By Wendi Klein, director, marketing & communications, North America, for A2iA
Regardless of your industry of focus, you are sure to have heard the word archive. But what does archive really mean? And does it mean the same thing to you as it does to the person in the next office? Is an archive just a repository where documents are stored, never to be found again? Or is an archive something that can actually provide a benefit, or even better, a measurable ROI?
Because of the high demand for timely record retrieval, organizations both large and small need to look to a content management system that will enable them to securely and accurately store their records with as much information as possible so that the documents can be recalled quickly, creating an intelligent archive. This involves utilizing technology that can locate and recognize varying writing styles or mixed document-types and layouts so that once digital, the information can be searched, with keywords or phrases identified for fast retrieval.
Considering that documents are being imaged, how do you then make the documents intelligent —meaning searchable and reportable — and the archive a beneficial tool for the organization? Data capture and routing is critical, although not an easy feat for most recognition technologies and something that requires advanced capabilities — beyond simple rules-based classification or common OCR or ICR.
Great strides have been made in the ability to automatically locate, extract, search, and index data from electronic documents including those of an unstructured format. Technology now allows digitized documents to be analyzed and indexed on a holistic or transaction level in relation to one another, as well as by their geometric layout and content characteristics. The documents can then be searched for pre-defined elements or keywords and, in addition to being archived, the results may be incorporated into pre-existing discovery, redaction, declassification, or document management systems thus providing unparalleled access to the information.
Users maintain privacy and adhere to compliance regulations, as complex and handwritten documents are no longer a bottleneck requiring manual processing. Advanced technologies make a significant difference in the efficiency of the tasks that were previously performed by hand, by allowing the processes to become automated from initial capture through to archive.
Many still believe that unstructured or complex documents can only be keyed and, given the demands of today’s market, any automated solution must be at least as error-free as the manual processes it replaces. However, accuracy is equally as important as successful discovery, due diligence, compliance, and declassification — features found in today’s more advanced recognition and classification engines.
Additionally, those looking to implement such an archiving solution must also examine the definition of and metrics around success. The question should not only be, “What is the read rate?” but also, “How much can be automated, how much time can be saved, how much manual labor can be eliminated, and how robust and comprehensive of a database can be built for search?” The ROI produced for organizations adopting this technology is not only seen in terms of a savings on their bottom line, but also in terms of the time saved through newly realized efficiencies. And once scanned, complex data that was automatically located and extracted can be entered into the IT system and more quickly distributed to those that need it, as well as indexed for archive and retrieval based on complex queries within the newly built database. This increase in accessible and searchable information from a central repository not only speeds knowledge distribution, but it elevates the organization’s global intelligence.
With new regulations and the continued movement towards the paperless office, organizations must consider more than just how to get their documents into electronic format, but what they will do once these documents are scanned. By utilizing the right tools for capturing all data and indexing all documents, an archive can easily make the transition to intelligent archive.
What do you think?
Showing posts with label IT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IT. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Mobile technology in the spotlight at Capture 2011
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Smartphones are changing the way people shop, bank, communicate and travel. Now, these types of mobile devices are set to have a profound impact on how knowledge workers organize, access, and use business content, Anne Valaitis, associate director of image scanning trends for Infotrends, said during a keynote presentation this week at Capture 2011 in Dallas. In fact, the integration of mobile technology with data capture processes was a hot topic throughout the Capture 2011 conference.
“Mobile devices are changing how we read and work,” she said, noting that respondents to an Infotrends survey said they read 60 percent of their business documents on a screen versus paper. “As a result of mobile devices, we are accessing more content, in different ways,” Valaitis explained.
“Mobile technology is blurring the line between home and office and business and personal,” she said. Sixty percent of respondents to an Infotrends survey said they purchased their own smartphone or mobile handheld device, about half of the apps on these devices are for business, Valaitis noted.
The challenges facing data capture technology vendors and service providers today is to provide mobile tools and services that enable workers to easily plug into the existing IT infrastructure and business processes without increasing additional layers of complexity and cost, Valaitis explained.
Similarly, corporate IT departments must come to the table as an advocate for the mobile worker and help build bridges that will enable productivity, Valaitis said. “To this point, IT has had a hard time supporting these mobile technologies,” Valaitis said. But there is no time to waste. About half of the respondents to an Infotrends survey said they expect the amount of business-related work they conduct on their mobile phones to increase. What’s more, as knowledge workers return to the workforce, it’s likely they will rely on mobile technologies, Valaitis said: “It’s not clear whether they will work in an office, what tools they will need to be productive, or who will support their IT needs.
