Integrative Document and Content Management Solutions

Abstract

Developments in office automation, which provided multiple end-user authoring applications at the computer desktop, heralded a rapid growth in the production of digital documents and introduced the requirement to manage capture and organization of digital documents, including images. The process of capturing digital documents in managed repositories included metadata to support access and retrieval subsequent to document production (D’Alleyrand, 1989; Ricks, Swafford & Gow, 1992). The imperatives of documentary support for workflow in enterprises, along with widespread adoption of Web-oriented software on intranets and the Internet World Wide Web (WWW), has given rise to systems that manage the creation, access, routing, and storage of documents, in a more seamless manner for Web presentation. These content management systems are progressively employing document management features such as metadata creation, version control, and renditions (Megill & Schantz, 1999; Wiggins, 2000), along with features for management of content production such as authoring and authorization for internal distribution and publishing (Addey et al., 2002; Boiko, 2002; Hackos, 2002; Nakano, 2002). If business applications are designed taking into account document and Web content management as integral constructs of enterprise information architecture, then the context of these solutions may be an integrative document and content management (IDCM) model (Asprey & Middleton, 2003). As the name implies, the IDCM model aspires to combine the features of a document management system with the functionality of Web content management. An integrative business and technology framework manages designated documents and their content throughout the continuum of their existence and supports record-keeping requirements. The IDCM model supports system capabilities for managing digital and physical documents, e-mail, engineering and technical drawings, document images, multimedia, and Web content. These systems may be deployed individually to address a specific requirement. However, due to the volume and varied formats of important documents held in digital format, these systems are often deployed collectively based on a strategic IDCM approach for better managing information assets. An organizational approach to IDCM supports enterprise knowledge strategies by providing the capability to capture, search, and retrieve documented information.