How to Implement and Deploy Enterprise Content Management Systems Enterprise Wide

An enterprise wide deployment of an ECM solution has very little to do with the technology. Successful deployments are the ones that focus on the end user experience and improving their lives. Whilst Compliance is a compelling business driver it can't be the only driver. If the system is difficult to use or onerous, the end users will then only use it for the components of their work function that ensure compliance. The system will become purely records keeping and then gradually end users will find themselves saying "Look, I have now finished with that so I must remember at some point to file it in the ECM". Before you know it the system has sporadic use and will become neglected and of little business value other than an electronic filing cabinet.

How do you change that? 

A couple of key principles:

Make it easy to use - use the system smarts to add richness to the content that is being stored (either at the time of saving it or through analytics thereafter).

Deploy quickly - get the foundation of your solution out quickly. You do not want some users on the system trying to work with others that are not - that will just tempt users to return to the bad habits of file shares.

Focus on capturing at source - get the content as it arrives. Where it is filed etc can be handled by system smarts probably more efficiently and consistently.

Populate with compelling content - get line of business applications supported by the ECM as soon as possible as it will get users defaulting to the ECM interface for their knowledge search.

WindowLogic has all the tricks and tips for the succesful uptake of ECM technologies within an organisation.