Workers already are increasingly mobile. Nearly 40 percent of respondents to an Infotrends survey said they were away from their primary work location at least once a month on business, she said.
What’s more, the evolution of technologies such as GoogleDocs will likely drive mobile adoption. “As some point, GoogleDocs will make it easier to create and edit documents in the cloud,” she said.
Valaitis also foresees growing acceptance of consumer technologies such as social media in the workplace. “Facebook is not just a personal media anymore,” she said, pointing to Goldman Sachs abolishing its policy forbidding Facebook use at work. “It is increasingly being used for business.”
What do you think?
Smartphones are changing the way people shop, bank, communicate and travel. Now, these types of mobile devices are set to have a profound impact on how knowledge workers organize, access, and use business content, Anne Valaitis, associate director of image scanning trends for Infotrends, said during a keynote presentation this week at Capture 2011 in Dallas. In fact, the integration of mobile technology with data capture processes was a hot topic throughout the Capture 2011 conference.
“Mobile devices are changing how we read and work,” she said, noting that respondents to an Infotrends survey said they read 60 percent of their business documents on a screen versus paper. “As a result of mobile devices, we are accessing more content, in different ways,” Valaitis explained.
“Mobile technology is blurring the line between home and office and business and personal,” she said. Sixty percent of respondents to an Infotrends survey said they purchased their own smartphone or mobile handheld device, about half of the apps on these devices are for business, Valaitis noted.
The challenges facing data capture technology vendors and service providers today is to provide mobile tools and services that enable workers to easily plug into the existing IT infrastructure and business processes without increasing additional layers of complexity and cost, Valaitis explained.
Similarly, corporate IT departments must come to the table as an advocate for the mobile worker and help build bridges that will enable productivity, Valaitis said. “To this point, IT has had a hard time supporting these mobile technologies,” Valaitis said. But there is no time to waste. About half of the respondents to an Infotrends survey said they expect the amount of business-related work they conduct on their mobile phones to increase. What’s more, as knowledge workers return to the workforce, it’s likely they will rely on mobile technologies, Valaitis said: “It’s not clear whether they will work in an office, what tools they will need to be productive, or who will support their IT needs.
Workers already are increasingly mobile. Nearly 40 percent of respondents to an Infotrends survey said they were away from their primary work location at least once a month on business, she said.
What’s more, the evolution of technologies such as GoogleDocs will likely drive mobile adoption. “As some point, GoogleDocs will make it easier to create and edit documents in the cloud,” she said.
Valaitis also foresees growing acceptance of consumer technologies such as social media in the workplace. “Facebook is not just a personal media anymore,” she said, pointing to Goldman Sachs abolishing its policy forbidding Facebook use at work. “It is increasingly being used for business.”
What do you think?
Monday, December 6, 2010
With economy improving, IT departments hit the ground running
Posted by Mark Brousseau
High performing information technology (IT) departments at large companies have hit the ground running following the recent economic downturn, recalibrating their efforts to drive more business value from IT, and leaving their less adroit counterparts playing catch-up, according to new research from Accenture.
While many companies slipped into stagnation mode during the downturn, cutting budgets and focusing primarily on maintenance, high-performing organizations viewed IT as a growth engine for their business and the economic conditions as an opportunity to build capability.
Accenture defines high performers in IT as those that achieve excellence in IT execution, IT agility and IT innovation together, balancing the constant and sometimes opposing demands placed on today’s IT function.
High performers in IT not only manage IT like a business, but run IT for the business and with the business. CIOs at these organizations are engaged in their company’s business strategies and are able to truly map out how IT supports those strategies.
“Our survey found that chief information officers (CIOs) of high performance IT organizations are deeply involved in business outcomes and closely attuned to business needs – current and future – across the enterprise,” said Gary Curtis, Accenture’s chief technology strategist. “They are successfully retiring their legacy systems and embracing newer technologies. They are adept at managing the balance between optimizing costs and ensuring that they have the budget, skills, and resources to help fuel business growth.”
