CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 • £15 THE IT REPORT FOR DIRECTORS AND DECISION MAKERS
Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
www.conspectus.com CONSPECTUS Business process management Workflow, Document & (BPM) is the buzzword for what Business Process Management Management Briefings is otherwise known as workflow and document management Market Overview & Analysis 2 The difficulty of pinpointing the return on investment from workflow and technology. BPM technology makes it hard to cost justify. Pat Sweet reports on our The idea behind BPM is that latest IT user research. more than a name change, it Expert Opinion 5 suggests organisations are Mark Allen of Impact Plus explains what BPM offers on top of standard integrating all of their business workflow and document management technology. processes, instead of just using View from the Top 10 workflow, document From the Sydney Harbour Bridge to London’s Millennium Bridge, design firm management, records and Arup has hit the headlines. Group knowledge manager Tony Sheehan content management systems to describes how its work is driven by portal-based knowledge and document make individual processes more management software. efficient. Round Table 12 The aim is laudable, but the Market experts from Xansa, Cornwell Management Consultantcy, Strategy difficulties are that much greater Partners and David Skyrme Associates predict the key trends in workflow and BPM. than if single processes are involved. Document & Records Management 18 Records and document management systems may not get the pulses racing Against that, our research but they’re back in fashion, says Malcolm Beach of AMTEC. (page 2) shows that many companies are unhappy with Content Management 20 Jeffrey Mann of META Group helps you to devise an overarching enterprise their current mix of software content management strategy. applications and accept that their Implementation Issues 26 business processes are subject to Katie Walsh of EDS sets out the key issues to confront when introducing constant change. So people are new workflow technology. ready for BPM systems that can Knowledge & Document Management 28 flexibly automate their processes Document management and workflow systems can combine to create a and ‘glue’ their enterprise new – less vague and fuzzy – form of knowledge management. Stewart applications together. Mills of Parity reports. Our Management Briefing Knowledge Economy 34 articles – written for Conspectus Everyone accepts ‘knowledge’ is vital, but what does that mean in practice by the likes of EDS, META, for different types of organisation? Nigel Oxbrow of TFPL provides an Parity and other specialist analysis. consultants – provide insight into Workflow, Document & how you can get the best from Business Process Management Supplier Profiles BPM and its individual component technologies. Throughout this issue we feature profiles of leading vendors of workflow, document management and BPM software. This information, supplied by the companies, has been checked and validated by specialist independent For Conspectus sales enquiries, please contact consultancy Impact Plus. Meera Butterworth at PMP. Tel: 0870 908 8767. Email: [email protected]. BancTec 6 Intalio 23 Publisher: Stan Packham. Editor: Tim Ring. Designer: Adrian BiT Group 7 Metastorm 24 Taylor. Production Manager: Jane Davies. Director of Research: Captiva Software 8 Objective 25 Neil Ferguson. Conspectus is published by PMP (UK) Ltd, 15 Chiltern Business Centre, 63/65 Woodside Road, Amersham, Cimage NovaSoft 9 SDL International 30 Bucks HP6 6AA. Tel: 0870 908 8767. Fax: 0870 134 0931. DST International 15 Singularity 31 Email: [email protected]. Typeset by PageSet Limited, 2 Willow eiStream 16 Triaster 32 Way, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 1JR. Printed by S&G Magazines, Goat Mill Road, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid FileNet/Oceanus 17 Vignette 33 Glamorgan CF48 3TD. All material is copyright of PMP (UK) Ltd and FloSuite 22 may not be reproduced in part or whole without the written consent of the publishers. The publishers are unable to accept, and hereby expressly disclaim, any liability for the consequences of any Conspectus is a publication for directors and decision makers who are inaccuracies, errors or omissions in the information contained interested in current developments in information technology. within this report, whether occurring during the processing of such information for publication or otherwise. Conspectus offers the Conspectus is published on the internet at www.conspectus.com, facility to reprint articles. Please contact Jane Davies on providing online access to both editorial and supplier information from all the 0870 908 8767 for details. Conspectus is available on subscription only. All subscription and editorial enquiries previous year’s issues, with an online search capability. Please register at this should be directed to PMP (UK) Ltd. ISSN 1363-6804 website to receive future copies. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 1 Market Overview & Analysis Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
Companies are struggling FIGURE 1: Nature of existing enterprise IT systems cost-effective. As a result, three to pinpoint the return on quarters (75%) have funded IT investments in the past two Very flexible 32% investment from business years aimed at making systems process management more integrated, while 62% Not flexible enough 55% systems, says Pat Sweet. have sought to make them more responsive and 59% have tried Very responsive 32% WORKING FASTER AND to improve on the flexibility or smarter has become a necessity adaptability of their systems. Not responsive enough 35% for companies in recent years. Over the same timeframe, And technologies such as 41% of our sample have Highly adaptable 29% workflow and document implemented workflow or management can help cut the document management Not adaptable enough 44% corporate paper mountain applications, while 37% have down to size whilst improving added content management Well integrated 43% the efficiency of basic solutions and a quarter (25%) operations. have opted for a BPM approach Not well integrated 44% Our latest IT user study (see (see Figure 2). Survey Statistics box, page 4) Of all these options, 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% suggests this message is getting document management emerges Percentage of respondents through, with organisations Note: respondents could choose all that apply Source: PMP Research as the veteran application, with from a whole range of 39% reporting they already industries implementing such have an operational system. solutions in the hope of raising More than a third (36%) also service levels without sending have a workflow application in costs through the roof. operation and 34% have a But this evident enthusiasm content management system. for the individual technologies In contrast, take-up of BPM masks the fact that many Unhappy is slower, with only 12% of the companies are failing to grasp sample already running an the full potential of what operational system. And business process management although 14% are currently (BPM) offers. implementing BPM, just 5% While point solutions for have a pilot project in hand, workflow or document which suggests there is unlikely management can tackle specific returns? to be a dramatic increase in the needs, BPM provides the glue number of BPM which will bind everything flexible (32%) or very majority (84%) have made implementations in the next together in an enterprise-wide responsive (32%) and only changes in the last two years year or two. implementation. 29% feel they are highly designed to make their Instead, companies seem to Such an approach can offer adaptable. processes more efficient, while be more inclined to continue much-needed integration for an Companies demonstrate 73% have taken steps to spending on document organisation which has seen similar worries about the integrate different processes management and workflow. disparate applications spring up suitability of their current internally and 57% have been The already high proportion over the years, but now lacks business processes. The big looking to make processes more of companies using document the cash or methodology to management software looks set bring it all back together. FIGURE 2: Preferred technologies to increase, since 14% are Our Expert Opinion article currently implementing on page 5 examines the pros Which of the following technologies has your company invested in applications in this area and and cons of this in more detail. during the last two years? 20% are running pilots. There is little doubt that Similarly, 9% of our sample Document management 41% many companies are seeking to are putting in workflow overhaul their current software at the moment, and Workflow 41% applications. Around half 16% are giving it a trial. (55%) of our sample report The two most common Content management 37% that their existing enterprise IT drivers for workflow and systems are not sufficiently Business process associated technologies are 25% flexible, while 44% maintain management customer service and/or that their systems are neither complaint handling procedures, Records management 16% adaptable enough nor well which are cited by 34% of our integrated (see Figure 1). respondents, and the processing 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% In contrast, only a third of online applications and Source: PMP Research Percentage of respondents describe their systems as very inquiries (32%).
