Top Five Reasons to Make the Move from
Document Management to ECM
Even after deploying core technology applications like enterprise resource planning (ERP), product
lifecycle management (PLM) or supply chain management (SCM) software, organizations still face
the challenge of handling unstructured content like paper, emails and faxes. To electronically store
this content, many companies turn to a document management system. That’s a great first step, but
to truly make your content work for your organization, consider making the move to an enterprise
content management (ECM) solution.
Although document management and ECM may appear like interchangeable terms, their offerings
are vastly different. While document management focuses on document storage and retrieval,
ECM allows you to capture, store, integrate, access, process and measure your content – adding
key functionality that document management lacks. ECM evolves your document management
strategy so it’s not just a system to store content; it’s a solution that supports strategic initiatives
organization-wide.
Look below to find out the five reasons companies are evolving from document management to ECM:
1. ECM scales to fit your organization’s needs. Document management applications often act as
solutions that meet the needs of a single department or area of your company. ECM is a complete
solution with the flexibility and scalability to meet your needs organization-wide, from operations
and administrative departments to customer service. That also means ECM not only meets your
needs now, but can also help you overcome new challenges in the future.
2. ECM removes the manual processes surrounding your organization’s content. Once content
like invoices and contracts are in your ECM solution, it can be automatically directed through
each stage of your company’s processes. Unlike document management systems, which lack
sophisticated automated workflows, an ECM system ensures your content always gets into the
right hands at the right time, speeding up processes like procedure signoffs, invoice approvals and
contract management.
3. ECM mitigates risk. With ECM, you remove the risk associated with manual, paper-based
processes. While document management systems traditionally provide basic storage and retrieval
functionality, ECM features automated workflows that eliminate errors associated with manual
processing, providing transparency into processes while supporting compliance efforts.
4. ECM retains more content types. Unlike many document management systems, ECM allows you
to store virtually every content type – like paper forms, photos and CAD drawings – making your
organization’s information instantly retrievable. This saves employees the time they used to waste
searching for paper, safety procedures, drawings and other information.
5. ECM streamlines processes with seamless integrations. While document management
systems are often deployed in specific departments and can be difficult to integrate with other IT
systems, ECM integrates with any line-of-business application, allowing users to retrieve needed
information without leaving their familiar work environment. That means no matter the type of data,
users have instant access to information when they need it, speeding up processes company-wide.
Documents drive business processes. As a result, it’s crucial companies utilize technology so
it provides the biggest return on investment. Although document management provides basic
storage and retrieval functionality, ECM transforms your work environment, streamlining business
processes for increased efficiencies across the enterprise.
Learn more at Hyland.com