System implementation of electronic document management: risks and methods of their overcoming

If not consider risks at the beginning of an implementation project, afterwards can increase costs for it, an implementation time to drag on, the planned result will not be it is reached, there will be a disappointment in new technologies and optimization in principle. At the same time it would be wrong to believe that at the unsuccessful project implementations of loss are born only by the customer (the enclosed investments, spent on project time, trust of personnel). Not less also the supplier company risks EDMS implementation services. Its losses is a loss of trust potential customers, so, and sad future of the company.

If it was possible to define precisely at what stage of the project we are trapped by risks in each case, then we would have an opportunity to concentrate attention and resources at this stage. Unfortunately, it is impossible, and it is necessary be ready to surprises and problems at any stage of the project: from work planning and the choice of a system before implementation and operation of EDMS.

Conditionally risks can be separated into groups. However many of them are closely connected among themselves are also a consequence or the reason of each other that shows once again that underestimation of risks at one stage can bring troubles on another. And than there was a risk earlier, especially its effects will be destructive in further.

Organizational risks

Absence or incorrect goal setting and project tasks - one of very widespread risks. Unfortunately, heads and owners of the companies not always realize opportunities and advantages of the electronic systems. Investigation this risk the lack of understanding, what results is to expect from the project what indicators it to consider successful.

If the management of the company cannot formulate that they want to receive from EDMS, that, of course, it will be impossible and to plan the project accurately: its stages, necessary resources, figures of merit, the expected result.

Insufficient planning - one more substantial risk which is especially dangerous that arises on initial stage of the project. In turn, it conducts to that, what is absent or the control system of execution of works and terms does not work implementations of stages of the project.

Underestimation importance of separate stages of the project (for example, information inspection, user training, trial operation). Such is often underestimated stage as inspection. And information inspection helps reveal the most problem zones and key points, define participants and consumers of results of processes to collect material for labor input assessment completions and perspectives of system implementation.

On results of inspection can draw up strategic plans on further to development (integration with other systems, implementation of end-to-end document flow between branches and so forth) to create the plan for training, to define a pilot zone project.

Insufficient studying of an automation object will inevitably cause change of requirements to model of document flow or functionality of a system at an implementation stage. And it means that the project can be discarded in the beginning - on a stage formations of requirements.

Inconsistency actions of participants of implementation in the course of execution of works. This is especially high risk when several parties, for example customer company participate in the project, company contractor, collaborators.

So, the collaborator has a purpose to quicker perform work and to earn a reward. The contractor can have a purpose to observe at the same time some arrangements with the customer, save the available IT infrastructure, and at the customer - not to leave the diagram payments.

However and in one company there can be similar disagreements if is not accurate and uniform sense of purpose of the project by all participants.

So, disagreements between IT service and subject specialists, service are frequent documentary ensuring management which differently see methods achievements of goals of the project, look regarding automation (documentary ensuring management) under different points of view, have different degree readiness for changes. The project in which everyone pulls in the direction, seldom is successful. Let's remember bitter experience of Lebed, Cancer and the Pike.</p>

Absence or poor control of communications in the project, insufficient informing staff of the company on a work progress and the current results attracts for emergence of subjective risks (about them is slightly lower).

Administrative risks

Insufficient attention of the top management to the project. Cases when the head are frequent remembers the companies the project, only signing the growing accounts on its maintaining. The passivity of line managers turns out to be consequence of such neglect and ordinary employees.

Load the employees of the company occupied in the project, tasks of primary activity.

Weak involvement into the project of employees of the company. A system is implemented for the company and employees of the company therefore than above their activity in the project will use it, that probability is higher that innovations will be accepted positively and will be meet expectations of personnel.

Oleg Beylezon, the chief ECM architect Business Logic says that a traditional problem - resistance of employees to changes. As shows experience, rapid implementation of EDMS, literally for several months, according to the precise plan of implementation including the training program of users helps to mitigate this problem. It is possible to sustain a fast implementation time if the volume of customization of the implemented solution is minimum. The more the "boxed" solution corresponds to this determination, the it is simpler to manage to the Chief information officer an implementation project and to maintain its stated parameters.

