Important Attributes of ECM You Need to Know
Organizations of all types have become increasingly more aware of the consequences of not having a records retention policy and procedure in place, but many have not taken any action to correct their outdated process. Even in just the past 10 years, the landscape of records management has changed. What was once accomplished by some well-organized filing cabinets and diligent employees now must be actively maintained by excess labor or entire departments, taking up office space and employee time. Beyond just being a hassle, and outdated content management system can have negative implications such as civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance, as well as the growing costs. These trends across organizations have caught the attention of C-level employees. Learn more about how Enterprise Content Management (ECM) can benefit your organization, as well as the traits to look for in an ECM system.
How important is ECM?
Record-keeping activities impact an organization beyond just records managers, AP clerks, and finance executives. The broad definition of records management requires that every employee at every level be responsible for following retention requirements. No department is immune.
Many managers don’t fully realize that their records consist of every scrap of paper and electronic documents, from faxes and invoices, to hiring and onboarding documents, to voicemails, emails and database reports. Organizations are disjointed with their storage, keeping important records in boxes beneath desks, filing cabinets in unused closets, and flash drives tossed in a drawer. This leads to missing files, incorrect information, or worst case, compliance issues.
Many organizations believe that using a free online document storage system, email archives, and physical off-site storage facilities are enough, but these systems aren’t secure, and the costs can add up.
How do you protect your organization while saving employees’ time and resources? Enterprise Content Management.
Not just any ECM, but a feature-rich, user-friendly platform that’s designed to make content management much simpler.
What are some important features to look for?
1. Advanced capture features that allow for the import of paper and electronic records in any format from any source. Regardless of the form of the record, the system should capture it at the earliest point of entry without additional steps. Importing via scanner, fax, and print features are critical. The ability to store emails as well as attachments is a key difference of having a holistic ECM solution and not just a digital filing cabinet.
2. Real-time indexing and data capture (including capturing metadata) that allows a broad array of information to be retained for searching
3. Secure user access controls that prevent unauthorized viewing, alteration, and deletion of documents
4. Sophisticated search capabilities that allow users to combine powerful boolean searches, metadata searches, full-text searches
5. Automatic assignment of record retention schedule based on record types
6. Identification of the final disposition date
7. The ability to place records on hold for litigation purposes
8. Audit trails for records
9. Disposal management mechanism to make retention much easier and keep you compliant
10. Export and Transfer mechanisms
11. Back-up system to protect against accidental loss
When looking to implement an ECM, make sure you inquire about these important features. Top ECM providers will be able to further explain how their solution offers and utilizes them, and will be happy to help to train you on using them once your system is implemented. Mosaic Paperless Solutions is a perfect example of an organization that offers these features within the DocStar ECM product they sell alongside the know-how to help you utilize them.
Call 770.452.7373 to get more information about their ECM offerings!
