Enterprise Content Management: Building a Collaborative Framework 32 nd Meeting of the Section of International Organizations, International Council on Archives Thessaloniki, Greece September 27, 2006 Donna S. Canestraro

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) What it is, and what role do archivists and records managers play?

The Center for Technology in Government Work with government to develop well-informed strategies that foster innovation and enhance the quality and coordination of public services through applied research and partnership projects that address the policy, management, and technology dimensions of information use in the public sector

Our Focus and Partners Management Policy TechnologyUniversity Business Government

ECM according to AIIM Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is comprised of the technologies used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization’s unstructured information, wherever that information exists. Association for Information and Image Management. 2006

“It's not enough to "manage" content. Of course, the ability to access the correct version of a document or record is important, but organizations must go further. Content must be managed so that it is used to achieve business goals. Central to this strategy are the tools and technologies of ECM, which manage the complete lifecycle of content, birth to death.”

Recognizing the quintessential underlying problems of e-government “What is technically possible may not be organizationally feasible or politically or socially desirable.” Advanced IT applications in government must integrate policies, processes, information, and technology.” Some Assembly Required: Building a Digital Government for the 21 st Century Center for Technology in Government 1999

Pressure to act Experience shows that when the pressure to act exceeds the ability to understand the consequences of action, the risk of failure soars.

Innovation An idea or behavior perceived as new to the individual or adopting organization. Rogers, 1972, Kanter, 1983, Damanpour, 1996

Innovation and Risk Innovation characteristics interact with organizational characteristics. Uncertainty results from the lack of adequate knowledge about the interaction. Risk results from uncertainties about the consequences of change efforts.

IT Failure Statistics - a variety 50% of information systems are failures IS success rates are as low as 30% 80% of data warehousing projects fail 80% of ERP projects fail 80% of CRM projects fail

Sources of risk Failure to understand context Initial (or most) focus on technology instead of work processes and goals Underestimating complexity Ignoring variation and diversity Using ‘command’ models of leadership Inadequate amounts & kinds of communication Lack of trust (and trustworthiness) Lack of constituency

Four Challenges to Enterprise Transformation

Four Challenges Complexity Information quality and availability End-to-end performance Integration

Challenge #1: Complexity

Complexity challenges Embeddedness Risk Differences among professions and roles Centralized vs. decentralized vs. distributed ways of working

Layers of complexity Policy, program & economic context Organizational setting Tools Work processes & practices

Professions, roles, and relationships Policy makers Subject matter experts Technology experts Administrative experts Operational experts Customers Partners and suppliers Overseers

Challenge #2: Information

Data challenges Information policies and philosophies Fitness for use

Countervailing information policy principles Stewardship Usefulness

Quality = fitness for use Accuracy Availability Context Definition Granularity Standardization Timeliness Metadata

Challenge #3: End-to-end performance

End-to-end challenges Incomplete understanding of business processes Incomplete knowledge and appreciation of business practices at all points in a process Uneven interest and investment in the front and back offices

Challenge #4: Integration

Integration challenges Play out over time –Across organizations –Across levels & functions within organizations –Across governmental boundaries –Across public, private, and nonprofit sectors –Across many dimensions

Integration of what? Information Work processes Systems Perspectives Value propositions Money and other resources Cultures Missions Practices Professions

Meeting the challenges Complexity Information End-to-end Integration

Meeting the challenges Complexity Information End-to-end Integration Governance and External Focus

Meeting the challenges Complexity Information End-to-end Integration Governance and External Focus Emphasis on Use and Context

Meeting the challenges Complexity Information End-to-end Integration Governance and External Focus Emphasize Use and Context Process Thinking and Action

Meeting the challenges Complexity Information End-to-end Integration Governance and External Focus Emphasize Use and Context Process Thinking and Action Enterprise Principles and Relationships

Challenge for you Where is your role in this discussion? How does the concepts of ECM fit into your organizational structure? What are the policy, organizational, management, and technology decisions that need to be discussed prior to implementation of an ECM for your organization?

Consider... What is an ECM in your world? What are the ideal characteristics of a ECM Governance body? Who should be at the table within your organization participating in the discussion? What are the archival implications?

Questions? Center for Technology in Government University at Albany