What should you watch out for when purchasing a Document Management solution? 5. Smoke and Mirrors.

In my past life as a consultant preparing clients for acquisition and implementation of large scale Document Management Solutions, I witnessed some very interesting product demonstrations. Right after graduating from College, I worked for a BIG INTEGRATOR and was involved in a bid to the Air Force. It was a very large acquisition, over $1 Billion. The Air Force had a great concept, if you want me to buy your stuff, then you have to show it in action. They developed scenarios that would simulate what they needed in the field. It was up to the vendor to show that with their solution. "You mean it actually has to work! That's not fair. Trust us that it will work." During this particular demo, which took place over a full week, there was one task that we could not get to function automatically as required. Given a little more time, it would have worked; we just didn't have it ready for the Live Test Demo (LTD). During the demo the presenter; we called her Gail Force Winds because she could direct the reviewers' attention anywhere she wanted, had to get 6 evaluators to look away from the works station for just a few seconds so that the programmer/operator could enter a keystroke sequence to manually execute the task. Well, she did it and we passed the test. (Smoke and Mirrors refers to magic shows that use tricks to get you to pay attention to something else while they perform the "magic".)

As I moved into consulting, I decided to take this LTD concept with me. I did make one minor change; the vendors had to install everything on the customer's equipment instead of their own. Nothing could be pre-staged, especially since the demo requirements document was not delivered until the vendor arrived for the demo. Funny thing, the three vendors on the short list were in the correct quadrant, remember what I said about great sales and marketing. The trouble with the LTD was that it actually required the product to work. That's not fair! Trust Us. The first market leader went home after the 3rd day. The allotted 10 days was just not going to be enough. Odd thing to happen to a vendor with an "out of the box" solution. The second vendor didn't realize that the LTD spec. was an EXACT copy of the spec for a Pilot system that they had recently delivered to this very customer. They spent ten days rebuilding it from scratch with a team of programmers. At the end of day 9, they sent the programmers home. Oops! They forgot to get the programmers to install the code on the customer's equipment. Day 10 was a short one. Vendor 3 worked around the clock for 2 weeks and got the demo to work, but during this time, we knew that the product was full of holes. The integrated suite was just a bunch of separate programs cobbled together in the same colored boxes. They had to jump through hoops to get it to work. No vendor met the minimum requirements. No purchase was made. Why would you purchase something that either does not work or doesn't meet your requirements? The smoke and mirrors will not be available to you when you turn the solution loose on your end users. It will actually have to work.

Before buying a Document Management solution, take a very close look at it. If you insist on having an on-premise solution, then install it on your own equipment or see it working in a similar environment. Even when you realize that you should be implementing Software as a Service Electronic Document Solution, don't just watch the flash video. See it in action and ask questions. More later on what qualifies as real Software as a Service (SaaS). No, this is not the same as ASP.

July 8, 2008 | Comments (0)
Posted by Dave

What should you watch out for when purchasing a Document Management solution? 4. Best of Breed

This should be a good one. Are you buying a dog or a document management solution? I have heard many of the BIG INTEGRATORS and even some of the smaller ones talk about their solutions being made up of the "Best of Breed" components. As if that meant that the overall solution would be the best. If you mix a champion Great Dane with a champion Yorkie, is the result going to be a champion dog? Is it even going to be a dog? You just never know. What they are really saying is that they took a bunch of parts and painted them all the same color and called it an integrated system. It may work well for you, but you also may find that it is just too complex to keep running.

In most situations that I have seen, the customer does not really need the "Best", they just need something that works and provides them a reasonable return on their investment. Since document management and workflow are typically complex solutions, how do you really define the best? Cheapest? Most expensive? Most sales? Prettiest brochures? Best booth bunnies? Best scanning? Best Workflow? There are so many ways to define the best that it does not really matter. What matters is whether or not it effectively and efficiently solves the problem. Anything beyond that is wasted money. Think about it like this, if you are buying a fleet of cars for your outside sales team, you're not going to put them in a '73 Lime Green Pinto, it won't do, but you are also not going to put them in a Bentley (Best of Breed), you are going to put them in a leased Ford Taurus, good enough.

The best approach is to define the problem you are trying to solve and then find the solution that you can afford that solves that problem. You will never use all of the bells and whistles that come with the best of breed. You are running a business, not a fashion show.

June 24, 2008 | Comments (0)
Posted by Dave

What should you watch out for when purchasing a Document Management solution? 3. BIG INTEGRATORS

Many people believe that the BIG INTEGRATORS are the best at implementing solutions because they have done them before. It seems logical, if you have done something before you will be better at it. What is often ignored is the fact that companies don't implement solutions, employees do. With turnover rates averaging 25% or more, what are the odds that the team that implemented the last project is still at the company?

What about all of those senior people that they have on staff just waiting to implement your project? Well, they aren't waiting for your project and there aren't that many of them. Those people need to bill out at $250 to $300 per hour to cover their costs. It's much more cost effective to have just a few of those senior people around mentoring the junior people. Guess who is working on your project! I have heard some customers even comment that when management selects one of those BIG INTEGRATORS for a project, they see the school buses in the parking lot dropping off the "Consultants" to tell them how to do their jobs. The teams are full of very smart people, they just typically don't have the experience. Once they have gained the experience, they get moved into management to make room for more junior people that cost less. Small companies tend to have more senior people doing the jobs they love. Since they typically pay less than the BIG companies, the people have to love what they are doing or they wouldn't stay.

BIG INTEGRATORS can deliver the BIG teams needed for Enterprise implementations. Yes, they can deliver big teams. Many times the team will consist of their sub contractors. Guess who the sub contractors are... you are exactly right, small companies that specialize in delivering a document management solution. Is it really a good idea to implement the entire enterprise all at once? It depends on the problem you are solving, but not usually. Most companies should start small and build on successes. Why sink $1M or more into a into a traditional, enterprise, license-based project before determining if it's going to work?

June 18, 2008 | Comments (0)
Posted by Dave

What should you watch out for when purchasing a Document Management solution? 2. Market Leaders

What does that mean? The one that sells the most? Usually. At least, that is according to some of the subjects of my last post. @#$@Mart probably sells the most bicycles in the US so they would be considered the Market Leader. Since we want our Olympic Cycling team to ride the best, they should probably get their bikes at @#$@Mart, right? Of course that's silly. Selling the most does not necessarily mean it is the best. When you buy a document management solution, do you want the one that sells the most or the one that is the best fit for you? I vote for the one that is the best fit for you.

I have heard people argue that since they sell the most, they must be the best solution. I think this is partially true. They probably have the best sales and marketing team. It says very little about the quality of the product or how well it will suit you. Which was the better technology BetaMax or VHS? Yes, I know, a bunch of you never heard of BetaMax. Who won? Which is better now, HD DVD or Blu-ray? Mac or PC?

Don't ignore the Market Leaders; just don't make that a decision point. Make your decision based on what you need and what you can afford.

June 10, 2008 | Comments (0)
Posted by Dave

What you should watch out for when purchasing an Electronic Document Management Solution

Where do I start? The list is so long!
Over the next few weeks or maybe months, I will reveal a list of potholes on the road to successful document management solutions.

Over the years, I have witnessed and been involved in many Electronic Document Management implementations ranging from 2 user systems to 5000+ user systems. Some went really well, some I would like to forget, and some were unbelievable. Believe it or not, I actually noticed a few things along the way. I probably missed a lot of things too. I am confident that this list is not complete so I would like to hear your war stories as we progress and I will add to the list of gotchas.

1. Industry Analysts

I am amazed at how many people pick a solution from a quadrant or list without asking the person or team that compiled the list, how many solutions have they actually implemented with the vendors on the list? What do you think the answer would be? I have my answer, please give me yours. Another question might be what criteria were used to determine the list?

Many lists are based on vendor sales volume. Does sales volume = a good solution? It could. But, it might just = a great sales and marketing team. Sometimes the list maker also takes into account the technology... based on the vendors website and brochures. Hmm... does that really count?

What should you do? Talk to several people that you know or someone they know that have implemented various solutions, spend time with them to learn about the following things at a minimum:

- What was the problem they were solving?
- What product did they buy and why?
- Who did they have perform the implementation and why?
- What problems were encountered during the implementation?
- How were the problems resolved?
- How many change orders were there?
- What were the skills of the implementation team?
- How long did the implementation take?
- What was their budget for the project?
- How much over budget did they go?

Once you have done that, define what you want accomplished in as much detail as possible. If you can not define it, your vendor will not be able to deliver it, unless you give them flexibility in the services component of the contract.

If you do not choose the right vendor and product you will have to work hard to ensure a successful implementation, it will not happen by itself and in most cases the vendor is probably not going to ensure you get everything you want.

Finally, be open to new ideas and methods of delivery that may save you time and money.

June 4, 2008 | Comments (0)
Posted by Dave

Experts: Electronic medical records could have aided evacuees

A database of electronic medical records could have helped emergency medical workers care for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina and would have resulted in fewer disruptions in evacuees' medical needs, according to speakers at the 11th National Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Summit, held Sept. 7-9 in Washington, D.C., and sponsored by the eHealth Initiative.

Many of the evacuees' original medical records, which were housed in health care providers' offices in areas affected by the storm, are currently inaccessible, and many likely were destroyed. As a result, emergency medical care providers are having trouble determining what medications evacuees were taking and in what dosages.

A database of electronic records "would have been useful" for emergency medical workers trying to administer care to people displaced by Katrina, said Susan McAndrew, senior adviser for HIPAA privacy policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Civil Rights.

Such a database would grant patients greater access to their medical records and would allow them to "become real partners with their physicians in managing their own health care," McAndrew added.

William R. Braithwaite, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the eHealth Initiative, who spoke at a previous session, told HR News there are lots of reasons for having an electronic database for medical records. One that has become especially apparent lately is that "water destroys paper."

However, unlike paper, an electronic system that is backed up appropriately can survive a disaster such as Katrina, Braithwaite said.

Of course, establishing privacy provisions would be a "main priority" in developing such a system, McAndrew said.

Braithwaite, known as "Dr. HIPAA" for the instrumental role he played in authoring the medical data privacy act as former senior adviser on health information policy for HHS, said it is his belief and the belief of the technical community that if electronic information is secured properly and access to the database is limited to the appropriate people, an electronic system actually "can be safer than paper" from a privacy perspective.

McAndrew noted during her presentation that HHS issued a bulletin after Katrina hit to assure providers that HIPAA's privacy rule is not meant to impede the process of caring for patients in the wake of a disaster. The bulletin, dated Sept. 2, states that health care providers and health plans covered by the HIPAA privacy rule can share patient information in the following ways:

- Health care providers can share patient information as necessary to provide treatment. This includes coordinating patient care with emergency relief workers or others who can help find patients appropriate health services. In addition, it includes referring patients for treatment, such as linking them with available providers in areas where the patients have relocated.

- Health care providers can share patient information as necessary to identify, locate and notify family members, guardians or anyone else responsible for the individual's care regarding the individual's location and condition. Health care providers should get verbal permission from the individual when possible.

- Providers can share patient information with anyone as necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health and safety of a person or the public—consistent with applicable law and the provider’s standards of ethical conduct.

- Health care facilities maintaining a directory of patients can tell people who call or ask about individuals whether the individual is at the facility, their location in the facility and their general condition.

By Erin Binney

September 20, 2005 | Comments (0)
Posted by DocuVantage

AIIM Industry Study Reveals High User Satisfaction With ROI from Scanning and Imaging Technologies

Key Survey Findings:

Scanned Images are a Core Part of Critical Business Processes.
One of the major insights from the survey is the ubiquitous nature of scanning in core business processes. Even in processes with potential exposure-contract negotiation, handling of confidential information, dealing with government agencies, and responding to litigation-scanned documents play a critical role. For many organizations, this has simply evolved as the technology has matured, and has often occurred at the department level rather than enterprise-wide. Organizations are now thinking through the implications of this evolution, and are attempting to put more structure around the management of scanned images.

Scanning and Imaging Satisfaction is High.
Over three-quarters of those surveyed-and an even higher percentage for larger companies-report that the ROI of their capture implementations met or exceeded their expectations. The awareness of this success is not limited to the IT staff. Regardless of the primary function within the organization, there is a high degree of satisfaction with implementations of scanning and capture technologies.

Users Are Increasing Their Spending on Imaging and Scanning Technologies.
Significant numbers of users, of all organizational size, anticipate growth in their capture spending in 2005. Two trends bear greater examination. First, the number of users expecting to increase spending on multi-function peripheral devices-these are for the most part casual users of capture technologies, but represent a target audience with significant up-sell opportunities. The second trend is the expectation of increased spending on those elements of a capture solutions that "surround" the scanner itself-forms processing software, service and maintenance agreements, and outsourced services.

The Key Business Driver for Users is Efficiency.
In organizations of all sizes, the fundamental business driver for capture technologies is greater efficiency and process improvement. This is not to say that compliance concerns are unimportant-they are significant for mid-sized and large organizations-but successful solution providers cannot rely on compliance concerns alone to selling capture technologies.

For the complete article please visit http://www.aiim.org/article-pr.asp?ID=29587

April 16, 2005 | Comments (0)
Posted by DocuVantage

Banking & EDMS Technology

December 2001

Community National Bank at Bartow, FL, has contracted Document Advantage Corporation, (DocuVantage), Winter Haven, FL for the design and implementation of an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS). The initial phase will allow the financial institution to manage their loan processing electronically via the scan, store and retrieve features that also includes workflow processing. Benefits include fast electronic access to loan documents, the correspondence associated with the loan processing as well as the ability to route documents through the correct processing procedures. These benefits will greatly reduce the time personnel currently spent manually processing loan documents.

Community National Bank at Bartow was founded in 1984, locally owned and operated and dedicated to serving the people in and around Bartow. The Year 2002 will be exciting for Community National Bank as new products and services become a reality for their customers.

DocuVantage specializes in the design, installation and support of upgradeable Electronic Document Management Systems. The Optix® software is used in many facilities in the U.S.

December 1, 2001 | Comments (0)
Posted by DocuVantage