Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is changing. It’s an idea everyone involved in content management has heard with increasing frequency over the past couple of years, and it’s driven by the reality that Enterprise Information Management needs are changing immeasurably.
Enterprises are now embracing simple, lightweight solutions, ones that nimbly address highly varied and very specific productivity and control issues. These applications can be either in the cloud or on-premises and —like blocks in a foundation — build on each other to result in optimal ECM coverage.
It’s a different approach than the traditional methodology of attempting to blanket the entire organization with an all-encompassing ECM solution. And it’s such a step-change in concept and practice that the respected analysts at Gartner have even decided that ECM doesn’t cut it as a sector name anymore. In their estimation, the new topography is better encapsulated by “Content Services,” a nod to the decentralized, purpose-built applications that organizations find much easier and effective to implement.
Now, all this may promise unheralded levels of agility and integration, but I can also see LOB and IT execs shaking their heads and thinking: “We’ve just spent a decade investing in our ECM infrastructure. Are we starting all over?”
No! The short answer —and single, most important thing to remember — is: No.
The key to sustaining momentum and achieving future ECM success is centered around building on what you already have. There’s just a new way of thinking about what comes next.
Resources to Speed your Learning Curve
Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a few initiatives with the industry experts at AIIM that have gone a long way to helping explain this path forward:
First up was an extremely well-received roundtable webinar inspired by the completion of the OpenText acquisition of Documentum. This must-see webinar for OpenText AND Documentum customers provides straightforward, detailed insight into our vision for the two product families, including future integration plans. This overview morphed into a wide-ranging panel discussion on what the overall future of ECM looks like and the competencies organizations need to have to excel in this new world.
That was followed by a pair of related events; the release of an AIIM-authored eBook, “Revolution of Evolution? 10 Strategies to Navigate the Shift from ECM to Content Services” and an accompanying webinar, Next-Gen Information Management — Succeeding in a New Era. Both provide excellent insight into the context behind this shift in ECM strategy, the constants that will always hold true, and the questions and actions organizations need to address to chart their journey. Start by reading the eBook, then view the accompanying webinar-on-demand.
Next up is the annual AIIM Conference in Orlando, Florida from March 14-16. OpenText and Documentum experts will be at the event, including hosting a number of sessions on understanding and capitalizing on the evolution of ECM. If you’re planning on attending, book a 1:1 meeting with us, there’s no better way to get up-to-speed than connecting face-to-face and asking what this all means for you.