Subjective risks

Such risks are the most difficult managed and predicted.

Without looking on considerable information technology development in the Russian companies for last decade, lack of skills of use of the PC, low culture works with information in electronic form still remain essential obstacle in a way of implementation of automated systems. As a result the personnel should be trained in work with the computer before implementing EDMS.

Quite often the project on implementation encounters quite sharp resistance from outside employees of the company both among ordinary employees, and among heads the top management. It is caused by a variety of reasons:

• unwillingness to study to new methods of work; highway unwillingness to change a usual operating procedure and relationship;
• concerns of that shortcomings of work, unreasonable temporary losses as will become visible in the course of inspection and process optimization activity of employees becomes transparent and controlled;
• fear of penalties sanctions, regular changes in connection with detection of zones from low efficiency of work;
• fear of inability work in a system, fear of the fact that errors discredit the worker in eyes of the management and (or) subordinates.

Absence trust to external consultants - one more obstacle in a way successful project. Often it can be observed when at the automated enterprise too a lot of responsibility is conferred on external specialists, without supporting them the authority of the local management, especially, if in the company already were unsuccessful attempts to implement any system or a technique.

Technological hazards

Implementation EDMS will cause increase in number of PC users, transition to to paperless document handling will lead to significant increase in loading on servers, need to store on them bigger information volume. As a result the available IT infrastructure can be not ready to new methods of work, what will result in low operability of a system, hangup, failures and so forth, long work with documents behind outdated monitors will be tiresome and even harmful to employees.

Insufficient the research of requirements of the company can lead to the fact that at a stage implementation or already operation it will become clear that the functionality of a system does not correspond to expectations: does not support required scenarios of work, does not provide necessary the functionality or, on the contrary, is too difficult, at the same time in real to work the minimum of opportunities is used.

Will complicate work on implementation of EDMS lack of the regulatory base, unformalized business processes, as in the absence of well-defined rules of work, uniform regulations of document flow also effective operation of a system is impossible.

All these risks can as it is essential to tighten the project, and to affect seriously on the expected result and even to cause the termination of the project. It is possible also one more negative scenario: implemented with great difficulty and financial a system will effectively not be used by costs and eventually will be it is replaced with something another.

Risk management

As it was already mentioned, often one risk is an effect or the reason of another, therefore the question of risk management is relevant throughout the project and even after its end.

Management of administrative and organizational risks

One from important components of the successful project personal interest is and support of the top management (CEO or his next deputy). It is clear, that only the project interesting to the head can be it is realized. At the same time interest should not be limited signing of the order on implementation of EDMS, the head should a personal example inspire subordinates, support the project and a command by the authority, assist in solution to the conflicts, questions on providing with resources, to structural changes.

For it the boss should perform close connection with the head project (second key figure of the project). Therefore one of the first important steps there has to be a choice of the project manager. The project manager also should have rather high status that will allow it to resolve operational issues in the course project.

Widespread the error - to confer responsibility for the project on external consultants, not having neither the administrative power, nor due authority, nor knowledge about relationship in collective and its internal problems. If there is no worthy (or rather free) the candidate for the companies or large-scale is planned the project, it is better even to admit to staff of one more employee which will be perform functions of the project manager. In case of a failure of costs will be incommensurably above.

Important the requirement to the project manager is good knowledge of data domain - office-work and document flow.

For example, the chief of service of preschool educational institution or the director can become the project manager department which includes this service. As a rule, such person well knows processes of the company, bottlenecks and the needs for changes.

Especially carefully it is necessary to approach team building of the project.

As processes of office-work infringe on the interests of a large number divisions, in a project team except the staff of IT service and service of preschool educational institution in obligatory order subject specialists should enter: heads and key experts of the interested divisions. They will help to formulate requirements to a system to estimate quality of the performed works as only direct participants of business processes have knowledge about relationship in processes, duties and responsibility of participants, sequence and rules of accomplishment of separate stages.