2 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Market Overview & Analysis Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
Organisations are also using cited by 52%, and the challenge suggest vendors should give consultants on a project to these applications in areas such of producing a clear ROI or themselves a pat on the back. implement such technology. as sales and order fulfilment cost/benefit justification, also Only a quarter (27%) of The most common request management (29%) and a mentioned by 52%. companies feel that the software for help is with solution design variety of ad hoc processes User acceptance (45%) is is not flexible enough to (34%) – which suggests users including expense claim another issue which comes high support their desired way of are finding it hard to navigate handling, membership on the list of worries, with one working, while just 20% voice through the maze of different administration, referrals and respondent drawing attention fears that user expectations will technologies – along with other claims handling. to the difficulties of not be met. And a mere 11% systems integration (21%). Interestingly, some paper “overcoming user familiarity have concerns about poor There is widespread intensive activities have yet to with paper”. scalability or other performance recognition that these are not receive much in the way of On the other hand, only a issues. applications which can be just support – product development third (34%) feel that the need Yet there is enough installed fresh out-of-the-box. (14%), product technical for a change management uncertainty about how to make Interestingly, companies seem support (9%) and marketing programme is one reason why the most of workflow, more confident about handling (4%) all come well down the workflow is hard to introduce. document management and some of the preparatory work list of areas where workflow or And while some respondents BPM technology for companies for a workflow implementation, BPM is widely deployed. say the complexity of many to seek outside help. Almost with external help needed in solutions is a key problem, half (45%) have used systems areas such as defining processes Appeal overall our survey findings integrators or external (16%), project management The key attraction of such (9%) and changing behaviours technologies lies in their ability FIGURE 3: Key reasons for using workflow/DM/BPM (2%). to help companies improve For those companies who their existing working practices. To introduce greater efficiencies/ find the idea of a full-blown 4.33 We asked our sample to rate improved productivity workflow, document their reasons for using management or BPM system To improve service 4.18 workflow, document too daunting, there are management or BPM software alternatives. To reduce operational costs 3.80 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 Getting on for half (45%) of represents ‘not important’ and 5 our sample use or have been To improve organisational agility 3.32 stands for ‘very important’. using messaging products such The aggregated results as Lotus Notes or Microsoft To improve visibility of processes 3.24 (Figure 3) show that the Exchange as the base number one priority for To meet regulatory requirements/ infrastructure for workflow 2.88 companies is to introduce legal compliance issues technologies. greater efficiencies and/or To deal with integration issues Their reasons for doing so 2.57 improve productivity (4.33), around legacy systems centre on the simplicity of such coupled with the push to an approach. For 43%, user 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 improve service (4.18). At the familiarity is a key advantage, On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = ‘not same time, organisations are Source: PMP Research important’ and 5 = ‘very important’ along with ease of use (30%), looking to reduce operational cost-effectiveness (29%) and costs (3.80). better integration of Ambitions such as improving FIGURE 4: Use of portals information sources (25%). corporate agility (3.32), or There is also widespread improving the visibility of Do you use or are you considering using portal technology as the recognition that portals can processes (3.24) come some standard user interface to workflow/DM/BPM applications? play a role in reducing way down the list. And two complexity and improving the requirements which might have Will be user interface in workflow and been expected to make an considering related applications. Although impact in this area barely this option only 18% currently use or plan register with our respondents. Yes, already to use portal technology, half Neither the need to meet new do so or plan (50%) will be considering this to do so compliance regulations (2.88) 18% 50% option and only 15% have or the desire to deal with ruled it out completely. The integration issues around legacy remaining 17% are undecided systems (2.57) score highly. (see Figure 4). Part of the reason may lie in The big advantage of a the two biggest problems 17% portal, of course, is that it offers companies face in using 15% a gateway into multiple workflow technologies and Don’t know/not applications without the user familiar with software. These are the this technology having to learn the intricacies of difficulty of integrating with each individual system. No Source: PMP Research other enterprise applications, Two-thirds (66%) of our www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 3 Market Overview & Analysis Workflow, Document & Business Process Management respondents acknowledge that SURVEY STATISTICS But without some cast-iron having a single user interface is information on the impact these the key advantage of portal For this survey we spoke to a broad cross-section of companies expensive and sometimes technology, along with its ease from sectors as varied as education (6%), energy and utilities (6%), disruptive new applications will of use, which is cited by half leisure and tourism (4%), transport (2%) and aerospace (2%). have on the bottom line, many (50%). We particularly sought the views of organisations in areas such organisations remain reluctant Looking to the future, many as manufacturing (18%), the financial services (16%) and the to go forward in this area. companies regard a web public sector (11%). They have traditionally had to find ways of Indeed, only a third of our interface to workflow, dealing with large volumes of paperwork and also often face the sample (35%) claim their document management and kinds of regulatory challenges which can be a key driver in the implementations have delivered BPM products as essential. Half adoption of workflow and document management technologies. the expected benefits, while one (50%) would not even consider The companies varied in size from the bottom end of the range in five (20%) deny this is the a product lacking this – with 5% reporting a turnover of under £5 million and 4% falling case and 37% simply do not capability, while a quarter into the £5 million to £10 million bracket – up to the very largest. A know. (25%) feel it is required for third of our sample (30%) have a turnover of between £150 million Some companies may have certain applications. and £1 billion, while 7% have turnovers ranging from £1 billion to failed to develop a convincing Internet or web-based £5 billion, and 5% top the £5 billion mark. case for ROI because they have applications offer a overlooked a key area where straightforward way to link into BPM software can make a real other applications, such as not know their intentions. BPML or eXML is more muted. difference – solving long- those used by suppliers or But while progress may have Just over half believe such standing application integration supply chain partners. been slow, companies are laying standards are either ‘extremely issues. However, only about a third down the foundations for such important’ (26%) or Yet only the brave would (36%) plan to integrate any of requirements in the future. ‘important’ (29%), though a embark on an ambitious BPM their workflow processes with Three-quarters (75%) quarter (27%) do not have a project without some hope of those of external partners. identify web services as either view on this issue. achieving a decent pay-back. In contrast, 21% have no ‘extremely important’ (27%) or Overall, the biggest stumbling The challenge over the next plans to take this course of ‘important’ (48%) to their block is the difficulty companies few years is for companies to action, and 27% have not given developments in the workflow face in calculating the return on find a way out of this vicious it any consideration, with 16% arena (see Figure 5). This is investment from workflow, circle by developing detailed unsure. largely because such technology document management or BPM plans to use workflow, It is a similar story when it offers a way to link together technology. document management and comes to combining workflows legacy and external As Figure 6 shows, none of BPM technologies to their with those of others, perhaps as applications, a reason our sample describes this fullest extent. a result of a merger or nominated by 48%, combined exercise as ‘easy’ and three acquisition. Only 14% have with flexibility of deployment quarters (78%) rate it as either Pat Sweet is the research definite ambitions in this area, (46%). ‘fairly hard’ (42%) or ‘very analyst on Conspectus. If you compared to the 30% who have Companies also recognise the hard’ (36%). Just 13% claim are interested in this study, ruled it out, the 32% for whom importance of industry working out the ROI is ‘fairly please contact Neil Ferguson at it is not yet even up for standards in this area, although easy’, while 9% do not have a PMP Research. Email: discussion and the 24% who do support for options such as view on this. [email protected].
FIGURE 5: Importance of web services in workflow/DM/BPM FIGURE 6: Return on investment
How easy is it for your organisation to calculate the ROI on any workflow/DM/BPM technologies?
Extremely Fairly hard important Important
27% 48% 42%
Fairly 13% easy
14% Easy 0% 9% 9% 36% Don’t know Don’t know Not particularly Unimportant important 2% Very hard Source: PMP Research Source: PMP Research
4 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Market Overview & Analysis Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
EXPERT OPINION: MARK ALLEN of Impact Plus debates whether BPM is just a new type of workflow. Why is BPM so special?
Whilst workflow has been a component of ‘glue’ to facilitate the exchange of data the same: what will change is the overall document management for many years, between the application and the BPM orchestration of these components and business process management has system. Any claim that BPM can integrate the routing of the process. recently emerged as a ‘new technology’ diverse applications ‘out-of-the-box’ is By providing clarification of end-to-end offering significant improvements unlikely to be justified. enterprise processes, BPM enables compared with traditional workflow. Another key driver for BPM is that it organisations to take a more coherent But isn’t BPM just workflow by another offers a basis for improved productivity – view of corporate function. With the entire name? What improvements does it offer, for example, by integrating manual and business process exposed to the BPM and what are the drivers for BPM at the automatic workflows and thus reducing ‘engine’, it becomes possible to collate present time? hand-offs and process lag. management information across the To some extent BPM is just a new BPM can co-ordinate processes across process and present this in a name for workflow. Traditional workflow departments and business functions, comprehensive way to answer strategic products support the automation of potentially reducing duplication of effort business questions. business processes via the definition of and inefficiency. In this sense, it offers a In this way, BPM becomes a process steps and the exchange of data means of implementing the ‘holy grail’ of mechanism for gaining greater between steps – which is something that operational efficiency – straight through management visibility and control. BPM also provides. processing. Greater visibility across the business But in one key respect BPM is different. In order to achieve improved process can allow for greater staff BPM is typically used as a means of productivity, however, some level of accountability. Because a BPM process integrating existing applications and rationalisation of definition spans manual and system services and the business processes that business driven processes, there are potentially no operate on these, rather than processes is process ‘blind spots’ where an individual implementing a single discrete business likely to be or team’s performance cannot be process. Workflow processes tend to be needed. measured. prescriptive step-by-step definitions, Implementing a But if BPM provides more than the whereas BPM process definitions typically straight copy of limited process automation offered by encompass the higher-level business legacy traditional workflow engines, there is little functions involved in a process and the processes evidence that the market is exploiting its outputs from these functions. within the BPM potential. This may be because of the This extrapolation within BPM from the system is level of investment required to implement detailed data flows and its ability to view unlikely to a full BPM system, in terms of process re business processes across applications is Mark Allen: role in generate engineering, or because of scepticism referred to as ‘process orchestration’ – application integration benefits. regarding the benefits. contrasting with the ‘process automation’ Many In any event, implementation will offered by traditional workflow products. organisations aspire to operating model become easier in the future with the BPM does not therefore offer a flexibility in an effort to respond to rapidly increasing use of standard process complete departure from traditional changing markets and consumer components which may be invoked by workflow, but rather an important demands. The ability to redesign and re any process execution engine, utilising evolution of workflow technology, deploy operational processes and standards such as BPEL and XML. introducing a more rounded interpretation systems is therefore critical. The increasing use of web services in of real-life business processes and BPM can assist here because of the this area will also open up the possibilities reducing the need for the rigid coding of level of abstraction it offers over the for orchestration. every process step. detailed implementation of workflow. The But to achieve this there is an This ability to provide process use of flexible process components, investment cost, not least in terms of the governance at the organisation-wide level which can be re-used within different effort to stitch together what have gives BPM a role in application integration organisation-wide process definitions, traditionally been departmental process – a key driver for its success. Indeed, enables companies to rapidly design and definitions into true enterprise-wide BPM is often presented as the solution to deploy different operating models. representations. In reality, ‘pure’ end-to many of the long-standing architecture Thus, for example, if a decision is taken end BPM process implementations are problems associated with the proliferation to outsource a particular process probably still a year or two off. of legacy systems. component, a BPM system can be rapidly Yet such integration can typically only updated to reflect these changes. Mark Allen is a principal consultant with be achieved with the development of This is possible because the likelihood Impact Plus. Tel: 020 8977 4655. application programming interface (API) is that the process components will stay Email: [email protected].