The research also found that high performers don’t just do a few things well; they excel across the board when compared to lower performing IT departments. Some examples:
... They have web-enabled 42 percent more of their customer interactions and 93 percent more of their suppliers’ interactions ;
... They are 44 percent more likely to recognize the strategic role IT plays in increasing customer satisfaction;
... They are eight times more likely to measure the benefits realized from IT initiatives;
... They spend 29 percent more annually on developing and implementing new applications rather than on maintaining existing ones; and
... They are twice as likely to view workforce performance as a priority by addressing challenges such as an aging workforce and collaboration, as well as developing technical and soft skills (business knowledge, relationship management)
“High performing IT departments are powerful drivers of value for their organizations – not simply keeping the lights on, but promoting technology initiatives that power innovation and enable the IT organization to function as a business,” said Curtis.
What do you think?
High performing information technology (IT) departments at large companies have hit the ground running following the recent economic downturn, recalibrating their efforts to drive more business value from IT, and leaving their less adroit counterparts playing catch-up, according to new research from Accenture.
While many companies slipped into stagnation mode during the downturn, cutting budgets and focusing primarily on maintenance, high-performing organizations viewed IT as a growth engine for their business and the economic conditions as an opportunity to build capability.
Accenture defines high performers in IT as those that achieve excellence in IT execution, IT agility and IT innovation together, balancing the constant and sometimes opposing demands placed on today’s IT function.
High performers in IT not only manage IT like a business, but run IT for the business and with the business. CIOs at these organizations are engaged in their company’s business strategies and are able to truly map out how IT supports those strategies.
“Our survey found that chief information officers (CIOs) of high performance IT organizations are deeply involved in business outcomes and closely attuned to business needs – current and future – across the enterprise,” said Gary Curtis, Accenture’s chief technology strategist. “They are successfully retiring their legacy systems and embracing newer technologies. They are adept at managing the balance between optimizing costs and ensuring that they have the budget, skills, and resources to help fuel business growth.”
The research also found that high performers don’t just do a few things well; they excel across the board when compared to lower performing IT departments. Some examples:
... They have web-enabled 42 percent more of their customer interactions and 93 percent more of their suppliers’ interactions ;
... They are 44 percent more likely to recognize the strategic role IT plays in increasing customer satisfaction;
... They are eight times more likely to measure the benefits realized from IT initiatives;
... They spend 29 percent more annually on developing and implementing new applications rather than on maintaining existing ones; and
... They are twice as likely to view workforce performance as a priority by addressing challenges such as an aging workforce and collaboration, as well as developing technical and soft skills (business knowledge, relationship management)
“High performing IT departments are powerful drivers of value for their organizations – not simply keeping the lights on, but promoting technology initiatives that power innovation and enable the IT organization to function as a business,” said Curtis.
What do you think?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Health Reform’s Impact on AP Costs
Posted by Mark Brousseau
The new federal health reform law will drive accounts payable (AP) costs higher over the next two years according to industry stakeholders who responded to a survey at this week’s IAPP-TAWPI Healthcare Payments Automation Summit (HPAS) in Boston. The survey was conducted during the conference by IAPP-TAWPI, APQC and PRGX. Survey respondents included healthcare payers and providers; third-party services providers (such as medical billing firms); banks; and IT vendors.
More than half (51.9 percent) of the HPAS attendees who responded to the survey predicted that health reform will result in higher AP costs over the next two years, while 48.1 percent of survey respondents said that AP costs will remain unchanged. None of the conference attendees that responded to the survey believe that short-term AP costs will decrease as a result of health reform.
HPAS attendees who responded to the survey were more divided on the long-term impact of health reform on AP costs. More than one-third (36.2 percent) of survey respondents believe that health reform will drive AP costs higher long-term (defined in the survey as over two years from now), while an equal percentage of respondents believe AP costs will remain unchanged. On the bright side, 27.7 percent of respondents predicted that health reform will result in lower AP costs long-term.
Among the other findings of the HPAS survey:
… Data integration, processing performance, and integration of physician data were the top healthcare AP challenges identified by respondents, followed by cost pressures, manual data entry (which drives costs up), and the ability to track and report evidence-based improvements in cost.
… Most survey respondents (57.7 percent) believe that health reform will have no impact on AP processing performance over the next two years, while a plurality of respondents (39.6 percent) predicted that health reform will result in lower AP processing performance long-term.
… Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of survey respondents believe that health reform will have no impact on AP late payments and error rates. Long-term, survey respondents were more divided, with a plurality (38.3 percent) predicting that health reform will have no impact on AP late payments and error rates, 31.9 percent predicting that health reform will result in more AP late payments and errors, and 29.8 percent predicting that health reform will help decrease AP late payments and errors.