Command the project should not form by the principle "who is least of all busy, that also will be the representative from division". It should be the command the professionals who are deeply knowing data domain and understanding need changes.

Of course, at selection of a command it is desirable to consider also human relationship, personal compatibility of participants. It is, by the way, one more argument for benefit of that, that the project manager should be the employee of the company well aware features of psychological climate in collective.

Created the project team first of all should define the accurate purposes and tasks project. Cannot be considered correctly formulated the purpose "implement EDMS". The purpose should define what strategic tasks or problems you you want to solve using this project. Proceeding from an effective objective, project tasks are formulated.

So, if the purpose - to reduce risks from losses of documents, to organize storage of corporate documents,

that implementation of electronic archive will be a project task. If faces the company strategically more large-scale purpose - to increase quality of company management, that is obvious that automation of all will be a project task on implementation of EDMS document flow processes that will allow to provide their transparency and controllability, control of execution of stages, increase in performing disciplines.

Just the correct formulation of the purposes and tasks will allow afterwards correctly plan terms and resources of the project, to select a suitable system and also criteria for evaluation of success of the project.

Correct goal setting and tasks will help to define limits of the project - the list business processes which within assigned tasks will be automated, and also depth of the planned changes.

For example, in the company long ago a system for accounting and tracking is also effectively used performances of agreements, but approval of documents happens on paper, at the same time highly qualified specialists are forced to spend time for circulation on to offices, agreements are lost or lie too long in a lot of other papers. Obviously, what in this case it is only reasonable to automate within implementation of EDMS approval process.

Important understand that a system cannot be implemented at once and everywhere. Declarative slogan "From tomorrow we pass to electronic document management" can lead only to chaos and an unacceptance of a system. At such setting of EDMS can to be implemented only at incredibly high interest and participation the top management and big moral losses, so successful this project you will not call in any way. But we want to receive the successful project. Therefore it is recommended implement a system step by step, so to speak, "is an elephant in parts". It image, one more problem of a project team is determination of stages project and also terms and criteria of efficiency of accomplishment of stages.

And not to do here too without experience of service of office-work: knowledge of volume document flow, importance of different types of documents, resource intensity of everyone will help to make the diagram of implementation of stages of work with documents correctly systems at which the effect will be maximum.

Considering, that processes of document flow are seldom limited to one division, stages it is better to plan implementations of EDMS not on separate divisions, and on to business processes, including at a "pilot" stage.

Implementing business process in all company, you solve several problems at once:

• it is activated the operating business process (i.e. even at a stage of "pilot" stage it is possible to use results of process, but not just to accustom people press the buttons);
• get into gear employees at once several divisions, so, on the subsequent system implementation stages there will already be experienced users;
• people gradually get used to changes in their activity, and it is an important factor in overcoming subjective risks.

Are frequent cases when at such step-by-step approach of division act initiators of subsequent changes.

So, at the initiative of legal department of one company process was automated approvals of agreements. After employees of other divisions understood, that it is really convenient, quickly and, besides, reduces the level of the conflicts in collective, the request from department of work with personnel arrived automate approval of orders on a holiday, business trips and so forth.

Management of subjective and technological hazards

On planning stages of the project need to be defined what resources will be necessary for the project: technical, temporary, personnel and also what skills will be required to project participants. If there are no workers with the necessary qualification, it is necessary to think of their training in advance.

Determination competence requirements of project participants also in many respects is a task the head of service of preschool educational institution, as in addition to the system administrator it can be necessary, for example, the business analyst, the user training instructor, and to them without knowledge of data domain not to manage.

Loading on the project, as a rule, is additional for involved in it employees of the company, therefore for increase in interest it is necessary to think over the scheme of motivation to provide motivational fund.

