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Master ECM First; Then SharePoint

Maybe I'm dating myself, but I remember when SharePoint didn't exist.  That's right folks.  There was a time when SharePoint was only a gleam in an engineers eye and I certainly hadn't seen it!  Back in those days people talked about information architecture, document management and yes, enterprise content management. 

Now do not mistake me for one of those people who extolls the virtues of the past.  Quite to the contrary, I remember many a long night with a text based SQL server interface where I longed for a simpler way to provide solutions to my customers.  I just didn't think it needed to be that hard to structure metadata or provide a custom interface for people that they'd actually want to use. 

The one thing I will note is that in those days we did thoroughly understand the need for strategy and structure prior to doing that enterprise software install!  Enterprise content management strategy was the backbone of the implementation of these sorts of custom systems.  Now, however, since everyone can hit File:Run:Install things have changed.

This is why I feel its important to understand and master ECM strategy before delving into the depths of SharePoint or any other ECM system.  It may not be sexy, but it will still serve as not only the backbone but the roadmap for your implementation. AIIM offers both types of training courses (ECM & SharePoint) and there is a lot of other written material available. 

Understanding the depth of services you want to offer, the requirements for them and what SharePoint can offer in these various areas will make you a better SharePoint professional.  You don't have to take on writing an entire ECM strategy to have the segments inform your opinions about implementation and development.

I still feel today that its our responsibility as technologists to aid our business leaders in making smart decisions.  Educating yourself about the overall goals of ECM prior to the specifics of a platform like SharePoint will help you do that.

Enjoy!

Comments

Submitted by Irina Maria Kuhnen December 09, 2010 - 6:45 AM

Very true what you said, Karuana, regarding the prioritization between ECM & SharePoint. If confronted with the "we want SharePoint" situation, I usually question back: 'OK, you want to share to the point. May I ask you WHAT you want to share to the point ? Then, HOW you want to share it to the point ?" - I quickly get to the important points...which I now share ;-))

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Submitted by Neil Edwards December 14, 2010 - 11:42 AM

1) The situation is SharePoint is imminent
2) Neither ECM or SharePoint is mastered by internal technologists or proj mgt
3) An external technical SharePoint vendor is about to sign a contract
4) The PM has choice between either AIIMs SharePoint and ECM certification courses to "get prepared"

???

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Submitted by Frank Daske December 17, 2010 - 12:30 PM

Yes, there are always pros and cons. But there is no ECMS on the market that meets the overall demands of most companies in case of content management like SharePoint (2010!!!) do. Collaborative Knowledge Management, Social Networking, Business Processes and BI - all related to ECMS. It is the mix that wins. Just see the screens:
http://www.layer2.de/en/products/Pages/SharePoint-2010-Taxonomy-Metadata.aspx

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More agreements and maybe a new angle

Submitted by Ulf Asplund June 21, 2011 - 1:51 PM

Your view is correct from a Document Management perspective, what makes this hard is that SP 2010 is more than Doc Man or traditional ECM, and still is less than them.

The hardest part with doing a SP 2010 Doc Man project correctly is that usually it is installed for other reasons than DocMan or ECM, but as soon as it is installed the uses virally spread.
Since people think they know how to do it since it is a MS product, someone starts doing ECM without planning and with that already started to set a foundation that will be almost impossible to fix/undo.
What needs to be understood at all levels is that SharePoint 2010 is not an ECM, not a social network, not a workflow tool, but an Enterprise information management conduit, enabled to touch all and everything we do.
SharePoint 2010 deffinetly stresses the need for good IT governance.

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This post and comment(s) reflect the personal perspectives of community members, and not necessarily those of their employers or of AIIM International