www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 5 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management BancTec
ec BancTec is a worldwide systems solutions. Plexus says it is COMPANY CONTACT POINTS integration, business process particularly suited to large, Turnover (UK) £31m Name and Address BancT outsourcing and services high-transaction business company. It has over 3,000 staff environments. Turnover (W) $379m BancTec Ltd, Jarman House, Mathisen Way, Poyle Road, Colnbrook, Berkshire and more than 5,000 customers eFIRST process consists of Profit Before Tax (UK) £4.5m SL3 0HF across multiple industries in 50 seven integrated modules: Profit Before Tax (W) $18m Telephone countries. Process Engine – scalable to Number of Employees (UK) 300 01753 778888 BancTec is one of the world’s support large configurations of Number of Employees (W) 3,100 Fax largest electronic document users and networks, this has Software Marketed (UK) D/I 01753 778707 management vendors – its been specifically engineered for End User Support by D/I Contact name Ian Painter systems process over 50 million intense, high-volume End User Training by D/I Email address documents daily. transaction-based processes. Key: D Direct, I Indirect [email protected] When delivering workflow Process Builder – an N/A Not available/not Website address and BPM solutions, BancTec environment that models applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request www.banctec.co.uk turns to Plexus. Founded more business information and relates User Group Contact/Contact Point than 15 years ago, Plexus, a it to processes and process dashboard to help managers N/A BancTec-owned company, is steps. It enables companies to identify emerging problems. recognised as a pioneer in develop user interfaces, forms Process Intelligence – a processing’ of work items. workflow and BPM software. and data objects managed business intelligence tool Process Integrator – a broad The Plexus network of within the solution application. providing configurable web array of pre-built adaptors and partners, resellers and OEMs Process Analyzer – a process based management information interfaces to connect processes has delivered solutions to a modelling, analysis and reports for statistical analysis of to legacy and packaged range of industries in over 35 simulation tool enabling the operational performance. applications. countries. business to model and optimise Process Decision – a business BancTec supplies end-to-end eFIRST process is a suite of its processes. rules engine to help business solutions to a wide range of tools for the development and Process Monitor – a real-time users document standard industry sectors by integrating deployment of scalable business activity monitoring process logic and enable eFIRST process with clients’ enterprise process management solution providing a visual automatic ‘straight-through legacy systems, as well as other products in the eFIRST PRODUCTS portfolio such as eFIRST Name eFIRST process (formerly FloWare) eFIRST capture capture and eFIRST archive. First installed (year) 2003 (1992 – FloWare) 2002 eFIRST capture provides a No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months AOR AOR single front-end capture No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months AOR AOR platform to automatically scan Key markets Banking & finance, government, utilities, telcos, retail, postal services + mailroom and process high volumes of processing applications (eFIRST capture) documents of any format, Current version – date of release v2.0 – June 04 v3.4.1 – May 04 including forms, invoices and Operating systems supported MS Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris, HP-UX Windows 2000, 2003, XP general correspondence. Software functionality offered: Electronic documents such as Workflow Yes Yes emails, faxes and web forms Document management Yes Yes can also be imported. Business process management Yes No The product searches for Knowledge management Yes Yes keywords and other document Content management Yes Yes identifiers to classify each Web content management Yes No document. It then automatically Electronic records management Yes Yes extracts and processes all Imaging No Yes relevant text and other document-based information to Electronic forms processing Yes Yes populate document and content Other N/A Document recognition, content analysis management applications, Standards supported XML, J2EE, SOAP + BPMI/WfMC member XML legacy systems or to distribute Web server standards supported to provide JSP, Struts, XML, XSLT Provided by eFIRST process integration capabilities the document to the correct Does product have its own business Yes Yes contacts via email. intelligence/analytical tools? BancTec and Plexus Does product support third-party business Yes – Hyperion, Business Objects, Cognos Supports all major third-party analytical customers include Barclays, intelligence/analytical software? applications Ford Motor Credit, BT, Inland Special application integration offered/ Web services support + API for COM and Provided by eFIRST process Revenue, UK Police, South West integration tools supported Java + enterprise apps. integration inc. Water, Cisco Systems and US SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Siebel, etc Joint Chiefs of Staff.
6 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management BiT Group
The BiT Group offers a suite of providing the capability to COMPANY CONTACT POINTS business tools designed to model, analyse, link and analyse, manage and improve communicate a range of Turnover (UK) N/P Name and Address the performance of integrated business and process Turnover (W) N/P BiT Group, The Granary, Pury Hill BiT Group Farm, Alderton, Towcester NN12 7LS organisations. Its first product information. Profit Before Tax (UK) N/P Telephone was launched in 1992. Enterprise Modeller is used to Profit Before Tax (W) N/P 01327 811199 In addition to developing, analyse an organisation and its Number of Employees (UK) 10 Fax marketing and selling products, business processes from a Number of Employees (W) 10 01327 811133 BiT offers a range of services number of linked perspectives, Software Marketed (UK) D Contact name including training, skills including cost, times, process End User Support by D Elizabeth Redfern transfer, project management efficiency, IT system support, End User Training by D Email address [email protected] and implementation support. risks and inter-organisation Key: D Direct, I Indirect BiT’s suite of tools is based interfaces. N/A Not available/not Website address www.enterprisemodeller.com on a framework approach and BiT says the flexibility of the applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request User Group Contact/Contact Point incorporates the ability to product means it can be used in Alistair Heslop/0870 220 0710 analyse an organisation from a a number of ways. The product lie and impact analysis for number of integrated is configured to meet the decisions, such as process Each of these views is perspectives, and communicate requirements of an organisation change, system implementation communicated visually, these perspectives using various or programme. and outsourcing. providing a colour-coded diagrammatic approaches. The Among the common uses of Using the multi-dimensional overlay for each process. For toolset includes a business the product: mathematical engine, cost example, one view can show process modelling capability Cost management is analysis can be provided to any how each product or service is and a multi-dimensional approached by combining the level of detail, the most processed and another the roles mathematical engine. organisation’s view of costs common being products, involved in the processing. The specific product with the process view. This services and business units. In addition to the integrated supporting BPM is Enterprise combination provides a picture For process improvement, views described above, Modeller, a framework tool of where an organisation’s costs multiple processes can be Enterprise Modeller can modelled and analysed from a integrate a number of other PRODUCT number of integrated user-defined views, such as Name Enterprise Modeller perspectives including which risks, competencies and First installed (year) 1992 role performs each part of the organisation assumptions. No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 189 – 9 process, which systems are Enterprise Modeller also used, how long the process integrates with workflow No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 198 – 1 takes, how much it costs and products using XML. Having Key markets Business process modelling, continuous improvement, risk analysis, central the process capacity. analysed and designed government, banking & finance Each of these process views improved processes, it transfers Current version – date of release v4.2c – Nov 03 can be multi-dimensional, selected information to the Operating systems supported Windows 98, 2000, NT, XP providing additional insights. workflow development Software functionality offered: For example, for a financial environment – providing a Workflow No services company the cost of a starting position for the Document management No process may vary depending on development of the workflow Business process management Yes the product and channel to system. Knowledge management Yes market. In addition to software Content management No For the implementation of IT products, BiT offers a suite of Web content management No systems Enterprise Modeller supporting services to Electronic records management No provides an analysis of how the organisations using Enterprise Imaging No investment in such systems Modeller: Electronic forms processing No could deliver improvement Training – from introductory from the business perspective. courses through to specialist Other Business process modelling Process improvement within workshops. Standards supported XML a single organisation can offer Skills transfer – ‘one to one’ Web server standards supported to provide None integration capabilities significant benefits, but a multi working to impart specialist Does product have its own business Yes organisation view is often skills. intelligence/analytical tools? required to produce significant Implementation support – Does product support third-party business None directly improvement to the end-to-end practical support to help deliver intelligence/analytical software? process. Enterprise Modeller business modelling projects. Special application integration offered/ User-defined interfaces to third-party provides the ability to analyse Project management – to integration tools supported tools can be built via separated text files and improve processes across plan, manage and implement and XML multiple organisations. business modelling projects. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 7 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management Captiva Software
Founded in 1989, Captiva financial services, government, COMPANY CONTACT POINTS Software Corporation is a business process outsourcing, leading provider of input direct marketing and other Turnover (UK) N/P Name and Address management solutions. markets. Turnover (W) $57m Captiva Software Corporation, Hanover House, Cross Lanes, Its award-winning products Based on the time spent Profit Before Tax (UK) N/P Guildford GU1 1UG Captiva Software are used to manage business entering and validating data, Profit Before Tax (W) $3.5m Telephone critical information held on the high downstream cost of Number of Employees (UK) 20 01483 460500 paper and in faxed and scanned incoming errors and demands Number of Employees (W) 300 Fax forms and documents into the for instant responsiveness, Software Marketed (UK) D/I 01483 460600 enterprise. Captiva’s software is designed End User Support by D/I Contact name Beverly Fitzgibbon Captiva recognises that key to provide the missing link End User Training by D/I Email address information must be at required for greater efficiency Key: D Direct, I Indirect [email protected] immediate disposal. Clients’ and competitive advantage. N/A Not available/not Website address needs must be served, Even the most modern applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request www.captivasoftware.co.uk unimpeded by the delays and information systems are not User Group Chairman/Contact Point the high costs associated with designed with information Improve accuracy in N/A an ongoing ‘paper chase’. input in mind. information flows, and improve Its products automate the Captiva claims that its the accountability of standard, enterprise-level processing of billions of forms solutions help organisations to: information systems by scanning interface ISIS. and documents annually, Lower operational costs by initiating high-level reporting FormWare. Captiva converting their contents into reducing dependence on manual and auditing functionalities. recognises that forms are the information that is usable in processes, within the mailroom Enhance back-end systems by dominant way of doing database, document, content and throughout the enterprise. speeding up and improving the business: over 80% of all and other information Increase efficiency in overall flow of information into them business documents are forms, management systems. workflows by automatically through system-specific exports with more than $360 billion The software is used by prioritising and routing key which ease integration costs. spent processing forms annually. thousands of users in insurance, information. Increase security by capturing Despite these costs, many hard-copy documents in a businesses still rely on a manual PRODUCT single location, and delivering process to gather information Name Input Management Solutions them electronically throughout from forms. First installed (year) 1989 the organisation. FormWare is a forms No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 300 plus – AOR processing and data extraction Products platform that automatically No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 2,000 plus – 162 InputAccel is an enterprise identifies and processes both Key markets Insurance, banking, government, business process outsourcing, level information capture paper and electronic forms, manufacturing solution that provides regardless of their design or Current version – date of release v5.1 – Jan 04 businesses with a method of point of origin. Operating systems supported Windows NT, XP, 2000, 2003 co-ordinating, validating and Digital Mailroom. Software functionality offered: assimilating incoming Information rarely if ever Workflow Yes documents. arrives ‘shrink-wrapped’ for the Document management Yes It is designed to offer high internal workplace: it is usually Business process management No speed functionality in data a mixed bag, with information Knowledge management No capture, processing and arriving in numerous formats Content management No integration and to improve the and from multiple sources. Web content management No integrity of business-critical Captiva’s Digital Mailroom Electronic records management Yes data by removing opportunities solution is designed to automate Imaging Yes for error. the information process, InputAccel is used by creating a virtual ‘front door’ to Electronic forms processing Yes hundreds of companies enterprise information systems, Other Input management, document/data capture, forms processing, classification worldwide to collect and and providing a single point of Standards supported XML, ISIS integrate external information entry for all input – incoming Web server standards supported to provide None into their systems. It turns paper mail, faxes, email and integration capabilities external data into usable, online communications streams. Does product have its own business No business-ready content, Digital Mailroom can intelligence/analytical tools? regardless of its format or point automatically recognise and Does product support third-party business N/A of origin. route these documents to the intelligence/analytical software? It is offered as an enterprise appropriate department or Special application integration offered/ Embedded VBA level solution by Captiva, which person, and run reporting and integration tools supported also created the industry- auditing capabilities.
