Enterprise Content Management And Information Presentation

Content is useless unless it’s used for managing the business. Managers must get relevant information presented in ways that bring out its significance. Only then can they make informed business decisions, instead of decisions based on a "hunch".

This article explores the information-presentation, or delivery, component of Enterprise Content Management.

Captured content must be transformed into meaningful information in a proper format and layout that make it easy to comprehend. The information must then be published to get it to the intended person or group, or at least made accessible for them.

Transformation and publication are thus the key elements of information delivery. We look at these in the following sections.

Transformation

A number of technologies or protocols have come into the market for information formatting and presentation.

XML is a description language that provides a way to define information. XML describes input-document metadata and interfaces, including its own structure, and presents output as specified.

PDF files provide a platform-independent presentation of information that can be printed and/or distributed easily.

XPS is an XML specification that provides for a presentation similar to PDFs and has been developed by Microsoft.

Other elements associated with transformation include:

Compression: Larger images and documents can be compressed to reduce file sizes for easier and safer transfers.

Viewers: Viewers enable information in different formats to be displayed in a uniform format.

Personalization: Personalization enables users to select the functions and information that they need.

Security Considerations

In the case of information distribution, the key considerations are ensuring authenticity of the sender and the document, and preventing unauthorized use of the published content.

Electronic signatures using keys and certificates help ensure that documents sent electronically are complete and unchanged (during transmission), and that the sender is indeed the person or organization he or she or it claims to be.

Unauthorized use of published content is sought to be prevented through such technologies as Digital Rights Management (DRM) (essentially access restriction) and Watermarking.

Information Delivery

Users of information generated from the content created all over the enterprise typically need it to be delivered in a way that is most convenient in different contexts. For example, when they are in their office, they can access it most easily using their network connection. Out in the field, it is easier to get information using their PDAs or mobile devices. Information is delivered in several ways, including:

• Internet, intranet, and extranet
• E-mails and faxes
• Data transfer using EDI or XML
• Mobile phones, PDAs and other mobile devices
• Transportable media like CDs and DVDs
• Paper

The above list contains a few examples. Other ways of delivering information already exist and new ways are being developed.

Conclusion

The ultimate objective of Enterprise Content Management is to make meaningful decision-support information available to business managers, in a format that is most convenient in their current context. ECM can deliver its information through technologies using IP protocols, such as Internet, intranet, or extranet, mobile devices like PDAs or mobile phones, and so on.

Content needs to be transformed in ways appropriate to the systems in use, and the context in which it will be used.

Contact Management Systems

Contact management is a modern way of managing your contacts. However, it’s not just an electronic address book that lists out your contacts such as phone numbers and addresses and appointments for the day. All this personal information can be integrated with e-mails and saved at one place so that you don’t have to waste time searching. You can store history of the interactions with contacts and keep track of all activities related to them. All this information can be kept absolutely confidential by using a password.

Contact management system can be of two types – a separate software product installed in the personal computer or a web-based application that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The traditional method of installing software can serve the purpose if the nature of your work is stationary and is done from one primary computer. If you are logged on to the Internet most of the time and work at and away from office a web-based solution will offer you the flexibility you need.

Installing software is a one-time expenditure whereas web-based services may charge monthly subscription fees in addition to the initial lump sum payment. You’ll find this investment negligible compared to its advantages and the results you reap through an effective contact management system. Creating a systematic database of your contacts and updating the information regularly are the prerequisites for the success of the system. It is useful for both domestic users and business enterprises. Birthday and anniversary reminders come automatically and save you lot of embarrassment. On the professional front sales, marketing and customer care personnel are the major users of the system.

Marketing persons can send bulk personalized but professional messages like e-mails and news letters to the customers in the contacts list about new products and services and special offers. The communication can be sent with a link to company’s website and order form that can enable an immediate sale. The results can be amazing to unbelievable. This is the best way of cutting down the costs involved in direct marketing and there’s absolutely no need to hire a new sales team to reach more customers.

Customer care departments can maintain the history of all communication with customers for a systematic follow up. Since it is used extensively by businesses to interact with customers some call it customer relationship management system. Managers also use it to keep track of the employee information and to reach them. In one word, with an effective contact management system you can bid good-bye to the traditional paper-based system which is highly fallible.