Simply storing data is no longer enough for companies seeking to take advantage of information. Rather, companies are looking for content management solutions which bring unstructured information into the fold in support of business processes and functions.
That`s according to Alain le Corre, EMC Content Management and Archiving Marketing Manager for EMEA South.
Le Corre says companies like EMC have shifted focus from the relatively straightforward notion of managing content from a technical perspective, in terms of capture, store, secure and archive, to one of providing content for business use. "Content has no value unless it is being drawn upon in support of business objectives. That changes the perspective from storing data to storing information," he says.
No longer is content storage and archiving a technical issue, it is now one which is directly linked to the boardroom. "The discussions we have with clients have moved away from the technology department to engaging with business leaders on how information management supports efficiency, performance and automation," says le Corre.
With the explosion of content, such as that associated with e-mail, le Corre says an examination of where intellectual property has its repository is necessary. "In the case of e-mail, consideration shows that the systems that power e-mail were never designed to act as repositories. E-mail is a communication mechanism, not a storage or archiving facility," he says.
The same applies to other content modes, such as Web forms, scanned documents and other loosely structured or unstructured data, which often contains information which is of real substance and value to the business. "This information has traditionally existed outside of the formal storage structures and processes within the business. However, company directors are acknowledging the value of this information as inputs into decision-making processes. They want this information to be made available to, for example, business intelligence or workflow systems so it can be exploited for advantage."
From simple storage of data, Le Corre says data - even that which is unstructured - must be drawn into the net and also made accessible to other systems and users. "Users want access to the right information without any complexity. This is addressed by content management which is based around the concept of case management; everything relating to any specific issue is contained in a single folder which is analogous to a physical file. It is therefore easily understood by the user and easy to access," he says.
Again, Le Corre stresses that information does not exist in isolation from business processes; those relating to workflow and BI are specifically information-driven. It is therefore necessary to bridge the gap between content management systems and these transactional functions.
"There are no documents within a business context which are not connected to a business process; the form that is completed online is an entry-point to a business process. Right through to when that form is archived, it is information which drives a business process. Its content should therefore be managed from a business point of view and not from an IT perspective," he says.
"Companies look to workflow to optimise and automate their processes. Information and its accessibility is a key element in achieving these goals, which raises the case for content management which supports business process management and business process automation," he concludes.
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