Articles

Thinking Outside the Box to Improve ECM Payback

By: Jim Bunn, Great minds think alike. But, when it comes to enterprise content management (ECM)

Business Development

Managerfor ibml

solutions, like minds can be a problem. If every organization approaches its ECM

deployment the same way, using the same out-of-the-box technologies and the same

old workflows, then creating exceptional results is going to be extremely difficult. The

problem is compounded by the fact that many organizations don’t have a thorough,

in-depth understanding of their own business processes. The more a company thinks

that its operations are just like any other, the more difficult it becomes to achieve new

efficiencies.

To maximize payback on their ECM investments, organizations need to think outside

the box by ignoring the industry groupthink and focusing on their own needs and

objectives.

Starting with a clean slate

communicate their needs.

Think big. By definition, ECM solutions help bring down data silos and bridge

information gaps. So, when you are developing your ECM initiatives, think beyond

one department’s needs. The combination of new integration tools and emerging

technologies allows organizations to make information available to whoever needs it,

quickly and securely, regardless of their location. To this end, it may make sense to

leverage imaging, data capture and workflow investments to develop a shared services

infrastructure where one department manages document processing for others.

Long before they agree to their first meeting with an ECM vendor, organizations should

get a handle on their operations requirements and business objectives. Additionally,

they should understand all of the document types that pass through their operations

and their data capture needs. Be warned: this process can be time-consuming. It

will also be eye-opening. Upon closer inspection, some of your legacy processes

are sure to elicit groans. But, there’s nothing worse for an ECM business case than

forcing inefficient manual processes into an automated workflow. Deploying an ECM

solution provides an opportunity to re-engineer business processes and eliminate

some altogether. For example, take a hard look at every manual step in document

preparation or image capture; start by measuring how long it takes for documents

to be scanned after they have entered your company. This step will have the added

benefit of allowing you to look for ROI/cost savings in your end-to-end document flow.

Also, consider soliciting input from the different departments that are associated with

a specific process to learn their information needs and any downstream exceptions

they are seeing.

When you are researching your ECM needs, resist the temptation to cede control to

your company’s IT department. No one knows your business requirements better

than you. Work collaboratively with IT to define system workflows to ensure that

the deployed solution will meet your needs. For instance, an IT programmer is

unlikely to know whether a specific work type should be routed to an individual’s

work queue (possibly for security/privacy reasons) or to a common operator queue.

Some business users accompany their IT staff for technical training classes provided

by vendors just so they know what the software is capable of. Then, they can better

Similarly, map out how documents currently enter your organization -- and who is

touching them -- to determine if the information flow can be streamlined. Don’t

assume that distributed capture is the most efficient means of scanning documents.

Many organizations are surprised by the “hidden costs” of distributed capture.

Likewise, a completely centralized scanning operation may miss opportunities to

expedite information capture and handling. What’s important is that organizations

look for a flexible scanning infrastructure with centrally managed control and

reporting capabilities. In some cases, you may be able to integrate electronic forms

into your automated workflow. These solutions can significantly reduce manual

processing, forwarding only exceptions to operators for review.

Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate

Once you have automated your document processes, evaluate how you are doing.

And then evaluate the process again. And again. It’s not uncommon for business

requirements (volumes, document design, etc.) to change soon after a new system is

implemented. You want to be sure your ECM solution adapts as well. Consider using

centralized reporting or analytics tools, real-time operations dashboards or periodic

operations audits to ensure your ECM solution is still meeting your needs.

You may also want to adapt your compensation plan to reward employees for

productivity and quality in the new automated document environment. Similarly,

consider embracing flexible work hours -- to save labor costs and attract Blue Chip

talent -- based on the needs of your operations.

With budget-strapped organizations fearful of making a misstep in new system

implementations, it’s easy to see how they become locked into a myopic way of seeing

ECM deployments. But, that makes it hard to spot new efficiencies and pounce on

opportunities for business process improvements.

The key to maximizing ECM payback is to think outside the box.