Evaluating the individual and organizational impact of enterprise content management systems

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper comprehension of the nature of enterprise content management systems (ECMS) success by exploring factors that are important in the context of ECMS success, i.e. how these factors can be measured, and how they are interrelated. Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a success model specific to the enterprise content management (ECM) domain that builds on the DeLone and McLean information systems (IS) success model. The model is empirically tested by means of structural equation modeling applying the partial least squares approach and using data collected in an online survey. Findings The results show that ECMS positively affects organizational content management in terms of efficiency, collaboration and compliance. It also provides evidence that the use of the ECMS alone does not provide impact to the organization, but needs to be moderated either by the impact of the ECMS on the user or the users’ satisfaction of the ECMS. Practical implications For practitioners, the model identifies the factors that influence the success of ECMS. Practitioners can monitor these factors as performance indicators to improve users’ satisfaction with the ECMS and, thus, the success of their ECMS. Furthermore, the results can support practitioners in understanding the multiple facets of ECMS success to improve how they plan and prepare for ECM investments. Originality/value The study’s results contribute to theory by extending and empirically testing the D&M IS success model in a new domain and system context. The presented research is the first to empirically validate a comprehensive ECMS success model that extends knowledge related to ECM by examining the relationship between the quality dimensions and the success measures.