Considerations Often Overlooked When Implementing a Content Management or Document Management System

You’re thinking about implementing a Content Management and/or a Document Management system. What should I consider before proceeding?

You have lots of paper documents, micro fiche or other physical inventory that you want converted to electronic format.
You want to “Go Green” starting today. You need the means to scan physical documents as well as import documents that are already electronic format (PDF, Tiff, Word, Excel, etc.).
You want to automate paper processes (Electronic Workflow) to eliminate the use of paper.
You’ll need software and hardware.
You’ll need some space in the server room.
You’ll need a project manager.

Hah!! (Light Bulb turning on in your brain) I have answered the essential questions, let’s go research and find a system that suits our needs. Better yet, let’s hire a Content Management and/or a Document Management consultant to help us.

Obligatory Disclaimer: I would not blog on this subject if I hadn’t witnessed, time and time again, a new process or environment installed that was left for personnel to administer without training and without a test environment (sandbox if you will) to learn and grow with.

DON’T overlook the added value of TRAINING and a Test Environment. They are essential pieces to consider when deploying any system.

Think about it for a moment- When you first learned to tie your shoes, someone showed you the method of tying an overhand knot and then tying two bunny ears together. TRAINING!! Then you were shown a few more times. Secondary or follow-up training! Finally, you were left alone with your shoes and strings (your test environment) until after about 200 attempts, SUCCESS!! You became an expert in shoe tying, a major accomplishment that we have all achieved.

The same can be said for many other basic life skills, like riding a bike. You started off with three wheels, a tricycle or a big wheel. Then you got your first bike, TRAINING wheels included. You rode all over town, to your hearts content. Then the big day came when the TRAINING wheels came off. Mom and Dad ran up and down the street, hunched over holding the back of your bike seat while you struggled to figure out how to balance on just two wheels. Mom and Dad nursed their aching backs willingly because they knew that they were helping you learn a new skill.

Why do so many overlook the added value of providing these same indispensable tools, TRAINING and Test Environments, for a Content Management system or Document Management system (or any system for that matter) that is worth much more than an old pair of shoes or a kid’s bike?

I speak for System Engineers and Administrators all over this nation: Please provide the necessary tools to support the ones that support your systems, the company, the bottom line, the knowledgeable professionals working diligently in their offices and cubicles, etc. Set them up for SUCCESS at the beginning and there will less likely be failure in the future.

Related blogs on Software Development Training:

http://softwaredevelopmentforecm.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/ecm-best-practices-training/

Robert Gartner
Sr. Systems Engineer
ImageSource, Inc.