… HPAS attendees are not optimistic about health reform’s impact on IT systems costs. Nearly two-thirds (62.3 percent) of respondents believe that health reform will drive IT systems costs higher over the next two years, while 37.7 percent of respondents predicted that systems costs would remain unchanged. None of the respondents believe that health reform will result in lower systems costs over the next two years. Long-term, half of the survey respondents believe that health reform will result in higher overall IT systems costs, while 18.8 percent believe IT systems costs will decrease. About one- third (31.3 percent) of respondents predicted that systems costs will remain unchanged.
“Big changes are coming in healthcare, and AP organizations must ask themselves if they are ready,” APQC Analyst Neville Sokol told HPAS attendees. “At times like these, organizations are turning to data and best practices to help them solve problems, improve processes, or design something better. These tools can help make sense of a complex world, and provide a roadmap for moving forward.”
The new federal health reform law will drive accounts payable (AP) costs higher over the next two years according to industry stakeholders who responded to a survey at this week’s IAPP-TAWPI Healthcare Payments Automation Summit (HPAS) in Boston. The survey was conducted during the conference by IAPP-TAWPI, APQC and PRGX. Survey respondents included healthcare payers and providers; third-party services providers (such as medical billing firms); banks; and IT vendors.
More than half (51.9 percent) of the HPAS attendees who responded to the survey predicted that health reform will result in higher AP costs over the next two years, while 48.1 percent of survey respondents said that AP costs will remain unchanged. None of the conference attendees that responded to the survey believe that short-term AP costs will decrease as a result of health reform.
HPAS attendees who responded to the survey were more divided on the long-term impact of health reform on AP costs. More than one-third (36.2 percent) of survey respondents believe that health reform will drive AP costs higher long-term (defined in the survey as over two years from now), while an equal percentage of respondents believe AP costs will remain unchanged. On the bright side, 27.7 percent of respondents predicted that health reform will result in lower AP costs long-term.
Among the other findings of the HPAS survey:
… Data integration, processing performance, and integration of physician data were the top healthcare AP challenges identified by respondents, followed by cost pressures, manual data entry (which drives costs up), and the ability to track and report evidence-based improvements in cost.
… Most survey respondents (57.7 percent) believe that health reform will have no impact on AP processing performance over the next two years, while a plurality of respondents (39.6 percent) predicted that health reform will result in lower AP processing performance long-term.
… Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of survey respondents believe that health reform will have no impact on AP late payments and error rates. Long-term, survey respondents were more divided, with a plurality (38.3 percent) predicting that health reform will have no impact on AP late payments and error rates, 31.9 percent predicting that health reform will result in more AP late payments and errors, and 29.8 percent predicting that health reform will help decrease AP late payments and errors.
… HPAS attendees are not optimistic about health reform’s impact on IT systems costs. Nearly two-thirds (62.3 percent) of respondents believe that health reform will drive IT systems costs higher over the next two years, while 37.7 percent of respondents predicted that systems costs would remain unchanged. None of the respondents believe that health reform will result in lower systems costs over the next two years. Long-term, half of the survey respondents believe that health reform will result in higher overall IT systems costs, while 18.8 percent believe IT systems costs will decrease. About one- third (31.3 percent) of respondents predicted that systems costs will remain unchanged.
“Big changes are coming in healthcare, and AP organizations must ask themselves if they are ready,” APQC Analyst Neville Sokol told HPAS attendees. “At times like these, organizations are turning to data and best practices to help them solve problems, improve processes, or design something better. These tools can help make sense of a complex world, and provide a roadmap for moving forward.”
Sunday, August 1, 2010
State Government IT: Version 2010
Posted by Mark Brousseau
As with every arm of government in today’s environment, state government chief information officers (CIOs) must do more with less. A search for lower costs will drive the agendas of many state CIOs for the next few years, as they look for ways to enhance IT performance. According to the 2010 State CIO Survey, conducted by Grant Thornton LLP, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and TechAmerica, two-thirds of state and territorial CIOs face budget decreases in 2011 through 2013. However, some state CIOs see a silver lining — public sector IT departments are increasing the use of shared services, reassessing contracts and leveraging economies of scale when purchasing.
Three out of four CIOs say their offices receive some form of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding. Eighty percent say other state agencies have also benefitted from ARRA money. Although additional funding undoubtedly helps cash-strapped IT departments, it’s not always easy to determine the impact on performance — one-third of CIOs say they do not formally measure how IT contributes to agency missions and strategies.
