Document management, sometimes referred to as enterprise content managment, typically refers to the digital storage of documents. The documents may originate as electronic documents or may originate as paper files that are scanned and stored electronically. However, storing documents is just the tip of the iceberg. The term also encompasses other functionality such as forms recognition and optical character recognition (OCR). In addition, companies often need to do more than store and retrieve documents. They may need to implement workflow or handle other business processes that center around the documents in question.

Red Eagle Consulting has worked with clients to implement very basic document management solutions to those that encompass many users and millions of documents. We partner with industry-leading manufacturers in order to bring our customers the best possible solutions for their business requirements. Because we work with both small business as well as large enterprises, we are sensitive to the needs of each and have the flexibility to take on projects of any size.

There are many factors to consider in selecting a document management and workflow solution. Everything from cost to feature set should be reviewed. For example, how many images will be created in a typical day? Which departments will use the solution and what software do they currently use? Can the solution be integrated with the existing packages to create a seamless application where the user has “instant” access to the files he needs? Can the solution be used to reduce time spent on data entry?

Because of our experience with numerous products, we can sit down with your team to help you define your full requirements and determine which solution or solutions are acceptable for your company. This process may take anywhere from a few hours with one of our consultants to get your team pointed in the right direction up to several weeks with consultants who will guide you through the entire process. Our level of involvement is entirely up to you. We’ll even write your Request for Proposal and provide you with contacts if you so desire.

Solution Considerations
Capture	Capture is often overlooked when considering solutions. It refers to the process that will be used to add documents to the chosen document management or workflow solution. Capture may be as simple as clicking a button to send your MS Word document into the system and then typing a few key indexes. However, it becomes more complex when considering how to efficiently add thousands of paper documents to a system. Consideration should also be given to whether or not the documents contain data that is needed in other systems, such as AP or AR. If this is the case, the capture solution should be efficient at capturing data from the documents. Read more about data capture.
Security	Security is very important when considering document managment. Consideration must be given to who needs access to the system as well as what they are allowed to do. When looking at options, one should consider that security will likely vary by document type. Strong security features not only provide peace of mind, they also allow customers to remain in compliance with legal requirements.
Web Access	The ability to access documents from an internet connection may be an important feature for a document management system. When considering web access, one must consider what functionality is available for the web users as well as how the web communication itself will be secured.
Workflow	Many document management systems offer workflow, but not all workflow options are created equally. The first consideration is whether workflow is really needed. Often, Red Eagle Consulting can achieve basic routing for you without the purchase of workflow software. However, if the rules for moving documents are complex, workflow may be a wise investment.
Support	There are several considerations for support, not the least of which is whether your provider has the expertise and availability you desire. Another is to determine what is included with your purchase of a solution. Red Eagle Consulting provides telephone support during normal business hours for all of our customers who have current software assurance.
Training	Red Eagle Consulting recommends and provides training for all of our solutions. We have several approaches, including webinars, train-the-trainer, and classroom options.