8 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management Cimage NovaSoft
For more than a decade, provider to specific regulated COMPANY CONTACT POINTS Cimage NovaSoft has been industries, it offers a solution providing enterprise content that combines domain Turnover (UK) £5m Name and Address management (ECM) solutions knowledge and best practice Turnover (W) £10m Cimage NovaSoft Ltd, Centennial Court, Easthampstead Road, that allow organisations to with software capabilities. Profit Before Tax (UK) £0.5m Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1JZ Cimage NovaSoft comply with regulatory Its solutions are optimised to Profit Before Tax (W) £0.5m Telephone requirements. the requirements of specific Number of Employees (UK) 55 01344 767700 The company believes that industries through vertical Number of Employees (W) 100 Fax meeting these requirements metadata models, business Software Marketed (UK) D/I 01344 767701 requires a solution that spans process maps and standard End User Support by D/I Contact name Michelle Patch the content management integration tools. End User Training by D/I Email address lifecycle, from initial creation These off-the-shelf templates Key: D Direct, I Indirect [email protected] through to archival and enable enterprises to roll out an N/A Not available/not Website address disposal. Its solution combines established solution to key applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request www.cimagenovasoft.com business process management, business processes with less User Group Chairman/Contact Point collaboration and content customisation. A web services toolkit was AOR management. In Q3 2003, Cimage released at this time, supporting Cimage NovaSoft recognises NovaSoft launched its Fusion .NET and J2EE web solutions and user interfaces that rapid business benefit product suite, a web-based environments. The company geared around the user’s specific requires more than just platform for ECM solutions to claims Fusion Reference business environment. technology. As a single-source the regulated industries. Library, released in Q2 2004, Cimage NovaSoft has over has generated interest from 700 installations in over 30 PRODUCT customers and prospects due to countries. Name Cimage NovaSoft its innovative design. Its customers include First installed (year) 1990 aaiPharma Inc, Altana Pharma, No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 100 – 10 Products AMEC Offshore Services, No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 700 – 50 Fusion is a framework for Ametek Aerospace Products, Key markets Government – capital projects and delivering enterprise content Applied Materials, BART, BF infrastructure (ie, rail), medical management solutions for Goodrich Aerospace, BNFL, manufacturing, oil & gas upstream regulated industries. Cimage BOBST SA, British Energy operations, pharmaceutical manufacturing (packaging, labelling, NovaSoft says the adage “one Generation, BT, BWX quality control), power generation and size fits all” no longer applies as Technologies, Cambrex Bio transmission ECM evolves to become more Science Walkersville Inc, Current version – date of release e3 v5.11 – April 04 of an enterprise infrastructure Central Arizona Project, Operating systems supported Client – Windows NT, 2000, XP, web rather than a focused business ChevronTexaco, Corning browser. Server – Windows NT, 2003, solution with proven benefits. Costar, Eli Lilly and Company, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX Fusion combines both models, Entergy, Enterprise Energy Software functionality offered: providing solutions tuned to the Ireland, Ford, Fujitsu Software Workflow Yes business requirements of specific Technology, GE Capital Rail Document management Yes regulated industries whilst able Services, Genentech, Gen- Business process management No to replace or utilise existing Probe, Georgia Gulf, Gillette, Knowledge management Yes ECM investments. Honeywell Aerospace Yeovil, Content management Yes It combines document and Husky Oil, Hydrocarbon Web content management No content management, Resources, I/N Tek, John Electronic records management Yes workflow, collaboration, Crane, LEONI Wiring Systems Imaging Yes knowledge and records UK, Lifescan, Lockheed Martin, Electronic forms processing No management into a single London Underground, Magnox Other N/A integrated web framework. Electric, Marathon Oil Standards supported XML, web services, SOAP, UDDI, SQL A web services interface Company, Mobil North Sea, Web server standards supported to provide .NET, J2EE supports web-based integration Northrop Grummon, Norton integration capabilities with popular web application Company, Phillips Medical Does product have its own business No servers and portal Systems, Powergen UK, intelligence/analytical tools? environments. A range of web Raytheon Aircraft Company, Does product support third-party business No intelligence/analytical software? applications are provided, Rockwell Automation, Salt designed to meet the River Project, Sempra Energy, Special application integration offered/ Web services, Windows API Toolkit, integration tools supported database integration, Cimage requirements of different Sumitomo, Suncor Energy, Framework Link, Office, Outlook, regulatory environments and Sunoco, Syntroleum, Talisman Maximo, Intools, SAP, Explorer, AutoCad, business processes. Fusion Energy (UK), TXU Electric and Microstation, Lotus Notes therefore offers a range of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 9 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management View from the top
PROFILE hell let loose at this point, Company: Arup Group. partly because through the Interviewee: Tony Sheehan. consultation exercise we had Job Title: Group Knowledge Manager. raised expectations and also partly because there was The Subject: Engineering firm Arup has improved its business performance through suddenly an opportunity for portal-based knowledge and information management. people to make a difference and they wanted to be involved. There were loads of products out there with loads of functionality, not all of which Q: WHAT BUSINESS DRIVERS LED ARUP TO to be improved. We went were operating under. we wanted. In six to eight DEVELOP ITS PORTAL SYSTEM? through an extensive It was really a big juggling months we matured in terms of A: We are a large engineering consultation exercise and I exercise, there were 40 or 50 understanding what we wanted organisation with about 6,000 wrote a report to the board things that needed to be done in and also the market matured in to 7,000 people, seeking to around the end of 2000. They terms of improving knowledge terms of the products available. differentiate on innovation and said ‘right go do it’, and and three years on, we have Our key criterion was that we creativity – we design projects obviously that was when the done them all – and more. But wanted a portal that was simple like the Sydney Opera House fun started. we’ve done it in a low-key way, to use and access and that could and also the ‘wobbly’ bridge in We identified a wealth of exploiting opportunities to get access all our existing corporate London. things to improve which meant things done on the back of information which was on more To make that creativity we needed to run a number of other initiatives and refocusing than 20 databases, including happen, you need good people global projects. some activities to support the Oracle, Exchange and with information and From the start, we recognised knowledge management proprietary databases. knowledge at their fingertips. that technology was both the initiatives. We did detailed trials on a Knowledge is all we sell, it’s cause of our problems and also We always retained a small number of products and found fundamental to our business. the potential solution. Our central knowledge management that Autonomy could do the Round about 2000, we information overload was all team of two or three people job. realised that people in the about our intranet and the way with the projects delivered by organisation were getting it was designed. We wanted to other teams. Q: HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK IN overloaded with information change the way knowledge was PRACTICE? and we wanted to address that. retrieved, and we understood Q: HOW DID YOU CHOOSE AN IT A: In a nutshell, having a portal We also realised that the way that by addressing our SOLUTION? onto our sources of information we work has changed, in terms information infrastructure we A: After we got clearance from allows us to find the right of the immediacy involved. could achieve other goals, such the board we began looking at content, the right people (which Now, if an email comes in, as reducing the stress people intranet technology. In a way all is very valuable) and to create people have to respond to it ‘on the fly’ links to the content immediately – and we have to COMPANY FILE we’re looking at. make sure that people don’t just That last bit may sound revert to what they know Established in 1946 by Ove Arup, Arup is a firm of consulting trivial but what we do is when already, that they pause and engineers working on projects including automobiles, the portal presents information refer to the best knowledge infrastructure, structural engineering, communications to someone, we get Autonomy available in real time. consultancy, financial and socially led engineering. to suggest related content. It has 72 offices in 32 countries, and around 7,000 members For example, post 9/11 it Q: WHAT DID YOU DO TO ADDRESS THIS of staff. Its turnover in 2001/02 was £403 million. would be very easy for a PROBLEM? Arup is one of the world’s leading firms of designers, having structural engineer to think of a A: For us, it wasn’t a matter of worked on projects such as London’s Millennium Bridge. It also tall building just as a building in ‘great, let’s get a technology worked on the structural design of the iconic Sydney Opera terms of design and materials. solution’ – we spent six months House in the 1960s and the development of the route for the But these days the engineer looking at what was right and Channel Tunnel Rail Link in the 1990s. must also communicate to the what was wrong in the In 2000-2002, the firm undertook a comprehensive review of client an understanding of risk, business. its knowledge assets and as a result developed the Arup fire, ease of escape and so on. I was given free rein by the Global Intranet Project (AGIP). Design now is less about board to explore what needed individual disciplines. We have
