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CDMR
Articles & Comments
It’s
more than just the features
(Centre for Document Management Research, 23 Mar 2002)
Many
MIS managers – even experienced ones – make the common mistake of
placing too much emphasis on product features when making their
purchasing decisions. Even now,
many organizations install expensive systems and end up utilizing no
more than 20% - 30% of the offered capabilities. They fail to realize
that the key issue is not about the latest information
technologies, but whether those technologies are used within, and for
facilitating, a culture of information sharing, relationship building
and trust.
MIS
managers and senior management alike should focus more on getting the
right system that solves a practical problem immediately while ensuring
the system is scalable to meet their forecast growth and strategic
technology requirements. There should be more emphasis on best practices
and research on methodologies that work with the electronic system. The
target organization that successfully combines both features and
procedures will achieve greater value and a higher return on their
investment.
In
order to do this, there should be a greater involvement by non-IT
managers during the product evaluation and decision-making process as
they are better positioned to identify the practical problems and
solutions within the organization. The success of the document
management system also depends on the knowledge these end-users and
knowledge workers can attain during the planning and implementation
process. The higher the participation of the end-users, the better, as
it keeps the channels of communication open to allow for more exchange
of issues and ideas. This is facilitated by continuous communication
between the DMS experts and end-users, flexible meetings and
face-to-face personal and group interactions.
Dynamic
Best Practices
(Centre for Document Management Research, 15 Feb 2002)
One of the major concentrations of CDMR consultants
for any of its DMS projects is identifying a set of “best practices”
that can be used to manage the client’s documents efficiently.
Sometimes, this involves re-writing the existing procedures that are
only suitable for their existing manual or paper document management
systems. The work of constantly updating an organization’s code of
best practices is even more pertinent when new technology is introduced.
Yesterday's core capabilities embedded in best practices
could become tomorrow's core rigidities.
When
changes to the business environment, industry, competition and
technology are radical, there is a persistent need for continual renewal
of the basic premises underlying best practices. Organizations in such
an environment need imaginative suggestions more than they do best
practices. Even though the standardization of procedures and the main
thrust of ISO9000 document controls require organizations to archive
their best practices for later referral by other employees, there is the
need for ongoing reassessment.
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