By PCM I mean Physical Content Management - registering, managing, tracking and tracing "stuff" that isn't digital.

Definitions of ECM - Enterprise Content Management - bring together an array of components, including imaging, document management, collaboration/social computing, records management, business process management/workflow, e-forms, digital asset management, web content management, archiving, mobility and content analytics.

I think that shoehorning the management of files, boxes, physical artefacts and evidence into other areas of functionality - for example by adding markers in EDRM systems to assign retention policies to stuff - isn't enough. Nor is relying on the data held within the system of a storage company as this only comes into being once something has been archived.

I still come across many environments where paper files are in day-to-day use, including for example law firms and legal departments, medical records, scientific and product development projects, human resources, contract management, etc. While documentation can of course be digitised, there are processes where the originals are valuable to support the active process and of course there are physical items that could be associated with a process - such as samples, prototypes, equipment, forensic evidence - that cannot be digitised

Recent work on a couple of client projects has illustrated to me the value of a dedicated PCM solution, with specific functionality that has evolved and matured over time:

• Registering a file from the moment of its creation, including specific capabilities to manage related volumes;
• Tailored metadata for physical objects to both describe them and record histories of related actions, such as file closure procedures;
• Leveraging barcodes/RFID to track and trace physical items within the client's office(s), when moved externally to third parties engaged in a business process or when archived offsite, with the ability to track desk to desk, office to office, building to building, user to user;
• Maintaining a corporate inventory of active and archive physical holdings, including file and box relationships, integrated with the warehouse systems of offsite storage companies to provide for seamless order/picking management of retrievals, deposits, scan on demand, etc.;
• Applying security policies to meet the specific requirements of user interaction with files, boxes and objects during various phases of their lifecycle;
• Assigning retention policies and recording disposal approvals and activities;
• Integral label design capabilities; and
• "Out of the box" integrations with the readers and printers of leading manufacturers.

A PCM solution can also, for relevant business processes, provide an integrated front-end for "hybrid" paper file and electronic record management, managing metadata, security permissions and retention policies holistically for both physical records and their electronic counterparts.

In summary, if an organisation has a large volume of physical files and other stuff supporting its business processes, a dedicated PCM solution could be beneficial.

This is a shrinking market in terms of vendors, but I am glad that there are some still out there providing the dedicated functionality still required within certain business environments.

Reynold Leming is an independent consultant, specialising in Information Governance and Records Management, and a Director of the UK Information and Records Management Society.