Before you start researching products and software, it's important that you have a firm handle on your present and future document management. Many businesses prefer to begin by working with a reseller partner versed in document managememt solutions. These experts can work with you to outline your present and future needs, your infrastructure, and your workflow to put together the best solution for your business.
Building your own document management solution
If you prefer to build the solution yourself, choosing the right hardware and software for your document management system is just one part of a larger, systematic process of evaluating your needs and defining requirements for your system. The steps in this process include:
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Understand where you are now. Before you can implement a new system or move forward with new processes, you need to have a firm understanding of where your organization is right now. Evaluate your current processes and IT environment, interview staff to identify your requirements, and carefully define the amount of information you need to manage. Map out your current workflows and define what you want to do with your files, e.g., will they be indexed and routed into another workflow or simply archived.
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Detail where you want to be. A well-defined requirements document showing workflows will help you choose the right technology for your document management system and work with the professionals who will create it for you. The more time you spend developing your requirements, the better your chances are of creating a system that meets your needs.
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Involve the right people. Make sure that all the people who will be impacted by this change are on-board with the project, before implementation. Skipping this step is one of the biggest reasons cited for project failure.
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Create a high-level design. As you move out of the requirements phase of your project, document how your new system will fit within your existing IT infrastructure. This architecture document will help you identify and resolve any technology incompatibilities before you invest in hardware, software, or development. It will also be valuable as you begin to choose components for your system.
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Make smart technology investments. With requirements and architecture documents in hand, you can begin to compare the available technology solutions and choose the products that best fit your system.
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Build your system. Once you know what you want to build and have the tools you need to build it, you can begin assembling your document management system. Consider starting with a pilot program, then proceeding with a complete system once the pilot is a success and you've tweaked your system based on its results.
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Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Your company isn't static -- and your document management system shouldn't be, either. Constantly evaluate the effectiveness of your system, and be ready to make changes in scope and scale as your company's needs require.
Now that you have a clear understanding of your document management needs, you're ready to start building your solution.
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