10 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management a community of structural PERSONAL FILE within each brand whose role is engineers in Arup but if an to check the content. engineer is looking up building NAME: Tony Sheehan. design, Autonomy will copy the BACKGROUND: As Group Q: HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH page into the search box and Knowledge Manager and THE SOFTWARE? with it present the top five links Associate Director of Arup, A: Honestly not for us. We to that page in real time. It Tony is responsible for the always tested it first. We had suggests links – which might development and people customising it for our pick up on that there’s implementation of the needs before we introduced it, something new been produced company’s global and it hasn’t fallen over. to do with risks. knowledge management People find they get much strategy. He specialises in Q: HAS THE SYSTEM BEEN DEVELOPED broader links which encourages cultural change, process SINCE YOU FIRST INTRODUCED IT? networking between the management and KM A: We continue to customise it. different disciplines. technology. People are still busy, they are Beyond Arup, he is involved in KM research projects at a still overloaded and there’s a Q: HAVE YOU EVALUATED THE SUCCESS OF number of universities and business schools and has been constant need to update the THE PORTAL? appointed as an advisor to the Department of Trade and system. We are always saying to A: The main benefit has been Industry on selecting suitable construction research and Autonomy ‘we want to do this easy access to content, innovation projects in the KM field. or that, what blend of your improved speed to find Prior to his current job, Tony worked for 12 years as a senior products can help us?’. answers. The portal has given member of the Arup materials and construction team, At the moment we’re looking us a new user-friendly interface providing consultancy to clients on the use of materials in fundamentally at the best to our legacy systems, which building and civil engineering. practice information that we means people are finding the make available. In the past, the right content while reducing the Harvard Business Review was information overload. It’s We integrated various legacy Having consulted with various the source of business best simple but it gives people a systems and, for each user groups about what they practice but now there are lots good feeling. integration, we have had to needed, our brief was always to of other sources. For example, just after we think about how it works. For make it very simple. We’re going through a kind had introduced it, someone example, we had a We didn’t go strong on of navel gazing exercise defining emailed me to say they had comprehensive projects training. There were lots of help what best practice means in this wanted to bid for a project but database, Ovabase, which pages available and we day and age. For us, it’s a their PA had spent four days captured previous project embedded some things into process of continuous failing to get the right support experience. This was getting existing training courses, but we evolution. information for the bid. poor feedback – it wasn’t bad kept it deliberately low key. Another area we are looking They decided to give this but it was a hard system to get at is how to get people to system a go, got the into. Q: DOES THE SYSTEM SUPPORT YOUR absorb content. The first phase information they needed from We created a better interface DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS has been to look at the way Autonomy in half a day – and but also we needed to integrate KNOWLEDGE AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT? people work and the knowledge we won the bid. a few things alongside it to give A: We have a number of they need, and pulling together As an organisation we are not people a kind of ‘one stop shop’ different document that content. strong on ROI partly because of information. If someone is management systems and But there’s no point in it’s so difficult to quantify. If the preparing a bid, they want to Autonomy decides which making content available if feedback is positive from users, look at past projects in documents should be shared people don’t use it. The way then the payback is there. We Ovabase, but they will also from each particular system. ahead is to look at how this had a lot of very tangible want information from the All documents or content are content can have an impact on examples that to turn into ROI financial system – did we make branded with one of five people, there’s got to be some would be meaningless. It just a profit or loss in the past? – ‘brands’, depending on whether interest or curiosity and that worked. they might want some data they relate to ‘people’, might involve some work with from the image base or some ‘projects’, ‘best practice’, e-learning systems. Q: WERE THERE ANY PROBLEMS GETTING timesheet data. ‘corporate rules’ or ‘networks’ THE PORTAL TO INTERFACE WITH YOUR We had to make those links (communities of people in the Q: WHAT KEY LESSONS HAS ARUP LEARNT EXISTING DATABASES, SO IT COULD DRAW happen, and for each database same role). FROM THIS IMPLEMENTATION? OUT THE INFORMATION? the way we presented and By categorising a document A: You have to think through A: During the first six months retrieved data had to be thought in one of these areas, people can your business first – think about of testing we almost mapped through. find the type of information your people and processes – the business – we realised that they are looking for grouped by and then the technology. The the portal was a good idea but Q: HOW DID THE USERS REACT TO THE Autonomy. acid test of technology in this then had to look at how it NEW SYSTEM, AND WHAT WERE THE They will also know that they area is how well it can be would work in practice, the TRAINING REQUIREMENTS? can use the document with customised to support your nitty gritty of how the different A: A lot of the system was confidence because it has been people and processes, to deliver systems would interact. intuitive, deliberately so. validated by one of our experts what you want. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 11 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
WORKFLOW AND document workflow, process management management software has been and application integration. The around for some time, but other components are needed business process management is for real-world solutions, as a relatively new concept. And BPM on its own is worthless,” while all these technologies Workflow he said. deliver substantial benefits, The issue here is how working out just how to integration is to be achieved implement any or all of them is successfully. Staunton says the a challenging task. burden for ensuring this To look more closely at the happens should fall squarely on issues involved, Conspectus the supplier, rather than the invited four industry experts to workout buyer. give their views on current Four workflow and BPM experts debate how companies “The challenge for users is to trends in this market and to can get the most from this technology. Pat Sweet reports. resist buying standalone best of identify where and how such breed BPM components technology can best be used. because the BPM vendor should We spoke to David Skyrme, the whole picture, so the strengths of the existing cover the cost and risk of director of his own specialist requirement for point solutions technologies. This in turn may integration. This should be a consultancy David Skyrme will probably remain. The focus persuade companies to adopt major qualifier in new Associates; Michael Anniss, needs to be on using the an holistic approach. Where purchases. Users need to principal solutions architect appropriate level of such an approach has been examine offers carefully and with computer services group technology.” discussed, the integration of identify vendors pushing Xansa; David Scott-Jones, This view is echoed by David workflow components is critical components and being principal consultant with Skyrme, who believes that “the to realise the overall benefits economical with the actualité,” independent firm Cornwell name of the game is evolution and the management vision,” Staunton said. Management Consultancy; and and interoperability within a he said. Skyrme is another who Rory Staunton, managing well-defined but flexible But David Scott-Jones is questions just how close some director of the business architecture and vision. Even firmly of the opinion that few suppliers are to the nirvana of consultancy Strategy Partners. then, most of the innovative users will be rushing to scrap the fully integrated BPM Our panel began by and task-specific products come their legacy systems for an solution. considering the relationship from niche vendors. And often ‘holistic’ BPM solution just yet In his experience, the overall between the more established individual department – although he agrees this functionality on offer in some specialist software and the initiatives demand local and approach has important packages is the result of newer, all-embracing concept of adaptive solutions that can be potential benefits. companies acquiring other BPM. While applications such implemented quickly. Therefore “A strength of BPM solutions vendors and products. In these as workflow are usually well-designed and user-friendly is crossing existing system circumstances, it can take implemented in particular niche products will always have boundaries to extract real-time several years for the vendor to departments within a company, a place.” data from other applications to achieve seamless integration BPM is often seen as a more Anniss reckons that, in the manage the business process. (although the growing use of holistic approach which longer term, users may come to With appropriate standards and open standards such as J2EE transcends traditional realise that BPM offers a way to process-building tools simple can speed up the process). organisational boundaries. make the whole more than the enough for non-IT specialists to The resulting difficulty of However, our experts sound sum of its separate parts. use, a good BPM solution puts distinguishing between promise a note of caution about how “We are seeing a growing control in the hands of the and reality is another reason to this will work in practice. trend towards a collaborative business user and takes the stick with tried-and-tested Michael Anniss emphasises approach in exploiting the overstretched IT department single applications. that it is wise to consider wider out of the loop. So there “Several factors mitigate business and systems issues, absolutely is a place for against taking an holistic view. even if the initial intent is to point solutions, although First, companies may have implement a point solution, but no doubt vendors would many different legacy systems also stresses that introducing like to sell fully whose data and applications BPM is not a simple task. integrated solutions,” need to be migrated to the new “Many organisations will Scott-Jones said. environment. Secondly, there currently have point solutions Rory Staunton are concerns about a ‘big bang’ in place providing some of the elaborates on this view, all-embracing project that might elements of the overall BPM but sounds a note of disrupt current systems and solution,” he said. “However, caution about what have a high propensity to fail. the move to a complete BPM exactly is involved. “We Perhaps most importantly, the approach requires change and have never encountered a diversity of users’ needs often investment orders of magnitude user who regards the mitigates against a ‘one size fits greater than is needed for the scope of BPM as a term all’ solution,” Skyrme said. implementation of one part of Michael Anniss: appropriate technology to cover more than Often, there are also major
