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Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is the term used to refer to technology based solutions that capture, manage, store, preserve and securely deliver relevant information (content) to the right person, or group of people, at the right time to support an organization's business processes. Unlike most software applications, the value of ECM is derived from its ability to effectively manage unstructured content. Unstructured content includes paper based records, emails, transactional information, web pages and multimedia files - the lifeblood of most organizations. According to industry analysts, unstructured content represents about 80% of an organization's corporate information and is continuing to grow annually. How does your company compare to this statistic?

Competitive Advantage Systems has developed an innovative delivery model for implementing ECM solutions across a wide range of industry groups that begins with a measurable return on each client’s investment (ROI). We work with each client to understand their specific business needs and content challenges before recommending any technology solutions. Remember, ECM is a broad umbrella term applied to a wide-range of technologies. Some companies incorrectly build an ECM strategy around one specific component – most commonly Document Management. Did you know that the following components are all part of ECM and should be considered when embarking on an ECM project?

• Document Imaging / Document Management / Scanning
• Business Process Management / Workflow
• Records Management
• Web Content Management
• Digital Asset Management
• Forms Processing / Online Forms
• Automated Recognition (OCR / ICR)
• Email Management
• Categorization / Taxonomy / Indexing
• Localization / Personalization / Syndication
• Collaboration
• Security

As you can imagine, not all vendors excel in every component of ECM. Competitive Advantage Systems believes that each ECM project should begin with a thoughtful analysis of the short-term problems governing purchasing decisions, while keeping a careful eye on the long-term ECM needs of the organization. As you will soon learn, not all components of an ECM solution need to be implemented at the same time in order to realize a positive return on your ECM investment.

Would you like to learn more about ECM as it relates to your business? Competitive Advantage Systems can provide your organization with a free, detailed ECM analysis. Our analysis will be customized to evaluate the needs of your organization based upon our understanding of your business processes and your content challenges, goals and objectives. For a small to medium sized organization, the analysis process typically takes a Competitive Advantage Systems' ECM analyst 30 – 60 hours to complete. For larger organizations (> 25,000 employees), our analysis may take a month or more. Regardless of the organization’s size, the analysis process requires a series of meetings, presentations and discussions with line-of-business and IT resources within your organization.

Let us help you define, or re-define, your ECM strategy today. For more information, please give us a call or send us an eMail.