Electronic Document Management:

an integrated approach

Welcome!

Agenda

Life and death of a documentStakes of an EDM project

The EDM in a nutshell

The EDMin a nutshell

Electronic Document Management

addresses a very common

and widespread problem…

…document overflow!

…but also:

multiple distant geographical sites,

collaboration needs on documents,

productivity & competitiveness issues,…

Many good reasons to adopt EDM

Proposed definition:

Electronic Document Management

Electronic system

to acquire, classify, store,

archive and retrieve

documents

Electronic system…

‘SCANFIN’ projectBelgian Ministry of Finance

100,000,000 documents per year

‘Habitation Moderne’ projectpublic housing sector

50,000 documents per year

A dog A dog

EDM is NOT restricted to large companies!

Same with EDM!

No reference to the size:

Electronic systemto acquire, classify, store,

archive and retrieve…

Scanning Retrieving

Indexing Storing & archiving

User

The minimalist

EDM solution

But many other possible

features…

Electronic systemto acquire, classify, store,

archive and retrievedocuments

Files

FormsFaxes

Hard-copy documents Electronic documents

Faxesvia fax server

Email

Word files

Excel files

Mail

Invoices

Life and deathof a document

Hardcopy documents Scanning Recognition

Indexation & Classification Conversion

e-Forms

e-Documents

Interactions

Recordmanagement

Workflows

Security

Navigation

Filemgt

Storage &archiving

ERPCRMDBs

Not to be scanned

Structured information→ not to be recognised

Metadata

External applications

Common format

Hardcopy documentsFormsInvoicesMailFilesFaxes…→ Which documents should be integrated?

ScanningVolume?Conversion into image files (TIFF, PDF)Automatic batch and document separationBlank page deletion90° or 180° rotationRecto or Recto/VersoColors, bitonal, greyscaleImage quality improvement (contrast, dust & scratch removal)Autocropping and alignmentIdeal quality/volume ratio?→ Which functionalities do you need?

RecognitionTurning images into textOMR: Optical Mark Recognition (tick boxes)OCR: Optical Character Recognition (printed text)Structured forms: areas are clearly definedICR: Intelligent Character Recognition (handwritten text)Free form: similar documents but undefined structure (invoices)…→ Which technologies do you need?

Storage and archivingVolume?Technologies: online, offline, nearlineMedias: tapes, harddisks,…Security: (non-)rewritable supports?…→ What are your critical needs?

Electronic documentsEmailsWordExcelImagesFaxes (via fax server)…→ Which documents should be integrated?

Electronic formsEquivalent of paper forms (structured)eGovernmentElectronic signatureeCommerceBanksInsurance companies…→ What might be the potential applications of e-forms?

Indexation & classificationFull-text indexationMetadata: date, author, document type, topic(s),…Structured (list) and/or non-structured metasManual and/or automatic (e.g. based on bar codes)Thesaurus: structured list of keywords, with synonyms…→ On what criteria do you want to retrieve documents?

ConversionMultiple formats = multiple viewersConversion software (e.g. Acrobat)Strategic aspect: what is the lifetime of the format?…→ Do you need a common format?

Interactions with other applicationsApplications: ERP (e.g. SAP), accountancy,…Electronic Data InterchangeInterface: e.g. piloting EDM application from an ERPThings can become very complex…→ Do you need interactions? With what application(s)?

ERPCRMDBs

Record ManagementEDM’s management = “rules of the game”Comes on top of the EDM systemCompliance with certification (ISO 900n)Compliance with legal constraints (Sarbannes-Oxley in USA)File plan: common indexing policy for the whole organisationManaging lifetimesTracing the history of actions taken on a document…→ How far do you need to go with Record Management?

Workflows= Series of tasks related to an information itemCreation, indexation, approval, rejection,…Useful when multiple users deal with multiple tasks/stepsDocument workflow, production workflow, ad hoc workflowAttachments: documents or files (batch of documents)Traceability: history of actions…→ Do you need simple, complex,… or no workflow?

SecurityHardwareConnectivity: reliability of interconnections, firewalls,…Access rights and confidentialityDisaster recovery…→ Security is often expensive: how critical is it for you?

NavigationSearches on metadataFull-text searches (needs OCR)Navigation through folders and sub-foldersDocument files and related documentsCompliance with access rights policy…→ Do you need complex searches? On what criteria?

File managementFile = batch of documents related to an issueExamples: medical files, insurance files,…Hierarchy of files and sub-filesStatic files: similar to hard-copy filesDynamic files: based on criteria (→ one document, several files)A document can belong to multiple files (multiple access points)Collaboration…→ Do you work with files in your current document system?

ERPCRMDBs

EDM =variable geometry

technology↓

All aspects shouldbe carefully considered

at the early stage

Stakes of anEDM project

Economic aspects

An EDM solution will…Improve the image of the organisation

(e.g. immediate access to the information)Avoid tasks with little value-added

(e.g. encoding)Shorten and/or accelerate processes

(e.g. workflows)Reduce postage costs

Retrieving a paper document costs EUR 19! Gartner Group

Human andorganisational

aspects

An EDM solution will…Require cultural changes (way people work)Improve ergonomic aspects

of information accessEnrich job descriptions

with high value-added tasksMake control easier

(e.g. how often is a document accessed?)

Legal aspects

An EDM solution offers the possibility to…Integrate an electronic signatureKeep a trace of human/electronic

alterations on documentsGuarantee long-term

archiving (e.g. PDF-A)

Ecological aspects

An EDM solution allows…Reducing the volume of produced paper

(e.g. electronic forms)Reducing the volume of circulating paper

(e.g. workflows)Reducing the volume of warehoused paper (e.g. archiving)

Scientificaspects

An EDM solution allows…Leveraging the most important asset

of any organisation: knowledgeOrganising data related to a

project in a structured wayStimulating distant or even

cross-border collaboration on a project

Conclusion

EDM is much more than what you think

Consider all aspects in an integrated logic

EDM is not restricted to large companies

Look at the ROI: don’t spend, invest!

Rely on solid partners: I.R.I.S. S&E ;-)

Thank you!