Services. ECM

Achieve alignment between Process, Web Contents, Documents and Records

The ECM Integrated Model
The ECM concept have evolved during the last years, based on the merger between different concepts that were independent each other like Document Management, Web Content Management, archiving and Records Management. Right now ECM is covering all these concepts in only one solution covering the lifecycle of any kind of content type (from documents, records, web content, video and many others). Also, the wrong way to handle the documents lifecycle, sharing document related flows with business processes and also the trend to separate the physical and digital documents have created a miss in the ECM projects and a wrong usage of the ECM best practices. 

Software Associates team have more than 6 years working in this kind of solutions also Software Associates is helping customers to align the ECM based in a process and services oriented approach, positioning the ECM architecture as part of a complete IT architecture and not like an isolated technology. Based on this new way to make ECM projects, all the document/component services can be used by any application through a SOA/BPM approach. Based on our experience in this area, we are offering to our customers the following services:

ECM Assessment. Allow establish the Project scope and objectives from the business and technological point of view, also it establish the basic rules to develop a complete ECM Project. This project can be made from the Document, Record, Web and Media Asset Management focus or in the combination of all or part of them.  The result is a complete analysis about the project approach, steps to be done, impact on the organization and also a complete ROI based on the customer needs and expectations, finalizing with a complete project roadmap ( phases, time, resources and deliverables ).

ECM Analysis and Design. The goal in this kind of projects is prepare a complete analysis and design of the project related establishing the right IT architecture and a detailed Project plan according to the expectations. This kind of projects are different based on the kind of content we are handling:

• Document Management. Define the different document types existing in the organization, and it’s relation with the different processes. After that, is defined a detailed implementation planning based on the customer priorities/needs and also the document types defined.
• Records Management. Analyze the different content and document types existing in the organization; analyze the different retention rules, access, legal support, physical location, logistic and movements. This element is a key piece in a ECM strategy because it controls the document and record usage and also all their lifecycle finalizing in their physical / digital destruction. Also, it covers the classic audit processes or legal standards like Sarbanes Oxley or Basel II.
• WCM Content Xperience. Establish the Content Structure in a web page environment, also handling the usability and the user experience for the corporte portal, intranet or web application strategy.

ECM Integration and Implementation. Implement and Develop the ECM detailed Project plan. Same as the design phase, the different contents have special requirements for their implementation that must be covered independently:

• Document Management. The goal is to implement the complete document management strategy with a vision where the Documents always Hill be related to the business processes in an organization, preventing the classic mistake where you sparate the document management for the business process and the integration.
• Records Management. The goal is to implement the retention and access rules to the documents and records, and also the lending and traffic processes related to the documents and folders. All these policies implemented can certify you as a FDA, Sarbanes Oxley or Basel II complaint company.
• WCM. The goal is to implement all the website content structure, navigation map, templates, metadata and content types related and other components need for a complete WCM implementation.