At a time when government and citizens are demanding increased transparency, CIOs must find ways to demonstrate the efficiency and value of IT, Grant Thornton concludes.
What do you think?
As with every arm of government in today’s environment, state government chief information officers (CIOs) must do more with less. A search for lower costs will drive the agendas of many state CIOs for the next few years, as they look for ways to enhance IT performance. According to the 2010 State CIO Survey, conducted by Grant Thornton LLP, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and TechAmerica, two-thirds of state and territorial CIOs face budget decreases in 2011 through 2013. However, some state CIOs see a silver lining — public sector IT departments are increasing the use of shared services, reassessing contracts and leveraging economies of scale when purchasing.
Three out of four CIOs say their offices receive some form of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding. Eighty percent say other state agencies have also benefitted from ARRA money. Although additional funding undoubtedly helps cash-strapped IT departments, it’s not always easy to determine the impact on performance — one-third of CIOs say they do not formally measure how IT contributes to agency missions and strategies.
At a time when government and citizens are demanding increased transparency, CIOs must find ways to demonstrate the efficiency and value of IT, Grant Thornton concludes.
What do you think?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Nailing Down Resource Allocation
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Resource allocation may be the key to IT project investment. Mike Kerrigan (mkerrigan@laurustech.com), vice president of business applications for Laurus Technologies (www.laurustech.com), explains:
The economic downturn may finally be changing directions but it still has a damper on every aspect of business, including IT departments. Even with some of the recent signs of recovery, businesses remains keen on cost savings, and spending is still prioritized around maintaining operations versus new initiatives and challenges. With budgets and resources remaining limited, companies need to be mindful of projects of significant value going by the wayside.
Businesses can recover by working smarter with fewer resources while maintaining high levels of quality and service. This is no easy task, but if everyone – from top down to bottom up – carefully considers what they’re implementing – the dollars spent will go toward the most worthwhile programs. To best allocate available resources, you’ll need to break down the type of information you have, identify the tools needed to pull that information together and focus on document management and workflow.
Breaking Down the 4-1-1
To start with, no matter what type of IT task it is, there is one common element – information. Information about what you want to do, information about how you are going to do it, information about how the plan is progressing (or not) and information about the end result. So a good place to start is a breakdown of the definitions associated with project information.
By Use
Project Governance: This type of data is used to steer individual projects at a high level, such as program and project portfolio management. It is typically referred to as “master data” or “status” information. This is mainly used by project owners or steering committee members on the single project management level, the portfolio manager, portfolio owner/ portfolio management team or other stakeholders.
Project Collaboration: These pieces of information are mainly used to deliver expected results. Major interest groups are Project Managers or Project Team Members. This data enables the whole team to carry out program tasks.
By Type
Project Management: This contains everything used to keep things running smoothly and in an organized fashion. It is strongly project-independent, but is similar across the board. For example, it may include meeting minutes, action item lists, open issue lists, schedules with delivery status information, timesheets, etc.
Project Content: Items needed to reach goals and attain desired results fall into this category. This may include technical plans, construction plans, ingredient lists, recipes, letters to third party suppliers, contracts, etc.
Getting a Grip on the Data – Tools You’ll Need
Now, how do you facilitate the governance of all of this information? It has become essential to manage, monitor, and assess the status of all projects through Enterprise Project Management (EPM). This is a set of uniform processes, methods and application packages. Typically, organizations that adopt EPM set up a Project Management Office (PMO) and select and adopt a specific Project Management Methodology (or create a proprietary method). They might even select and implement software tools to support Enterprise Project Management and collaboration.
EPM Tools: Enterprise project management tools focus on supporting single projects, no matter what type of program or content is involved. Also, this single-project information can be used for multi-project management or project portfolio management based on the master data and status information of all the work in an enterprise. Examples are pure tools for planning and controlling such as MS Project (Microsoft) or sophisticated solutions for managing the lifecycle of a single project. It may bring idea management, approvals, etc. to program and portfolio planning and control, like Clarity (computer Associates), MS Project Server (Microsoft), Primavera, etc. It includes components such as a project master data database, a workflow engine or a reporting engine.
Collaboration tools: These are often developed for various purposes, not just for project management. Facilitating collaboration within groups, these tools allow users to store documents, set up group folders and enable other features like group calendars and forums. Examples are eRoom/ Documentum (EMC) and SharePoint (Microsoft).
