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DMS implementation methodology

Written by Ana Canteli on March 18, 2022

Implementing a document management system in your company is of great importance, and it means that the business is in a growth phase since it generates more information and documentation. In addition, installing document management software helps turn the company into a more effective, efficient organization better prepared for changes or facing challenges.

Going from paper document management to implementing the paperless office can seem like a challenge, especially if you are unfamiliar with document management tools. If you already have experience, that will be a plus that will help you get more out of the chosen software solution. If not, this is not an insurmountable obstacle either; Any company can see a significant return on investment simply by using a sound document management system. Of course, it must be recognized that by applying the best practices and enjoying a sound implementation strategy, the company will obtain a rapid return on investment and extensive use of all the software's functionalities.

Preparation

Regardless of the document management solution chosen, the organization must consider a plan and purpose of use. This decision will help those managers determine what problems we are looking to solve and what software functionalities will be used to solve the company's situation. In this sense, a document management provider usually presents its document manager based on the needs or requirements raised by the organization.

It will also request more information at a technical level, such as number of users, initial repository size, number of documents created per hour, day, week, month, year, if possible. These data help to determine the type and size of installation. Cloud solutions are usually appropriate for small companies without their technical team or proprietary servers. They allow the use of the document management system, renting the application together with the necessary space, enjoying technical service, backup copies, and hosting maintenance, all included at the same rate.

For medium or large companies, with an appreciable number of users, a medium but expanding repository, buying the software in perpetuity is usually more suitable. Because these types of entities typically have their technical staff, proprietary servers to host the software and its documentary repository, and autonomously decide on the backup policy, among other benefits.

There is also the possibility of implementing hybrid installations. It was designed primarily for organizations working in a cloud and server context. Depending on the expertise of the technical team of the document management provider, you will be offered the option that best suits your needs, which can even accompany you in your development projects. A client may start with a cloud installation and migrate to the server version, need support integrating the document manager with a third application, etc.

When choosing the document management system, knowing the products and services included in the final offer is vital.

In this post, we will show the OpenKM implementation process in broad strokes. Each installation must be considered unique since each organization has its particular needs and characteristics.

Installation

The installation service is always included in the economic offer provided to customers. They do not have to worry about whether or not their technical staff is prepared to take on this task. You can always be present during the installation process if you wish. In the professional version, the document management system installed on the server owned by the client, the installation service includes the following:

Setting:

• document management system configured as a service.
• Document preview.
• Help in configuring backups.
• email functionality as a service
• Email notification and subscription service.
• OCR (Tesseract).
• SSL (secure extranet).
• Antivirus.
• Integration with Active Directory ( LDAP ).
• Personalization of the application with the logo of your organization.

Regarding technical support:

• On-demand performance analysis:
• Repository integrity.
• User interface performance.
• Search engine performance.
• Free hard drive space and backups.
• Backup logs.
• Also included: updated direct contact with system development staff. Guaranteed response time for any incident and full access to the OpenKM documentation.

Installation is not a concern if a customer opts for the Cloud version. However, this option also includes a series of services:

Setting:

• MySQL database.
• Own subdomain.
• Backups (incremental).
• Email service.
• Document preview.
• OCR (Cuneiform or Tesseract).
• SSL (secure extranet).
• Antivirus.
• Personalization of the application with your logo.
• Professional technical support included as standard.

 Regarding hosting, the generic information is as follows:

• 440 GB of bandwidth.
• Redundant network.
• Juniper routing-Technology.
• 100% switching network, no collision domains.
• High-speed access to all Internet Uplinks.
• 24/7 Monitoring.
• Network Availability min. 99%.

The installation phase is notable for its brevity. In general terms, in 2 hours, the document management system is installed and ready for use.

As a result of the installation phase, the client delivers the installation report.

User training

In this phase, the functionalities of the document management system, its purpose, and how they are used are presented descriptively.

To facilitate the initiation, monitoring, achievement of objectives, and completion of the training, in OpenKM Academy, we can find the training offer of the document management system. It is specialized according to the profile of the beneficiary:

• final user
• administrator
• consultant
• workflow builder

Although, there is always the possibility of offering customized training.

As a result of the training phase, the beneficiaries will obtain the manual and title certifying that they have completed and successfully passed the training course.

Taking requirements

Although it is true that after installation and receiving the appropriate training, the company can configure the document management software to meet its expectations. Sometimes, especially when working with an electronic document manager for the first time - defining the company's document context and the implementation strategy can be intimidating. In OpenKM, through the consulting and parameterization services, a personalized version of the document management system can be installed. This customization is something that can be done at any time. A client may work with the software for some time with a basic configuration but require support for additional or more advanced developments. Among the essential requirements we find:

• User list
• Role definition
• Taxonomy definition: folders, records, emails, documents (series and documentary subseries)
• Definition of the security policy: privileges of reading, writing, deleting, downloading, etc., at a granular, individual, and role level.
• Definition of categories
• Template definition: documents, folders, records
• Initial bulk import (if any)
• Identification and description of automatisms
• Identification and definition of workflows
• Extensive email archiving setup
• Reporting

These conclusions will be reached through meetings with the client, who will be given a project summary document for approval that will contain requirements, schedule, and budget. Follow-up meetings with the client will also be held.

Technical support

In OpenKM, the contracting of the technical service is always eligible, although highly recommended. Those customers who choose to hire the service will be able to open a ticket per incident classified according to severity. This guarantees the treatment and resolution terms provided for in the contract.

Among the OpenKM technical team members are the software creators, which guarantees a deep and exhaustive knowledge of the system.

In addition, as highlighted above, contracting the technical service includes unlimited access to the documentation and direct contact with the developers of the document management platform.