12 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management costs associated with opting for will be more “Companies will need to do the holistic BPM approach. commonality of purpose lots of implementation work. “The work required to within the BPM market. Today most organisations are systematise documents, records, “For BPM to become deficient in their adherence to knowledge and workflow is successful, agreed standards, the consistency of enormous – and expensive. Nor standards must be used their corporate business will all the users need all the for modelling, classification scheme and modules. However, it is fair to implementing business metadata, and the discipline of say that there are other benefits process flows and their knowledge workers’ of an integrated toolset from a integration with working practices,” is how single vendor, and these are organisational resources. Scott-Jones outlines the increasingly being recognised,” In addition, for the point problems. Scott-Jones said. technologies to play an Skyrme is another sceptic Certainly, many vendors have effective role in the more about how easily BPM can be started down this path, even integrated world of David Scott-Jones: standards gaps introduced. though they may be having BPM, they need to “It’s certainly not ‘plug and trouble persuading users to provide additional the vendor, and more about perform’. Many of these follow them immediately. As a capabilities and well-defined how easy it is to extract and standards are at the very basic result, there has been an interfaces with other migrate the logic, templates and levels of message exchange and upsurge of mergers and technologies. The fewer vendors data from the chosen solution. interoperability. Companies acquisitions amongst suppliers there are, the greater the chance Again, adoption of industry need common schemas and in the workflow, document of investment in the standards such as XML will higher-level standards for management and BPM arena. re-positioning of products, their help future-proofing,” he said. resource definitions for systems Skyrme sums this up as “the integration capabilities and real However, while our panel to recognise – for example, that inevitable consequence of consolidation around broadly agree with Scott-Jones’ one company’s ‘customer’ is Darwinian evolution and standards,” Anniss maintained. assertion that standardisation is another’s ‘client’. Furthermore market forces in product spaces Skyrme reckons it is this “A Good Thing” for both it will be collaborative whose boundaries are process which will be of vendors and users, they also communities or participants in constantly changing”. greatest benefit to end users as maintain it would be a big supply chains where the The positive impact of this they weigh up potential mistake to assume that all BPM emphasis on customisation will should be that only the best purchases. “The primary technology can be bought off come. No company is an survive, but the downside is requirement is to think less the-shelf and plugged straight island,” he warned. users may be left with systems about the long-term viability of into the enterprise. Staunton points out that most that have become obsolete and BPM products at the moment unsupported – a concern voiced KEY ISSUES sit at the component level, are by several on our panel. sold to IT project managers, “There are several impacts on We asked our four experts to consider the following questions: and require very significant customers: will their preferred Most vendors now offer BPM systems which integrate configuration and extensive vendor still be around in three, separate technologies like workflow, knowledge management, customisation. In his view, ‘plug five or ten years? Will they be document management and content management. But how and play’ is a valid vision, taken over by one of the big many users adopt a similarly holistic approach? Is there still a rather than an operational boys such as Microsoft or IBM? place for the point solutions? reality, although this may While that might guarantee There has recently been a lot of merger and takeover activity change over the next two years. continuity, will companies find among vendors in the workflow, document management and In any case, not every themselves at the mercy of their BPM area. What is the impact of this, both positive and company is going to welcome development and pricing negative, for users? the emergence of standard strategies, and other restrictive Is the growth in corporate regulation and compliance products. “Commercial practices?” asks Scott-Jones. requirements – such as the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley organisations need to Staunton is less exercised by and the impending Freedom of Information legislation in the UK continually build competitive this, as he believes this – encouraging greater use of BPM technology such as differentiation into their development is overall “largely document management? offering to their customer. The positive for users, because it is With the launch of integrated product lines, plus the use of wider effects of standardised creating a smaller number of standards such as XML and web services, BPM technology is systems and business processes larger players that are safer to increasingly billed as a ‘plug and play’ choice. Is this correct? may impact on this commercial buy from, rather than smaller, How much work do companies need to do to customise their imperative,” Anniss said. niche vendors fuelled by implementations? He believes the more dotcom money that are unsafe Companies are usually advised to implement technologies complex problem is creating to buy from”. such as workflow, document management, KM and BPM in standards for the information Anniss concedes that the small stages or via pilot projects, in order to reduce risk. But that is exchanged between impact for existing users may be does this limit the chances of an organisation achieving the products, and for the elements disruptive, but suggests there is expected benefits of enterprise-wide BPM? What kind of of the business processes that a lot for future users to gain strategy is appropriate? they manage. from this trend because there The emergence of standards www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 13 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
But for Staunton, level BPM can bring. Yet “For example, you can regulations and experts like Skyrme dismiss deliver workflows sequentially compliance represent the such fears. rather than re-engineering many fastest growing segment “If proper knowledge processes at once. of the BPM and content management and learning Unfortunately other aspects of management markets in approaches are adopted, BPM don’t lend themselves to Europe today, which is companies can learn a lot from this – you can’t deliver half an why software and pilot projects that will stand electronic records management services in these sectors them in good stead for a major system, and even a pilot system are still growing, whilst rollout. But once they have requires as much preparation as other component learnt what works best in what a complete rollout,” he technologies such as ERP situations, they may need to be conceded. and CRM are not. ambitious in the speed and scale And as Anniss points out, This is likely to of the rollout to maximise moving to ‘full-strength’ BPM David Skyrme: pro pilot projects continue being the case, benefits. However, they don’t will force many organisations to if Scott-Jones is right. necessarily have to go for 100% change the way they such as BPEL, and the “Few organisations are utilising coverage. There will always be understand, define, run and standardisation of business the full capabilities of the a tail of diminishing returns, manage their business process modelling tools to technology at the moment – where investments may be processes. As a result, many will produce BPEL-compliant often because their top better applied to piloting the face dilemmas about the level of definitions, provides part of the management has yet to next innovative solution,” differentiation, cost, complexity solution here. appreciate the potential impact Skyrme said. and ROI involved. “Each organisation has to of the new regulations. Scott-Jones is another “Companies need to position define its own internal business Document management is only enthusiast for this approach, their business and technology processes and the environment a small subset of what will be arguing that pilot projects are change clearly in terms of their in which to manage them. They required by Sarbanes-Oxley and extremely valuable as a way of business performance will often have to create the Freedom of Information testing the ‘fit’ of the product implications and ensure that environment to interact with legislation, and many and assessing the organisation’s any technology used is very other organisations. In both organisations are implementing ability to implement and use it. clearly justified and provides a cases there will be specific it in a way that will fall short of “The pilot project should clear contribution to the customisable elements that need what is required,” he said. validate estimates of the time business performance,” Anniss to be addressed. The more In particular, Anniss said, and effort required, test said. standard the business process, while the greater use of procedures and training Staunton agrees that any the less the need to customise document management provision, and provide a strategy to realise ROI in BPM the application components for technology solves some demonstrator platform for depends on identifying the that process,” Anniss said. problems going forward, it does management and other staff not operational metrics that define In some areas, the move to not address the historical or directly involved in the success before the project starts, BPM technology has been ongoing underlying issue of programme. And by reducing rather than concentrating on prompted by the need for identifying and using base-level the probability of the project technical measures like the companies to meet additional business data in the first place. failing it should enhance the number or speed of processes. regulatory requirements, such “A focus on technology chances of realising the But for those organisations as the Sarbanes-Oxley components will simply move expected benefits,” he said. who understand the legislation in the US or new the wrong data round the In addition, a successful pilot implications of BPM and the Freedom of Information laws in business more effectively and gives senior management the way in which the market is the UK. not get to the root of the confidence to use the system developing, there are substantial Skyrme is in no doubt that business problem, or indeed organisation-wide. This is prizes to be gained by those compliance requirements are open up the opportunity which critical, because some projects who take the initiative. driving greater adoption – a greater understanding of the fail because of poor take especially in the public sector company’s lifeblood could up rather than poor which has not perhaps been as provide. By getting the data and technology, making a advanced as the commercial data management processes high-level mandate world in implementing right within a compliance important for electronic document and context, businesses can then acceptance. records management systems. look to exploit the knock-on A quick However, they are not CRM benefits this provides,” implementation in small necessarily a critical driver. Anniss said. pieces, rather than a ‘big “Even without such The final topic our panel bang’ requiring years of requirements, many debated is the thorny issue of work will also keep organisations already how best to implement BPM interest levels high – understood the business benefits technologies. While a pilot although there may be and have well-developed project reduces risk, it might obstacles to doing this, systems with intranet or portal also fail to deliver the benefits as Scott-Jones access,” Skyrme said. that only wholesale, enterprise acknowledges. Rory Staunton: operational metrics