De-clutter Your Documents
The next step to optimal resource allocation is to review your document management. Have you ever stopped to think about how much time is wasted searching for documents? It doesn’t matter if you use a shared drive or document management platform – unless standards are in place, you are wasting resources to find what you need. The same can be said for saving documents. You spend time sifting through folders to figure out where something belongs. In the end, you wind up creating a new folder to add to the rest. This is computerized clutter at its finest!
The purpose of document management is to move information from individual computers to a shared space for broad access. By learning from historical data, you can reuse instead of recreating and stop flooding email inboxes with documentation. If project teams use a business process to create, access, and edit information in a centralized location, the need to constantly email documents would decrease tremendously. Only accurate versions of documents would be used. Best of all, team leaders and top management would know how and where to check on progress at all times.
Shared drives, which are just virtual filing cabinets, are very limiting and not so user-friendly. It is too easy to bury information in the multiple layers of folders. A document management platform (DMP) has many more features for easy navigation and searching. DMPs bring the ability to create wiki pages, a knowledge base, shared calendars and document version control. However, like the virtual filing cabinet, DMPs can be just as burdensome unless the following items are addressed:
• Blue Print: Plan a layout of how the tool will be used within the company
• Appoint: Name a Project Manager(s) to manage various areas within the tool
• Architect: Devise a structure and naming standard
• Instruct: Document and teach how to use the system
• Broadcast: Formally communicate the new way of saving and retrieving information
• Verify: Conduct reviews of the platform and hold people accountable
Workflow
Once you’ve taken care of the document stream, it’s time to work on overall project flow. You need to reach consensus on the methodology and process to be used for ALL efforts. If this is already defined, then review how well it is working, make any adjustments and communicate the process to everyone. Next, decide on baseline criteria for project selection – if it doesn’t meet the initial baseline, stop. If you do proceed, plan for continual assessments to ensure business alignment. We all know business needs, goals, and strategies continually change. And there’s no need to continue investing in a project that doesn’t fit in with your overarching business goals. Moving forward in the planning process requires many steps but there are two critical elements to include:
1. Breakdown Structure
2. Risk Register
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a graphical representation of the entire project with a forecast from beginning to end. By being graphical, a WBS fosters ease of communication of all the details. Think of a WBS like the instructions that come with a “do-it-yourself” kit. If you take time to review the instructions and lay out all of the components in advance, you minimize interruptions caused by searching for parts or tools that were indicated up front.
A risk register contains an ongoing list of anything positive or negative that might cause changes. An owner should be assigned to each risk and this “ownership” should continue throughout the project’s lifecycle. With proper risk evaluation, the team can get a probability of the threats that could cause the greatest impact. Based on this, contingency plans can be created. If needed, the risk owner – not the project manager, takes ACTION by putting the back-up plan in motion. It should have a minimal effect, since the risk was identified and built into the project timeline and budget.
Even in times of fiscal frugality, you can implement successful programs by applying a disciplined approach to all of your resources.
What do you think?
Resource allocation may be the key to IT project investment. Mike Kerrigan (mkerrigan@laurustech.com), vice president of business applications for Laurus Technologies (www.laurustech.com), explains:
The economic downturn may finally be changing directions but it still has a damper on every aspect of business, including IT departments. Even with some of the recent signs of recovery, businesses remains keen on cost savings, and spending is still prioritized around maintaining operations versus new initiatives and challenges. With budgets and resources remaining limited, companies need to be mindful of projects of significant value going by the wayside.
Businesses can recover by working smarter with fewer resources while maintaining high levels of quality and service. This is no easy task, but if everyone – from top down to bottom up – carefully considers what they’re implementing – the dollars spent will go toward the most worthwhile programs. To best allocate available resources, you’ll need to break down the type of information you have, identify the tools needed to pull that information together and focus on document management and workflow.
Breaking Down the 4-1-1
To start with, no matter what type of IT task it is, there is one common element – information. Information about what you want to do, information about how you are going to do it, information about how the plan is progressing (or not) and information about the end result. So a good place to start is a breakdown of the definitions associated with project information.
By Use
Project Governance: This type of data is used to steer individual projects at a high level, such as program and project portfolio management. It is typically referred to as “master data” or “status” information. This is mainly used by project owners or steering committee members on the single project management level, the portfolio manager, portfolio owner/ portfolio management team or other stakeholders.
