Digital technologies are taking the business world by storm. The pace of digital transformation is steadily accelerating, pushed along even faster by the COVID-19 pandemic, the resultant lockdowns, and remote work mandates. As organizations transition to digital, the first step is to move to electronic documents and the tools that control the flow, retention and accessibility of these digital documents. Many organizations struggle with decisions about how to go about adopting an electronic document management system (DMS) and making the right choice of document management and enterprise content management (ECM) systems.

The difference between an enterprise document repository and an ECM

A document repository is a shared storage space accessible to all approved team members. It provides a secure and efficient way to store documents. Users with admin rights control and manage it. Document repositories that function as a part of a Document Management System provide an easy and secure way to store all documents in one centralized location. 

Document repositories are generally organized with users' needs in mind, allowing them to search documents by titles or keywords. 

A centralized document repository is an efficient way to save space and protect important files and documents digitally.

A DMS organizes and stores documents electronically to eliminate a paper-based filing system. Creating a document repository is a vital part of having an ECM in place. 

A DMS is also referred to as an enterprise document management system (EDMS), a software for creating, storing, and monitoring documents electronically.

EDM software aims to control the lifecycle of documents and achieve compliance. It focuses on more than storing files—it also encompasses the tools and processes that businesses use throughout the lifecycle of content.

Why is enterprise document management essential?

An Enterprise Document Management (EDM) system is a collection of technologies that work together to provide a comprehensive solution for managing the creation, capture, indexing, storage, retrieval, and disposal of records and information across the company. 

EDM is essentially a subset of an ECM system.

The components of an EDM system include: 

• Imaging: Document scanning creates an electronic copy of a document.

• Document management: Provide a secure location for storing electronic objects and an index for quickly identifying and retrieving information.

• Forms processing or E-forms: Automate form data recognition and data extraction from paper forms. E-forms replace costly and space-consuming paper forms.

• Enterprise reports management: Electronically capture, index, distribute, and store system-generated reports and documents.

• Workflow management: Automate business processes to increase efficiency and accelerate decision-making.

Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

An ECM is a superpower DMS. It goes a step beyond a simple electronic repository. It is a sophisticated system that captures, manages, stores, and delivers all types of content, including unstructured content like audio and video files, social media, web pages, invoices and receipts. It handles both structured and unstructured information and ensures high security and risk control.

An ECM provides you with solutions to properly manage all types of content across your enterprise. It is the primary component to eliminate inefficient paper-based processes and is customized to meet your company's business needs, workflows, and business problems.

Gartner defines Enterprise Content Management (ECM) as processes used to create, store, distribute, discover, archive, and manage unstructured content. These include scanned documents, emails, reports, medical images, or office documents. ECM systems analyze usage so organizations are able to deliver relevant content to users where and when they need it.

The top five elements of an ECM system are:

1. Capture documents digitally.

2. Store documents in a digital repository.

3. Retrieve documents irrespective of location or device.

4. Automate document-driven processes.

5. Secure documents and reduce risk to the organization. 

Let's look at some of these aspects in further detail:

Document Capture 

A digital repository organizes all business information centrally. But employees must also know how and where to find the data and retrieve the data when they need it. An electronic DMS has indexing capabilities that allow you to name and categorize your documents, so they are instantly searchable. Intelligent character recognition (OCR) extracts meaningful information from your scanned image files. Once the scanned files are readable with OCR technology, the DMS indexes the metadata and makes it searchable by keywords or phrases.

Document Mobility

A content management system provides users access to documents from anywhere at any time using multiple devices simultaneously. Files are easy to locate using any web browser and seamless remote working becomes a breeze!

Automation

Business process automation makes tedious, manual business processes more efficient and error-free. With automated document workflows employees manage tasks more efficiently by applying business logic to documentation. It improves productivity and how employees use critical business data.

Regulatory compliance

Digital audit trails of access and activity provide increased information security. Automated records retention schedules make regulatory compliances easier to achieve. 

Documents controlled via an ECM are protected from unauthorized access by stringent security requirements. Backups provide vital records and disaster recovery protections. 

Regardless of industry, here are the primary goals to implement an ECM as part of a larger digital transformation initiative:

• Remove dependence on paper and streamline business processes.

• Promote better customer service and increase productivity

• Reduce organizational risk.

Application Content Management: Removing the roadblocks to your digital transformation 

Revolution Data Systems (RDS) offers OpenText Application Content Management (formerly ApplicationXtender), a powerful content management system used by thousands of organizations worldwide.

ACM is an industry-leading content management solution that meets the demand of line-of-business applications yet is ready for broader implementation both on and off-premises. ACM scans, stores, retrieves and preserves information while providing role-based access from nearly any device or web browser.

ACM organizes information based on its application to your business. It's a platform that gets the right information to people at the right time. So they have the information they need to get their job done. It provides tools to capture documents, organize information, automate information movement, and make information accessible to employees for quick and successful task completion. Revolution Data Systems works to remove the roadblocks to your digital transformation and provide an information management system that will grow with your business. 

Contact us to learn more about our document scanning, document management consulting services, and implementation and support services for ACM.