Real Story Group. Make Better Technology Decisions.

Formerly CMS Watch. Here's our story
What Real Independence means. Find Out

  • Schedule a Demo
  • Free Sample
  • Contact
  • Subscriber Login
  • Your cart is empty.
Sign up for our Newsletter
  • Home
  • Evaluation Reports
  • Premium Subscriptions
  • About
  • Blog
  • Buy Now
  • Recent Entries
  • Get Custom Feeds

 

 

 

Pelz-Sharpe Alan Pelz-Sharpe

Follow Alan on Twitter @alanpelzsharpe

Automating manual processes - is it always worth the effort?

17-Jun-2010

Tags: Document Management (ECM), Building Business Case, Governance, Implementation, Selecting Technology

For IT professionals it is taken as a matter of faith that automation improves efficiency, that making paper based documents and processes electronic is, in and of itself, a default benefit.  But experience in the real world paints a more mixed and problematic picture.

Take for example a recent study by University College London into the UK's groundbreaking transition to electronic patient care records for the National Health Service. This initiative has come at a cost so far of $360 million dollars, and (to quote) "will require a high cost and an enormous effort to fulfill it's potential." That's a nice way of saying that the effort to date has largely been a waste of time.

The problems that have dogged this particular initiative are the same problems that arise in almost all similar projects, regardless of the industry sector or budget size. 

  • Undertaking a full content audit, and ensuring that all the original data is not only accurate but also consistent, is difficult, time consuming, and costly
  • Migrating content from (often disparate) systems is always a major challenge
  • If you have not proven the value of the new system, people with stick with the old
  • Validating and continuously improving the new process without full buy-in from the old users is near impossible

Though I do have Luddite tendencies, I am not advocating that you should avoid moving manual and paper-based processes to electronic methods. But I am advocating that you do so with your eyes open to the inherent complexity and difficulties.  Build a business case first, and ensure you have a full grasp on the work involved. Electronic processes are not by default any more efficient or cheaper than manual systems. 

And as for the rather cynical attempt of the ECM industry to push the benefits of Green IT, digital data is often no more "green" than paper. Sometimes it's worse. 

One final consideration is that of confidentiality. If you have highly confidential information remember that it is far easier to inadvertently expose that data to a multitude when it's in electronic form, than paper. 

Again to be clear, great cost and efficiency gains can be got from the move from manual to automated processes. But the move is often far bumpier and less clear-cut in terms of benefits than many think.

I spent this past week at the AIIM UK  Roadshow talking to buyers and end users of ECM technology. My mantra was that we often do not recommend to our research subscribers that they invest in more technology. Rather that you understand better what tools and platforms you own already, and make best use of it. It's an unusual proposition from an industry analyst firm, but as we have 100% independence, it's one we're happy to give.  Likewise we have no problem in advising our customers to think twice before diving headfirst into projects that are based on the belief that automation in itself equals improved business.

    Now Get the Complete Real Story

    ECM Vendor Evaluations

    Learn the real strengths and weaknesses of major ECM vendors from around the world, in our Document Management (ECM) research stream.

Tweet

close x

Free Sample Request

  Digital and Media Asset Management
  Document Management (ECM)
  Enterprise Collaboration & Social Software
  Enterprise Search
  Portals and Content Integration
  SharePoint Ecosystem
  Web Content Management
 Send me bi-weekly tips and insights from Real Story Group.
Your personal information, including your e-mail address, will be held in the strictest of confidence and will never be shared with anyone.

Subscriber Log In


Remember Me
Forgot password?


Not a subscriber?
Learn about our subscriptions

Research Mentioned in this Post

ECM Vendor Evaluations

Learn the real strengths and weaknesses of thirty-two major Document Management (ECM) vendors around the world.

 | 

Our Newsletter

Get the Real Story bi-weekly.

Have Questions?

USA & Canada
+1 800 325 6190

UK
+44 (0) 20 3318 1911

International
+1 617 340 6464


All Other Inquiries

Our Customers Say

"An excellent read for anyone needing to find the right Document and Records Management vendor."

Gerard Cawthorn, ECM Business Consultant

next More

Real Story Group

Follow us on:  RSS  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  YouTube

Evaluation Reports

  • Web Content Management
  • Document Management (ECM)
  • Portals and Content Integration
  • Enterprise Search
  • Digital and Media Asset Management
  • SharePoint Ecosystem
  • Enterprise Collaboration & Social Software

Premium Subscriptions

  • Research Streams
  • Advisory Papers
  • Vendors Evaluated
  • Schedule Analyst Consultation
  • Online Education
  • Configure a Subscription

About Us

  • Our Methodology
  • Our Team
  • Media
  • Customer List
  • Events
  • Consulting
  • Contact Us

Need Help?

  • Talk to an Expert
  • FAQs
  • Customer Support
  • Contact Sales Team
  • Help with your account

Copyright Real Story Group 2001 - 2012. All rights reserved.

  • Contact Us
  • Copyright Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Log In

Remember MeForgot password?

close x
close x

All analyst firms claim to be independent or vendor-neutral. We're different.

Real Independence


Get the real story on commercial and open source tools from a firm that works only for you, the technology customer.

close x

Newsletter Signup

Thank you for signing up for The Real Story Group Newsletter. You will receive our monthly newsletter, plus updates with new information on the technology streams you have expressed interest in below.










Choose the streams that you’d like to receive updates for: