Search

Electronic document management systems help companies search for all types of information that has been stored on a microcomputer. An analysis of the different ways that document management and workflow can be used in businesses of all sizes is presented, including case studies of users and an overview of their suppliers.

Many businesses, particularly small ones, are unsure of the benefits that electronic document management (EDM) can bring. The basic concept of EDM is to use the most efficient method to access information, whatever its origins. Most companies can divide their information into unstructured and structured. Unstructured data is usually held on computer-generated paper documents, while structured data is codified information normally stored in databases. The benefits of EDM are analysed.

The implementation of a successful electronic document management (EDM) system requires a clear strategy and an idea of what the system should achieve. A conventional EDM system includes components such as input, indexing, recognition software, optical character recognition, error handling and storage management.

Managerial expertise gleaned from actual experience is an organizational intellectual asset which can be captured in a software program and used as a tool for project management. The software construction takes the form of four developmental stages: data collection, organization, utilization/diffusion, and maintenance. The application helps project managers increase lead time, improve team work, provide on-demand training and store managerial experience gathered in the course of a project.

Meetings used to be such simple things. You reserved a room, ordered coffee and rolls, people showed up with their pencils and yellow pads, you talked back and forth for [...]

Canadian banks, trust companies, insurance companies, and investment dealers are already demonstrating the contribution they can make to our national income and our balance of payments through their operations in world markets. In a world turning increasingly to securities as its financing vehicle, a Canadian book-based depository linked effectively to its counterparts around the globe will be essential underpinning for a Canadian-based, world class securities industry. In his article, Ronald S. Ritchie, former Chairman and CEO of the Canadian Depository for Securities, explains this book-based system (in Canada, The Canadian Depository for Securities) and explores its vast implications for most Canadians. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Although much of business management seems to be couched in personal judgment and the use of intuition over statistical analyses, computer technology is having an effect upon corporate management, as shown by the following trends: executives' increasing need to perform their own information management functions on computers, the improving cost-performance ratios of microcomputers, the improved power and ability of new programming available, and the number of computer networks being marketed. The role of information service departments is discussed. This role is identified as being threefold: (1) ensuring functional computer networks meet corporate needs, (2) maintaining corporate data banks, and (3) providing technological leadership to the company.

GESCO Corporation provides information processing services for financial institutions. GESCO uses a large-scale IBM system to process customer's transactions. GESCO developed and installed a microcomputer-based network for its internal accounting. The installation of the system occurred over a two-month period. GESCO's first step was to define its system requirements. The company wanted a system that was easy to use, had built-in internal controls and audit trails, and was easy to convert to from the existing system. The company tested the systems of several vendors before settling on the ideal network. The actual installation of the system was facilitated by careful scheduling. GESCO had the technical expertise in-house to accomplish the conversion with a minimum of help from outside consultants.

A number of companies have discovered, often by accident, that their information systems can be profit centers, rather than loss centers used to perform important but unprofitable functions such as payroll. Examples of information systems that have given companies a strategic advantage include American Airlines' automated reservation system, American Hospital Supply Corporation's computerized order-entry system, and Merrill Lynch's computerized cash management account. These strategic information systems evolved from routine data processing jobs. Managers within the organizations realized the broader consumer application for in-house technologies and succeeded in convincing senior management, employees, and consumers of the value of the consumer applications.

Some businesses think that electronic document management is not within their budget because it has traditionally been seen as a high-technology product used only by large companies. However, the falling costs of system hardware means that EDM is within most budgets and the ability to interconnect to messaging systems offers many extra advantages. EDM costs are normally calculated on a price per user basis, with costs varying from 300 pounds sterling per user for software to many thousands for the use of a turnkey system. An analysis of running costs for EDM is presented.

Those considering buying electronic document management systems have several purchasing options to consider. There are many good off-the-shelf systems available for basic applications which can be implemented by proficient users, but companies with less experience may bring in a product-independent systems integrator who can supply and build systems. Other channels include bespoke systems, although they are expensive and time-consuming.

Online analytical processing and other new software can help companies analyze data more effectively. Just a few years ago, a company's finance organization required access to accounting and financial information [...]

The blizzard that hit the Northeast at the start of 1996 paralyzed all trading activities except those of telecommuters. Exporters and importers continued to conduct business with their foreign counterparts via electronic databases. However, business was restricted to collecting information and processing deals. Shipments will have to be postponed until the deep snow caused by the disaster allows the loading and transport of goods.

Picture yourself in your office late in the evening. Your only company is a cold cup of coffee and the cleaning crew--and that important board report, due tomorrow. You've rewritten [...]

THAT'S AN ORDER! Armstrong's On-Line Access System puts information at Fulton Supply's fingertips and everyone wins. How do you communicate with your suppliers? By phone? By fax? In writing? What [...]

PUTTING IT TOGETHER WITH SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS Factories of the future really do come in neat little boxes--of such things as computers, vision systems, robots, conveyors, and software. Unfortunately, each is [...]

Majority of the steamship lines that are aiming to penetrate the logistics business to avoid becoming exclusively commodity suppliers have severely failed with electronic data processing. Unsuccessful steamship lines have antiquated main-frame based systems and the capital available for investment is limited. Some steamship lines have limited time and substitute good management with computer systems.

Banking institutions are optimistic regarding the implementation of Bolero system in the transfer of trade data. John Dorman of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) believes that the Bolero Project of Swift will result to a more efficient and cost saving movement of trade documents. The Bolero system, which is scheduled to be implemented in 1998, involves the electronic delivery of trade data among banks and traders.

In 1990 and 1991, the city of Philadelphia's fiscal crisis had reached a crescendo, leaving the city of the verge of bankruptcy with a$2Q0 million annual structural deficit that was [...]

Argentina will be using a $20 million computerized customs system called Maria to track more than $30 billion in imports and exports passing through the country. Maria was purchased from the French government and will be mandatory for companies managing imports through the Port of Buenos Aires. However, some customs brokers are still hesitant to use the system despite Custom's assurance of training and the provision of public cabins for users who do not have computer equipment.

Customs brokers in the San Francisco Bay Area are preparing for the implementation of the automated brokers interface system. The electronic system will enable brokers to electronically transmit information requirements to the FDA and Customs simultaneously. FDA shipment approval can then be obtained within minutes instead of days. FDA officials are hopeful that a nationwide system can be launched by late 1994.

National custom brokers are set to unveil an electronic system that will enable brokers to exchange information electronically. The proposed electronic format would allow the rapid transfer of data for customs entries, summaries and invoices. It will give users the luxury to file entries remotely from remote locations through a corresponding broker. The implementation of this new standard is also expected to result in the removal of a provision in the current Customs Modernization bill that gives air couriers an unfair advantage over custom brokers.

The US customs brokerage industry is planning a nationwide computerized system to facilitate national entry filing services by regional and local brokers. The electronic filing system will speed up the data processing of customs entries by brokers in their respective port districts. US customs regulations require brokers to be physically present in the ports where they file customs entries. The national filing system will facilitate transmission of entries and other tasks between brokers even in remote areas.