Changes in business processes for certain will cause staff changes. Plans on it is also necessary for change of regular structure and service duties of workers in advance to discuss with service of preschool educational institution and personnel, to plan processing relevant documents (job descriptions, regulations on departments).

In much the project success and also further use of EDMS depends on that, a system was how correctly selected whether its opportunities are adequate to tasks, facing the company.

Unsuccessful the choice of a system is not only financial losses, but also betrayal of confidence of personnel to innovations, solutions of the management. Therefore it is necessary to approach the choice of a system very carefully. Cases when they in this question rely only are frequent on the popularity of a system which became result of its good marketing policy producer. At the same time functionality stands aside, cost, the provided services in training, support and so forth.

Of course, when choosing a system it is necessary to consider the financial opportunities, however not forget also about your requirements. So, if company the solution is not required difficult tasks, you should not buy a system difficult and expensive as the most part of functionality will not be used. However if at the company is branches, real opportunities for growth, it is worth thinking on perspective and select the system allowing to organize end-to-end office-work with branches or without problems to scale a system in the future.

If you are going to minimize participation of the external company at implementation or manage by own forces at further development of EDMS (certainly, in the presence the trained personnel), pay attention to the systems implementing standard business processes inherent to the Russian document flow. Systems designers (often are such western EDMS) in this case to you not will approach as they demand considerable experiment on setup and work with this class of systems, profound knowledge of data domain for creation business processes.

Important a role is played also by the company which will implement at you EDMS as in this case your money and success of your project will depend on experience and professionalism of external consultants, their conscientious attitude to obligations before the client, i.e. before you.

Selecting the supplier of EDMS, pay attention, how many years this company is present on the market what reputation has, communicate to her customers, analyze, whether the company had projects in your industry and similar scale, take an interest what specialization this company has.

So, diversified companies which are engaged in implementation of the systems of different classes (ERP, financial, accounting systems and so forth) can have smaller experience in to work with electronic document management systems, more superficial knowledge about office-work and document flow in comparison with the companies, specializing only in EDMS.

About professionalism and gravity of the company which is engaged in implementation automated systems, tells also providing services in training by it and to technical support. Unfortunately, cases when from already implemented EDMS are frequent it is necessary to refuse because of absence or low-quality technical service.

Having been defined with the choice of a system, it is necessary to estimate compliance of infrastructure to requirements of EDMS and, if it is necessary, to make replacement or equipment procurement. Information about technical requirements it can be provided to you by the system manufacturer at a stage of market research of EDMS. And it will help you to pick up optimal too for you system. Depending on what functions you are going to implement and use, the additional hardware can be necessary, for example stream printer, scanner of barcodes and so forth.

Competent and accurate documentation - an important component part of the successful project.

First, it is preparation of project documents: charter, passport of the project, etc.

In these documents the purposes and project tasks, structure should be accurately registered participants, responsibility, an order of relationship, requirements are recorded to a system. It will allow to minimize risk of inconsistency of actions of members project team, risk of changes of requirements, limits of the project.

Secondly, these are the documents describing an automation object status: the report about information inspection, business process model. To the description of processes often approach formally or in general exclude this work as unnecessary. And absolutely in vain. On the models presented in the graphic form it is well visible all process and places of potential improvements: excess transactions, unreasonable change of an information system or information medium, transfer documents in paper form couriers and so forth.

Having compared models of processes before implementation of EDMS, it is possible to estimate the scale of changes and the made improvements.

Exact the models approved with participants of process considerably facilitate process writing of regulating documents (instructions for office-work, regulations), as the main key moments are discussed already at a stage process descriptions. It both responsibility for execution of operations and document transfer, and questions document storages as in electronic, and in paper form, and an opportunity works with documents only in electronic form without paper original, and many other things.

As the rule, this important and responsible stage of the project also lays down on shoulders services of preschool educational institution. And even if modeling of processes and writing of instructions and regulations external consultants are engaged, the head of department of office-work should exercise constant control behind their activity, verifying results them works with real processes and also the planned changes and the general concept of the project.

