Warren:

In earlier times, imaging and document management tended to be implemented
for specific solutions, or individual departments.  And the products were
built to handle specific technical problems.  But this resulted in
information not being linked, and greater overall costs for licenses,
integration, servers, staff, and maintenance.

As the vendors began to merge technologies and build multi-technology
solutions, the idea of enterprise document management became more possible.
Plus, IT folks looked to reduce the vendors they dealt with and the products
they had to support.  Knowledge Management became a buzzword, and people
started to think about everything being lodged in a giant electronic
library.  That sure can make RM easier as well.

The reality however, was that trying to change the way everyone in an
organization did their jobs at once was impossible to achieve.  It only
caused pushback from multiple areas of the organization and these major
re-engineering projects almost always failed.

So now we know that one should "Think globally, but act locally".  That is,
sketch a multi-year transformation vision that involves identifying a single
technology that can be used broadly, but going one area at a time to
implement.  In the case of higher education, it might mean using imaging and
document management for finance first, then using it for enrollment
services, and even later for support services, like facilities.  Success
each time generates confidence, reduces concerns and the knowledge gained
can be used going forward.  It also can spread out the investment over
several years, making it more palatable (although the first project is the
biggest bite).

If you want to discuss higher education use further, feel free to contact
me.  I've worked with and talked to a number of schools.

Bernard Chester, CDIA+, ICP
Principal
IMERGE Consulting
7683 SE 27 Street, #316
Mercer Island, WA, 98040
(office) 206-230-9253
(cell) 206-979-7389
mailto:[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Warren Harris
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 1:56 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [RM] enterprise wide document management/imaging

Lately, as there is a continued interest in my organization to evolve more
into electronic document imaging, document management software, etc....I
once again hear these terms, "enterprise wide document management."  I
thought this sort of approach was not "popular" anymore (for good reasons!)
and not being pushed as much by the vendors these days.  And yet in some of
my preliminary research I'm seeing it everywhere!  Have we somehow come full
circle back to this...and is something different now that gives us a better
chance for successful, affordable applications taking this kind of approach?
I'd love to hear the comments from you all that have a great deal of
expertise in these areas.

 

Any thoughts out there?  Have I been asleep on this somehow???

 

Gus

RM

Univ. of West Florida

Pensacola, FL

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