Enterprise Content Management – An Explanation of Content Management

Used by companies to capture, manage, store, and deliver important documentation, enterprise content management is a tool for organizing pertinent information. With problems in the past concerning management of records and other documentation including losing records, human error, and many more, this management system was designed to address problems and serve as a way to manage information but also to convert it to and from digital materials. Through this auditing, sharing of knowledge, and standardizing of content can be accomplished.

Starting out as simply content management, enterprise content management encompasses everything in a business, not just the things that are shown to people on the outside but things like an intranet make it possible to swap information within a business or company. Therefore this solution for content management is focused on a business to employee model. These solutions provide in-house information that is usually based on internet technologies. Other services included are business to business and business to government. Another form of content management is called digital asset management; this also concentrates on using digital electronic technology to store information.

Paper based businesses were overwhelming. With so many documents and paperwork it seemed impossible to get everything done that needed to be. There was a lot of value in the offer of a program that would store necessary documents and information and would do it without the clutter. People in these companies wanted an office that was clear from the clutter of paper. ECM was of high value for these organizations and offered to save them time, among other benefits. Some other top resulting benefits include the following: less lost documents, less error, less storage needs, better control and accuracy, improved security and better tracking of information.

More companies became users of ECM products and it was extremely useful for them all. Customer service departments found it extremely useful in that they were able to merge everything together and only have to go to that one place to pull up any information a customer might seek. And once internet use exploded and businesses were popping up all over cyberspace, they had the capabilities through these programs to share their information with others. Today, these management systems are all over and they have branched out to include a whole array of systems. Content management has become a booming industry and has expanded capabilities and the ability to function for businesses worldwide.

Tags: enterprise content management, ECM

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Enterprise Content Management: The Future of Networking

Document management is arguably one of the most important aspects of an enterprise content management system. The earliest document management systems were developed to manage proprietary file types or a limited number of file formats. Today, document management systems have grown to encompass electronic documents, collaboration tools, security, and auditing capabilities. ECM has been defined as the strategies, methods and tools used to manage, store, preserve and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization’s unstructured information, wherever that information exists. There are several benefits to having a quality document management system as part of a powerful enterprise content management system.

• The digital centralized location of the files enables people to obtain files and information without entering a file room or shuffling through a messy filing cabinet.
• ECM systems typically use a database to store metadata and administrators can authorize access to authorized personnel.
• Document management platforms have different ways of creating documents as well as a simple yet inclusive workflow design. Documents can easily be passed from one person to another. This is very useful when multiple people need to collaborate on a project.

Not only can enterprise content management systems simplify projects and make communication between people much easier, they also reduce paperwork. With the development of these platforms, companies are approaching a paperless office. Proponents of enterprise content management have argued that paperless services are faster, cheaper, more efficient, and more environment-friendly. Society has almost reached the point where computer files are out of date. Endless folders on one’s desktop contain thousands of files which one has to sort through to find needed information. Sharing files on a web workspace will eventually replace storing them on the computer’s hard drive. In addition, a large, powerful database in another location stores files for a company for any authorized user to access without having to hunt down the actual file and the computer which contains the file. The future is unfolding before our eyes. More and more companies are adapting ECM as a way to connect and network among their employees.

Tags: Document management, enterprise content management, ECM

How Enterprise Content Management Can Improve Your Business

In a business, information within the company is a powerful tool. If someone has a piece of information but cannot transfer it to others in the company, the information is not as useful as it could be if it was widespread and easy to access. For example, if you have a document with sales information but have to spend half the day getting this information to the right people in the sales department, the company would not be operating very efficiently. The way companies have remedied this is by taking full advantage of the internet and using Enterprise Content Management systems. Using these systems, an administrator can make certain information available to everyone, or just specific people, with the click of a button and a simple file upload. ECM has also enabled businesses to chat in real time about current projects. Instead of waiting for an e-mail to come through, the information can be instantaneously transferred without saying a word or sending an e-mail. It is almost as though the company is in a big meeting all day; everyone sits at a long table and discusses their project while each person does his or her work on the computer. ECM can provide all the communication without being in the same room as hundreds of other employees at the same time.

Enterprise Content Management systems should have two main qualities: functionality and simplicity. Not everyone in an office will be as technically proficient as others, yet a business still wants many features as part of their Enterprise Content Management. One main feature that businesses look for in their ECM is Workflow management. This software can help you save time by automating routines and subroutines that you would otherwise spend a lot of time on, such as data entry and e-mail filtering. In addition, workflow software can be configured to process data entry so it runs in the background. The term workflow is used in general to describe the tasks, procedural steps, organizations or people involved, required input and output information, and tools needed for each step in a business process. These steps are clearly outlined so the program can tell you when you are done with a project and what you have left to do.

So next time you are shuffling through a multitude of files, it may be a good idea to look into Enterprise Content Management. Your employee morale along with project efficiency can greatly increase!