The nature of most Enterprise Content Management (ECM) implementations in both the private and government sectors are point solutions. These solutions are implemented to solve specific business challenge areas in one or more agencies in a government, or one or more departments in an organization.

The possibilities and flexibilities of the ECM solutions vary based on the type of solution you choose, but it is common that they start in business areas that are paper heavy and information intensive. The great thing about these solutions is that you can start them in one agency or department and then over time expand to other areas that you want to improve on as well, with the potential to cover every area of the organization.

It takes a lot for an organization to get to the point of purchasing and implementing an ECM solution to manage their content and information. There is usually one or two people with decision making authority or direct influence to upper management that spearheads these projects.

They usually have the knowledge and vision to understand the benefits of an ECM solution and most likely either work in the IT department or have a technical background that allows them a deeper understanding of how these solutions work. The ECM solution provider that you choose should help you develop best practices and a game plan of how to best accomplish your objectives.

Another motivator that helps to push organizations to adopt an ECM are various events like lawsuits, failed audits, compliance issues, low productivity, poor customer service, and the list goes on. These are all motivators to upper management in favour of a content management strategy.

One of the most significant factors in getting approval for such a solution is obviously funding. There are plenty of solutions out there that may be cheaper but it’s important to do it the right way. If you are going to make an investment into a content management strategy for your organization then you need to commit to do it right, you will thank yourself later.

It’s also important to factor in continued funding for your system to cover support and maintenance to keep your solution running smoothly and updated as new technologies evolve.

The best part about an ECM solution is that the Return on Investment is very high and can be very quick. Most companies realize their investment within the first 18 months of implementing their solution.

So, keep this in mind when you are putting together your funding requests for your management team. If presented clearly with the appropriate ROI analysis, it should be easy to understand and clear to your management that an ECM will both improve its mission critical business processes as well as save money if the solution is implemented correctly and with the right solution provider.

With all of this said, we know the challenges are a bit daunting, but we also know that the benefits of an ECM solution are significant and can drastically improve the efficiency and flow of an organization.

Dan Termale is an executive with Konica Minolta Business Solutions.