14 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management DST International
DST International (DSTi) document management, COMPANY CONTACT POINTS provides a range of investment straight-through automation, management and work compliance and other Turnover (UK) AOR Name and Address management software solutions components that integrate with Turnover (W) AOR DST International, DST House, St Marks Hill, Surbiton, Surrey and related services to 600 an organisation’s existing Profit Before Tax (UK) AOR KT6 4QD DST International clients in 55 countries. systems. Profit Before Tax (W) AOR Telephone DSTi has 16 offices and over DSTi uses these solutions in Number of Employees (UK) 650 020 8390 5000 1,300 professionals and is part its own core business, and says Number of Employees (W) 1,300+ Fax of DST Systems, a NYSE-listed that robustness in production Software Marketed (UK) D/I 020 8390 7000 company with revenues of more and costs of ownership are End User Support by D/I Contact name Robin Nathan than $2.4 billion and a record therefore critical for the success End User Training by D/I Email address of continuous profitability since of HiBPM. Key: D Direct, I Indirect [email protected] it was established in 1969. The company provides its N/A Not available/not Website address DSTi’s HiBPM business own consultancy resources to applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request www.dstinternational.com process management solution offer integrated products and User Group Chairman/Contact Point enables businesses to define, services, with over 90 EMEA availability profiling, and N/A automate, integrate and based staff working in HiBPM business process monitoring monitor business processes. implementation and support. It tools. single view of the customer It is designed to transform the also markets HiBPM through AWD offers a data-driven from initial contact to way business operates, offering strategic partners and sells design enabling the business, completed work. benefits in productivity, HiBPM on a licence or service not technicians, to make Process monitoring. The efficiency, cost control and based model. continuous improvements. The business intelligence compliance. HiBPM combines integral software is open and modular, functionality, which includes a HiBPM is a suite of capture services and workflow and uses its own middleware or quality subsystem, helps established, scalable solutions facilities with the scalable AWD others to integrate with existing managers understand the state and tools encompassing solution, providing graphical business applications, office of the business and gives them workflow, object repository, workflow tools, user skills and products, groupware, etc. tools to implement change. AWD encompasses process Process automation. This is PRODUCT automation in a variety of achieved through straight Name HiBPM areas, including: through processors that can First installed (year) 1989 Content management. automate activity, without No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 70 plus – N/A Companies use the integrated human interaction, to offer AWD capture suite to capture productivity improvements, No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 300 plus – N/A paper, fax, email, text, data and particularly as a service Key markets Financial services, legal, utilities, government, telcos other information types, in fulfilment engine. Automation Current version – date of release v3.1 – 2003 order to build a repository of can cover a complete process; it Operating systems supported Windows NT, 2000, XP, IBM OS/400, Sun information for subsequent can also take on routine Solaris, Linux delivery and retrieval through preparation or follow-up tasks, Software functionality offered: the process management to remove repetitive activities Workflow Yes module. from knowledge workers. Document management Yes Process management. From Business process management Yes initial capture, AWD guides Market focus Knowledge management No business users through the DSTi has supplied BPM Content management Yes rules-based process, according solutions to over 300 Web content management No to task priority and the skills organisations with over Electronic records management No and availability of the user. 100,000 users worldwide. Imaging Yes Task management. AWD UK clients include Lloyds provides GUI tools to simplify TSB, Friends Provident, Legal Electronic forms processing Yes the definition of business rules, & General, Aegon, C&G, Other N/A allowing best practice/ Scottish Widows, IFDS, Standards supported XML, WfMC, BMPI compliance elements to become Standard Life, Kent Reliance Web server standards supported to provide .NET, J2EE integration capabilities entrenched in the business BS, Abbey National, Scottish Does product have its own business Yes process and enabling users to Life and Unisys Insurance intelligence/analytical tools? embed and demonstrate process Services. Many of these Does product support third-party business Yes – Business Objects transparency. implementations involve intelligence/analytical software? Contact management. AWD complex processes over Special application integration offered/ Integration toolkit/expertise provided; includes a module for multiple sites, and AWD is integration tools supported standard thick/browser desktops or workflow-enabled customer fundamental to DST’s own BPO custom-built using Developer’s Toolkit contact centres, providing a service centres worldwide. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 15 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management eiStream
eiStream is a global leader in with the aim of reducing COMPANY CONTACT POINTS providing business process process cycle times and Turnover (UK) N/P Name and Address
eiStream management technology. enhancing quality and Its imaging and workflow accountability. eiStream’s Turnover (W) $80m+ eiStream Inc, Dukes Court, Headstone Drive, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 4TY products and services are used scalable production workflow Profit Before Tax (UK) N/P Telephone by more than 4,000 customer and document management Profit Before Tax (W) N/P 020 8424 4960 sites in 134 countries. systems, coupled with its system Number of Employees (UK) 15 Fax eiStream offers scalable, integration and distributed Number of Employees (W) 400 020 8424 4961 enterprise-wide work computing capabilities, enable Software Marketed (UK) D/I Contact name management solutions. It organisations to automate End User Support by D/I Jay Sayed pioneered workflow and processes in their entirety. End User Training by D Email address [email protected] imaging solutions more than a eiStream offers a customised Key: D Direct, I Indirect decade ago and aims to service portfolio, the Investment N/A Not available/not Website address www.eistream.com continue this innovative Protection Programme (IPP). applicable, N/P Not provided, AOR Available on request User Group Chairwoman/Contact Point approach. IPP takes a proactive support Ms Judith Smith/AOR eiStream is a privately owned stance to ensuring that systems efficient production and company and has been – and the companies using them offering insight into ongoing eiStream says the product consistently profitable since it – remain productive. costs. scales rapidly and cost was founded, with 20% of Customers have direct access eiStream Enterprise 9 effectively through its multi revenues reinvested in research to eiStream through a dedicated provides a combination of platform service-oriented and development. team, including technical product capabilities and architecture. More than 1 million eiStream specialists. This is designed to architecture, augmented with a It can also be integrated with licences are in use worldwide. provide predictable, proactive deployment methodology for other enterprise systems using Companies use eiStream to maintenance and accessible continuous improvement. standards-based internet streamline the flow and expert assistance, supporting It offers three major product technologies and a variety of management of information, customers in establishing features, specifically developed other alternatives for system for business process integration. PRODUCT management: Enterprise 9’s deployment Start to end processing – this methodology completes the Name eiStream Enterprise 9 enables the software to interact offering, with a roadmap for First installed (year) 1990 and integrate with a company’s implementation and long-term No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 67 – 6 people, processes, systems and continuous improvement. No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 5,000 – 25 information. It helps users to transform Key markets Financial services (banking & With Start to End Processing, their processes and deploy new insurance), government, cross-industry (healthcare, retail, legal, utilities, etc) eiStream Enterprise 9 can processes without business Current version – date of release eiStream Enterprise 9 – 2004 manage the lifecycle of business interruption. Operating systems supported J2EE, .NET, Windows processes, spanning enterprise Enterprise 9’s components Software functionality offered: boundaries if necessary. consist of: Goal management – enables Domain services – manage Workflow Yes users to define and embed the back-end infrastructure that Document management Yes business goal objectives in their delivers Enterprise 9’s Business process management Yes operational processes and capabilities. Knowledge management Yes manage service level System interfaces – used to Content management Yes commitments. develop custom client Web content management No Business activity monitoring applications and integrate with Electronic records management Yes – enables managers to monitor other application servers and Imaging Yes process performance and spot enterprise systems. Electronic forms processing Yes emerging trends and Administration tools – Other N/A improvement opportunities configure the domain services Standards supported N/A based on the process feedback. and provide system utilities for Web server standards supported to provide .NET, J2EE Working in concert with managing live environments. integration capabilities eiStream Enterprise 9’s product Design tools – used to Does product have its own business Yes intelligence/analytical tools? capabilities is its architecture. configure and design business Does product support third-party business Can be integrated with range of third eiStream Enterprise 9 supports process maps. intelligence/analytical software? party BI products a diverse combination of Business process maps – Special application integration offered/ Can be integrated with key applications technologies and platforms, composed of process definitions integration tools supported (PeopleSoft, SAP, Siebel, Oracle) and allowing users to develop that manage how work is systems (IBM MQSeries, MSMQ, web broad, distributed enterprise routed throughout an services, LDAP, SMTP/Mail) solutions. enterprise.
