid ECM and BPM solutions track file access and interaction to support internal audits, assist with internal governance, and facilitate compliance. Records managers know file access rules like the back of their hands, which is helpful in analyzing existing processes and establishing electronic viewing, signing, approval, and other rights electronically. Compliance officers are informed about regulations and internal policies. They are instrumental in ensuring that the digital solution follows business rules that enforce compliance and provides the information needed to prove it. Representation from these areas now prevents time-consuming changes later.

5. IT and IS managers: converting business & IT challenges into workable solutions

IT and IS managers typically are responsible for translating executive and departmental business goals into a technology plan, ensuring the solution and corporate IT governance line up with existing best practices. They must formulate realistic enterprise IT goals to support operational objectives, and then strategically decide upon appropriate technologies that will be implemented, managed, and supported by systems and database administrators (DBAs). Decisions about the ECM implementation and integration with other systems will be driven by existing infrastructure, budgets, expectations and timelines, and vendor capabilities. IT/IS managers, vendors, and LOB managers must communicate early in the vision process so time is not wasted rethinking and redesigning the project later.

If your IT/IS manager knows the right database and security questions to ask your chosen ECM software vendor, you may not need to involve your systems administrator and DBA initially. In many cases, however, specialists need to be consulted so complete and accurate database and security information can be supplied to the vendor, as there may be corporate policies and security issues that could affect the way the solution is implemented. Make sure your IT/IS manager is candid about his or her expertise in these areas, since you don’t want your vendor to have to change course due to insufficient or inaccurate information.

6. Systems administrators & DBAs: persevering until it’s right

Systems administrators and DBAs shoulder a lot of the responsibility for effective ECM as well as BPM, so it’s important to involve them actively in communications with LOB managers, project managers, and end users. Many SAs and DBAs are responsible for a wide variety of tasks, from developing the project’s functional requirements to system modifications. They also ensure effective computing resources, training, documentation, and technical database support; must translate regulations into data security procedures; and more. Often overworked and stressed, these administrators need to know you see them as vital to your organization’s data integrity, operational efficiency, and long-term competitiveness. This will encourage them to commit their energies and talents toward optimizing your project.

Digital storage and process automation greatly simplify an organization’s ability to track file interactions and demonstrate compliance. Again, the systems administrator is pivotal. Success depends on translating laws, rules, and policies effectively into standards for data entry, and applying appropriate security and feature rights for accessing, viewing, signing, approving, or otherwise acting on specific document types.

Smart business executives respond to market pressures by constantly evolving and improving. Challenges, processes, and people change continuously. SAs and DBAs who interact regularly with department managers and users may see opportunities for improvement before you do. They can play a proactive role in your company’s evolution rather than simply reacting to mandated changes. It’s wise to keep them in the loop.

7. End users: discovering what will and won’t work

Since end users handle the daily nitty gritty of routine business processes, you need their input to streamline and enhance the access, presentation, and use of company information. Communication between end users and the IT staff who will administer the system is vital to ensure the solution is configured for optimal use and user performance. By being aware of their needs, challenges, and concerns, you eliminate potential disconnects between the robust features and functionality of your chosen solution and its usability. A solution that adds document control, provides better tracking, and integrates seamlessly with line-of-business systems won’t be embraced if it slows end user routines or adds unnecessary steps. Remember, your workers want to be star performers. They want to work faster and smarter for you. Usability tests with end users help to ensure they can and will be the star workers you need.

8. Project manager: the linchpin of your ECM project

Regular and appropriate communication between and among all ECM stakeholders is vital for success. The project manager is the linchpin that makes sure the communication wheel turns smoothly. He or she must understand business needs, have a firm grasp on IT, and be a passionate cheerleader who helps every player advance toward meeting project goals.

Projects managers must be proactive communicators, anticipating potential problems and risks and reacting promptly to challenges as they occur. Their effectiveness will determine whether a project meets milestones and expected timelines. They must:

Segment projects into small, manageable work units or phases;
Accurately and regularly verify progress;
Establish quality assurance and control procedures and checkpoints;
Provide concise and accurate status reports and project documentation;
Communicate implementation options, issues, and concerns regularly with lineof- business managers and other key staff;
Define and communicate issue resolution processes, making sure they are followed.

To be effective, a project manager must be fully apprised of all angles of the project and communicate with all people involved, from the top to the bottom of the organizational hierarchy. Since this person will serve as a leader, cheerleader, influencer, negotiator, and much more, choose this person wisely.

Forging a solution together: working with your ECM vendor

It’s important to remember that if you’ve chosen a worthy ECM vendor, their leaders are as vested in your success as you are, since the vendor’s reputation depends on meeting or even surpassing expectations. Unfortunately, ECM and the BPM strategies that are built upon it sometimes fail, often because of vendors who are not viewed as stakeholders in a project’s success or due to poor communication.

Whether your project lands in the field of victories or the graveyard of fiascos depends on many factors, but the most important ones are in your control:

Establish a clear corporate and project vision that is communicated to everyone on the team, accompanied by clear expectations for each person involved in the project.
Assemble a carefully chosen team that has the authority, skill set, and commitment to define, establish, follow, and implement clear strategies that are aligned with your corporate vision and ECM/BPM goals.
Make sure a detailed, well-written, flexible Statement of Work (SOW) is written by the vendor’s professional services team and reviewed closely by your company’s project team. It must include expectations of both parties, including timelines, milestones, benchmarks, and budgets if the project is to remain on task, on time, and on budget. Vendor requirements must be spelled out so you have everything they need in place at the right time and there are no surprises. As new information is gleaned, or project changes are requested, the SOW must be adjustable. Also, change management issues such as training and support must be covered so staff can embrace the new solution and use it effectively.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Don’t make any assumptions about details. Don’t neglect to invest time up front to address important issues. Don’t lose sight of the vital partnership between your company and the vendor. Everything revolves around communication.
Understand that an ECM project is a journey down a long, winding, changeable road with bumps, potholes, unexpected turns, forks, and unpaved ground along the way. ECM implementations are a major undertaking designed to use your most critical assets—your people and your information—as effectively as possible. You must establish and build a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship and interactive working style if you are to succeed. This always works better than holding a vendor hostage to your project, or having them do the same to you.

Summary

Business writers James Belasco and Ralph Stayer once stated, “Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.”¹ As difficult as it may be, you need to encourage, empower, and motivate others to take a stake in your ECM project’s success, and be prepared to give up what’s familiar for something better. Don’t relinquish your vision—rather, encourage others to help you put the details onto the canvas as it’s painted. The result will be a priceless masterwork, far greater in value than the vision you or a few highly placed members of the team could create on your own.

Optical Image Technology offers an integrated suite of imaging, document management, and workflow software, including document archiving, lifecycle management, electronic forms, and email management products. To learn more about our products and services, visit our website at www.docfinity.com, email info@docfinity.com, or call us at 800-678-3241.

¹ Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead by management consultants James Belasco and Ralph Stayer.