I want emphasize that regulating documents also should be approved by key participants of processes, that it did not turn out as a result that regulations not correspond to real processes.

So, for example, if in the company is responsible for preparation and storage of agreements legal department, in approval of models and writing of regulations of work with orders lawyers without fail should participate.

Special attention at a stage of preparation for implementation should be paid to personnel training. In addition to a direct problem of training - to train specialists is will help people to overcome fear of work in a system, will prepare morally to to the fact that shortly it is necessary to work in a new way.

Training it is possible to carry out by different methods:

• by forces of external specialists;
• cascade training (a little employees study in the external company, then train workers the organization);
• the training module (some incorporate EDMS such to a component).

Advantage the training modules is that it is not necessary to tear off big at the same time the number of workers from their primary activity, everyone can plan training independently and in that volume what is necessary for accomplishment of its tasks, not it is necessary to configure additional PCs and to select the premises under an educational class. Besides, the training module will be also useful and further at a stage operation of a system - for training of again accepted workers, at connection remote divisions. About existence of the similar tool it is possible take an interest at a stage of the choice of a system, especially if at you big or territorially the distributed company.

Planning training, avoid the periods of mass holidays and also peak strength in to work of the company.

For example, in the end of the year hardly you will manage to collect on training of all required workers, on the eve of the joint-stock meeting to key experts, most likely, too will be not before training. Besides, consider staging of the project. Following these to recommendations, you will preserve forces of the training personnel, and training will be more effectively.

Big in overcoming subjective risks involvement of personnel in the project matters. Feeling like creators, but not the victims of the solution on top people cease to resist to new. / p> <p>Attract employees of departments to testing of the automated processes, to a formulation requirements and to approval of regulations. Let not only members be engaged in it project team. First, thus you increase the probability that the interests of all participants of document flow, and secondly, it will be considered increases loyalty of employees to the project in which they personally participate, as system implementation becomes common cause.

Before in total clerks and secretaries should become your support group divisions: they more than others work with documents and will be some of the first users of a system, therefore their notes and offers can be very useful.

Around the project should not be information vacuum. Information and once again information

• here what reduces uneasiness degree at workers, raises the trust level to

to actions of the management and readiness for changes.

On many enterprises there is an internal portal, local media which are released for example, service of quality or personnel, newsfeeds. It is necessary use them for creation of information support of the project: place materials about the project course, its purposes and tasks, achievements and encouragement the caused a stir employees to publish an interview with project participants. Also information on the system of motivation should be available (for active participation in project, introduction of rational offers and so forth).

However and after a system was implemented, it is impossible to be satisfied with what has already been achieved, as over time the personnel players, conditions and rules of work are changed, there are remote divisions. Therefore even after implementation a system should develop. It both automation of new processes, and organization end-to-end document flow with branches, and optimization of specific sites activity (for example, stream scanning, use of protected forms of documents if it is initial were not implemented). As well as at a stage implementations, it is necessary to inform employees of the company on development plans systems, benefits from its use to provide training of new employees, from time to time to book audit of the user documentation and regulations, that they did not lag behind real life.

Support communication with the company which was engaged in system implementation at your enterprise. From it you can learn about the new features available to your system new operating conditions, about practical experience of use of a system by others companies. It, undoubtedly, will help you to manage more effectively a system and develop it at itself.

And, of course, at this stage, as well as in the period of system implementation, a leader there has to be a head of service of preschool educational institution. As the owner of process, it is better than others should know what can be improved even in work with documents how to raise efficiency of use of EDMS on what spheres of business it is possible it extend.

See Also

• EDMS (more detailed)
• ECM – Enterprise Content Management
• EDMS (Software technologies)
• EDMS (implementation technique)
• ECM (world market)
• Main trends of ECM
• EDMS (market of Russia)
• EDMS in Russia: industry specifics
• Trends of the Russian market of ECM
• EDMS/ECM projects geography
• EDMS in the SaaS format
• EDI - Electronic Data Interchange