16 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management FileNet/Oceanus
Every day organisations need to Oceanus offers this capability COMPANY CONTACT POINTS make business-critical decisions: through two main areas: claims need to be paid, Enterprise interaction Turnover (UK) N/P Name and Address mortgage applications management (EIM), a Turnover (W) $365m FileNet: 1st Floor, Waterside House, Cowley Business Park, Uxbridge processed, regulatory configurable case and Profit Before Tax (UK) N/P UB8 2FN FileNet/Oceanus compliance terms met, contracts interaction management Profit Before Tax (W) N/P Oceanus: 47 George Street, signed and tasks completed. solution that can be applied to a Number of Employees (UK) 65 Birmingham B3 1QA Key decisions affect the number of different business Number of Employees (W) 1,700 Telephone 01895 207300/0121 212 3554 quality of service an areas. With standard software, Software Marketed (UK) D/I Fax organisation provides. They pre-built business solution End User Support by D/I 01895 207365/0121 212 3554 determine the efficiency of configurations, user End User Training by D Contact name operations and the speed with configurability and 8-12 week Key: D Direct, I Indirect Jane Empson/Martin Hagger N/A Not available/not which new business implementations, Oceanus Email address applicable, N/P Not provided, opportunities can be addressed, states that its EIM solutions [email protected] AOR Available on request as well as driving profitability. start delivering benefit in rapid [email protected] FileNet and Oceanus help timescales and adapt to management and monitoring of Website address organisations improve decision changing business requirements. interactions (letters, emails, www.filenet.com/www.oceanus.co.uk making by enabling them to Environment management faxes, SMS text, etc) between User Group Chairman/Contact Point Chris Stevens, Willis/Doug Forbes – meet their organisational goals (EM). This range of products the people and/or systems N/A through the management of the and services offers the proactive involved in business processes, work and content that drives and reactive management of whatever the location, method Manager, Forms Manager, their businesses. EIM and FileNet environments. or channel of communication. Image Manager, Oceanus provides solutions Oceanus EIM is a work and Through a ‘configuration Content/Document Manager and services that are designed to content management layer that not-programming’ deployment and Team Collaboration. offer a quick and low-risk enhances organisations’ core model, Oceanus EIM solutions They are used by more than method of accessing FileNet systems by linking them with help companies deploy systems 4,000 organisations worldwide. business process and enterprise case, process and content more rapidly, with adaptability Oceanus’ environment content management management. and control placed in the hands management products and technology. It offers the delivery, of business users. services help to ensure that The solutions are scalable organisations’ FileNet-based PRODUCT and can be deployed as point environments are managed Name FileNet BPM/Oceanus EIM solutions or span multiple efficiently. First installed (year) 1984/2000 business areas to create a linked Its main services are: No. of UK sites/new sites last 12 months 98/12 – N/A environment. They offer the Monitor – unburdening local No. of World sites/new sites last 12 months 2,600 – N/A ‘big picture’ of work visibility FileNet system administrators. Key markets Finance, insurance, government, and control with real-time Assistance – reducing the manufacturing, utilities analysis, reporting and work need for local FileNet system Current version – date of release v2/v2.9 – Dec 03 direction. administrators. Operating systems supported Microsoft Windows 2000, Sun Solaris There are three technologies Manager – removing the Software functionality offered: required to support this need for local FileNet system Workflow Yes enhanced business operating administrators. Document management Yes model: case management, Starter – ensuring new Business process management Yes enterprise content management systems are set up correctly. Knowledge management Yes (ECM) and business process Oceanus’ latest EM active Content management Yes management (BPM). monitoring and reporting Web content management Yes FileNet’s ECM solutions product helps organisations Electronic records management Yes enable organisations and reduce the amount of effort Imaging Yes government agencies to required to manage and Electronic forms processing Yes streamline and automate their maintain FileNet-based Other Case management processes, connect their environments whilst improving Standards supported XML, J2EE business systems, and access system knowledge, uptime and Web server standards supported to provide .NET, J2EE and manage all forms of capacity planning. integration capabilities content. Established in 1986, Oceanus Does product have its own business Yes They offer a range of is a FileNet-certified partner intelligence/analytical tools? capabilities that integrate with with a customer base including Does product support third-party business Yes – Cognos, Business Objects, existing information systems. Alliance & Leicester, Mellon intelligence/analytical software? Microsoft FileNet’s solutions include Bank, Standard Bank, Special application integration offered/ EAI connector Business Process Manager, Vodafone, O2 and Cumberland integration tools supported Records Manager, Web Content Building Society. www.conspectus.com JULY 2004 CONSPECTUS 17 Workflow, Document & Business Process Management
AMTEC’s Malcolm Beach says electronic document and records management is more than a passing fad. Here to stay
THE MODERNISING management and knowledge organising information into Government initiative – whose management. logical groupings, providing deadline of 2005 is fast As with most electronically powerful search capabilities to approaching – has forced public enabled change, EDRM is not find relevant information, and sector organisations to address just about implementing ensuring that information is their management of electronic technology but about changing deleted once its business need records, and many have elected ways of working (policies, has past. to include both document and processes and culture), Ongoing access to records management supported by technologies to information. functionality in the scope of improve the management of an Paper is widely used as a their projects. organisation’s documents and medium for long-term storage. But mention electronic records. Provided the physical paper is document and records EDRM encompasses the kept in good conditions, it is management (EDRM) to many capture, storage and retrieval of readable for many years. Take a commercial companies and you documents and records, trip to The National Archives in will get either a blank look or a potentially both paper and Kew and you can view the yawn. electronic, including workflow, original Domesday books, As with many innovations, content and knowledge which are over 900 years old. the hype and promises of management. However, without careful EDRM have not been matched planning and processes, it is by reality and experience. Reasons to invest very easy to store electronic The paperless office has not The case for continuing to information and then be unable materialised and organisations address EDRM is stronger than to retrieve it. Sixteen years after are still struggling with their the reasons for ignoring it, for it was created, the £2.5 million paper management. Seldom has the following key reasons: BBC Domesday Project EDRM been regarded as the Growth in electronic achieved the unexpected and document and records documents and records. unwelcome status of being management silver bullet. No-one needs to be unreadable. Much effort was But can the private sector just persuaded that the volume of involved in finally making the ignore EDRM? Is it going to electronic documents and information accessible. follow the fate of CASE records, especially emails, is How many organisations (computer aided software growing rapidly. have electronic records stored engineering) which promised Most information generated on magnetic tapes, created by much, had wide publicity and by an organisation appears systems that were replaced a take-up, and ended up as electronically. Most information number of years ago? Part of an shelfware in many received by organisations is EDRM project involves organisations? Or is EDRM electronic or is obtainable in assessing and planning for something that organisations electronic format. Email continued access to electronic still need to seriously consider? systems are overloaded with records. In first analysing what messages, not all of which are Without this planning the EDRM encompasses, Figure 1 spam or irrelevant. information becomes highlights the key areas It is estimated that 90% of an unavailable, and therefore involved in managing electronic organisation’s information worthless. information effectively. exists in unstructured form, Compliance with legislation Clearly, records management with only 10% being managed and regulations. and document management are within application systems. All organisations work two distinct areas. They can be Information is being kept in within regulations and legal addressed in isolation and many electronic format rather than requirements. Some of these are organisations have done so, paper and to maximise the sector specific – such as implementing solutions for one benefit, organisations must have financial, pharmaceutical or or the other. However, there is systems and processes to public – others tend to span all often value in tackling the two manage this information. sectors, such as the requirement together or as part of a wider EDRM can help a company to keep financial records for at programme of work that may ensure it does not drown under least seven years. include workflow, content the volume of this data by Many of these rules and
18 CONSPECTUS JULY 2004 www.conspectus.com Workflow, Document & Business Process Management regulations relate to organisations to mitigate risks part of a wider set of functions amount of paper flow down information. Some legislation and comply with external that affect the effectiveness of from 20 copies to a single paper specifically addresses the requirements, it also provides an organisation’s information original, cutting the amount of requirement to effectively direct benefits including: management. paper stored and helping speed manage electronic information, – easier and better sharing of Probably the most closely up the process of responding to such as the National Archives information across the related are workflow, content queries. target for government organisation. management and knowledge organisations to implement an – more effective retention of management, which while Conclusion EDRMS by 2004. The private corporate memory. building on a largely Has EDRM had its day? Quite sector is also facing compliance – easier control of versions of behavioural foundation, have a the opposite. requirements with the Sarbanes- documents. strong dependency on The reality of business life is Oxley Act being prominent in – sound and comprehensive information being effectively that electronic documents and the past year. Basel II is another audit trails. managed and easily retrievable. records are here to stay, at least requirement that focuses on The fact that organisations When an organisation for the foreseeable future. Every financial sector organisations. addressing EDRM must also considers EDRM, it should also email is a record, every file a With much content being consider cultural and business assess the interfaces with other source of information that held in electronic format, it is dimensions, encourages areas and whether these carry carries a cost. Organisations shy imperative that organisations companies to review and value or are likely to have an away from the challenge, but are able to manage their improve the policies and adverse effect. they must accept the need to information in a manner that processes that support effective EDRM can underpin and effectively manage their complies with requirements. information sharing and support many other areas, such electronic documents. The implications for management. as providing a controlled Some continue to print and organisations that do not Even if an organisation repository of information for file in hard copy. Others use comply with regulations and decides not to implement full knowledge management standard network storage and legislation can be enormous. In technology-driven EDRMS, by products to interrogate. others implement EDRM 2002, British American upgrading its policies, processes As an example, whilst systems. Tobacco (BAT) destroyed and overarching systems it will working with one client it Whatever the approach, the documents that were relevant to gain tangible benefits in terms became obvious that extending business driver is still the same a court case. Because of this the of access, effective management the scope of the solution – to control and manage the judge threw out BAT’s defence. and reducing the costs beyond strict EDRM would information in a cost-effective As a result, BAT share prices associated with information help them respond to queries. way. This means that EDRM dropped 5%. management. A simple workflow solution will not disappear off the Business benefits. Basis for other functions. combined with scanning horizon of organisational EDRM not only allows As Figure 1 shows, EDRM is incoming mail reduced the projects. Even when the Modernising FIGURE 1: Key areas in managing electronic information Government timescales pass, government organisations will still need to manage their Workflow Knowledge electronic records, both for management business efficiency and to meet legislative requirements (such as the Freedom of Information Scanning/OCR Act). Content Private sector organisations MS Office also face compliance Data in + Data vault management requirements that will force Faxes Metadata + them to demonstrate effective Records management of their electronic Quality check Email Documents Search & information (such as Sarbanes- retrieval Oxley). There will always be pressure to manage information more effectively, and with increasing Records Document volumes and dependency on management management electronic documents and records, EDRM is with us for the long run.