SED: There are contraindications

For many years of work in the market of electronic document management systems, our team faced a variety of projects. Among them were such that already in the process of pre-project preparation it became clear: the company is not ready for the implementation of the SED and the system only hurts. We also had the experience of “reanimation” of foreign projects for the introduction of SED. As a result, we formulated the general principles of "contraindications" to the introduction of an electronic document management system, which I want to share.

The beginning of the failure
Both successful and failed projects for the introduction of SED begin in the same way: the company comes to understand that “something is not right” is happening with the document flow. It is difficult to find a document, they are lost, coordination is delayed, orders are not tracked and are not executed on time. Trying to solve this problem, the management of the company is beginning to lean towards the launch of a project for the introduction of the SED.
The partner company that will implement the implementation and the platform are selected. Everyone is inspired, there is a feeling that the situation is not hopeless and soon everyone in the company will start working in a new way.
However, this is not always the case. In some cases, the output of the company gets quite the picture that was drawn at the start of the project. This “outcome” has all the projects on the introduction of SED in companies that have “contraindications” to the automation of workflow processes.
So, in which cases the introduction of SED will not bring the desired results?

List of contraindications
× Incorrect diagnosis
If prior to the start of the project it is wrong to define priority tasks, you can safely count on failure. Automation needs to be started by identifying bottlenecks, problem areas of automated processes, for example, such as high utilization of departments, low efficiency of employees, increased bureaucracy, delays in coordination.
After analyzing these factors, it is necessary to “draw” a picture of the desired future, prioritize goals, on the basis of which a “recovery course” will be drawn up.
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× The concept of SED as an antibiotic
It's simple. You can not think of the SED as a drug that will solve all the problems simply because of its properties. EDMS, as in any other information system of the company, is designed to improve the efficiency of its activities. And that means that the basis of this system is not at all some kind of software and hardware complex, but internal business processes, regulations and business logic of the company itself, that is, what is the subject of automation. Mess in the process - EDS does not help. Moreover, the system will be harmful until the company adopts an orderly model of document movement and decision-making on them. Implementing companies will help you select a suitable business scenario from the arsenal of “best practices”.

× "Patient" does not want to "be treated"
The most important role in the success or failure of the project is played by people who work in the company - future users (those who ensure the implementation of business processes) and consumers (department heads interested in improving the efficiency of automated processes) of the system. Success depends on their interest, involvement and motivation. And their utter indifference or resistance is the cause of the low “return” from the project. Read more about this in my previous review.

× No responsible
The key role in the implementation is played by the "Customer". This employee (or group of employees) must ensure competent interaction with the partner company implementing the system. He should monitor the implementation of the project objectives, have credibility in making decisions on the ideology of the system. Often in the process of implementation at different stages of the project decisions are taken by different people, that is, the role of the “Customer” is blurred, which significantly complicates the work and leads to a deterioration in the result.

× Budget "treatment" is inadequate needs
Before the start of the project, you need to very clearly understand: EDS is not a one-time purchase of licenses, it is a design solution that requires regular budget investments. You can organize the project itself comfortably enough for the budget, dividing the implementation into stages. However, it should be borne in mind that after a successful launch, the system also requires even if not constant, but attention and care: regular updates, maintenance, adaptation of the functional to the changing needs of the business.
In this regard, it is important to consider the process of achieving the economic effect of the introduction (for example, the inclusion of information from reports on executive discipline into the motivation system).

× Compatibility of "drugs"
When choosing a platform, it is necessary to take into account a very important criterion: the possibility of their integration with other information systems that are already used in the company. Otherwise, there is a risk to lose more on changing the existing logic of business processes than to acquire.

× Discrepancy of “treatment” to the scale of “disease”
The project for the introduction of the SED is an investment. Therefore, before starting a project, it is worth assessing whether this acquisition will pay off in your particular case. It may be cheaper and more efficient to do with standard Microsoft tools. Well, you see, why pay for an expensive course of treatment at the best spa, when it is enough to drink vitamins?
Total, any "contraindications" from this list is quite enough to think about the measures of "prevention". So I recommend to consult a specialist for sure!

Ekaterina Kamchatova, Executive Director of ECMGroup.Pro