Project Collaboration: These pieces of information are mainly used to deliver expected results. Major interest groups are Project Managers or Project Team Members. This data enables the whole team to carry out program tasks.
By Type
Project Management: This contains everything used to keep things running smoothly and in an organized fashion. It is strongly project-independent, but is similar across the board. For example, it may include meeting minutes, action item lists, open issue lists, schedules with delivery status information, timesheets, etc.
Project Content: Items needed to reach goals and attain desired results fall into this category. This may include technical plans, construction plans, ingredient lists, recipes, letters to third party suppliers, contracts, etc.
Getting a Grip on the Data – Tools You’ll Need
Now, how do you facilitate the governance of all of this information? It has become essential to manage, monitor, and assess the status of all projects through Enterprise Project Management (EPM). This is a set of uniform processes, methods and application packages. Typically, organizations that adopt EPM set up a Project Management Office (PMO) and select and adopt a specific Project Management Methodology (or create a proprietary method). They might even select and implement software tools to support Enterprise Project Management and collaboration.
EPM Tools: Enterprise project management tools focus on supporting single projects, no matter what type of program or content is involved. Also, this single-project information can be used for multi-project management or project portfolio management based on the master data and status information of all the work in an enterprise. Examples are pure tools for planning and controlling such as MS Project (Microsoft) or sophisticated solutions for managing the lifecycle of a single project. It may bring idea management, approvals, etc. to program and portfolio planning and control, like Clarity (computer Associates), MS Project Server (Microsoft), Primavera, etc. It includes components such as a project master data database, a workflow engine or a reporting engine.
Collaboration tools: These are often developed for various purposes, not just for project management. Facilitating collaboration within groups, these tools allow users to store documents, set up group folders and enable other features like group calendars and forums. Examples are eRoom/ Documentum (EMC) and SharePoint (Microsoft).
De-clutter Your Documents
The next step to optimal resource allocation is to review your document management. Have you ever stopped to think about how much time is wasted searching for documents? It doesn’t matter if you use a shared drive or document management platform – unless standards are in place, you are wasting resources to find what you need. The same can be said for saving documents. You spend time sifting through folders to figure out where something belongs. In the end, you wind up creating a new folder to add to the rest. This is computerized clutter at its finest!
The purpose of document management is to move information from individual computers to a shared space for broad access. By learning from historical data, you can reuse instead of recreating and stop flooding email inboxes with documentation. If project teams use a business process to create, access, and edit information in a centralized location, the need to constantly email documents would decrease tremendously. Only accurate versions of documents would be used. Best of all, team leaders and top management would know how and where to check on progress at all times.
Shared drives, which are just virtual filing cabinets, are very limiting and not so user-friendly. It is too easy to bury information in the multiple layers of folders. A document management platform (DMP) has many more features for easy navigation and searching. DMPs bring the ability to create wiki pages, a knowledge base, shared calendars and document version control. However, like the virtual filing cabinet, DMPs can be just as burdensome unless the following items are addressed:
• Blue Print: Plan a layout of how the tool will be used within the company
• Appoint: Name a Project Manager(s) to manage various areas within the tool
• Architect: Devise a structure and naming standard
• Instruct: Document and teach how to use the system
• Broadcast: Formally communicate the new way of saving and retrieving information
• Verify: Conduct reviews of the platform and hold people accountable
Workflow
Once you’ve taken care of the document stream, it’s time to work on overall project flow. You need to reach consensus on the methodology and process to be used for ALL efforts. If this is already defined, then review how well it is working, make any adjustments and communicate the process to everyone. Next, decide on baseline criteria for project selection – if it doesn’t meet the initial baseline, stop. If you do proceed, plan for continual assessments to ensure business alignment. We all know business needs, goals, and strategies continually change. And there’s no need to continue investing in a project that doesn’t fit in with your overarching business goals. Moving forward in the planning process requires many steps but there are two critical elements to include:
1. Breakdown Structure
2. Risk Register
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a graphical representation of the entire project with a forecast from beginning to end. By being graphical, a WBS fosters ease of communication of all the details. Think of a WBS like the instructions that come with a “do-it-yourself” kit. If you take time to review the instructions and lay out all of the components in advance, you minimize interruptions caused by searching for parts or tools that were indicated up front.
A risk register contains an ongoing list of anything positive or negative that might cause changes. An owner should be assigned to each risk and this “ownership” should continue throughout the project’s lifecycle. With proper risk evaluation, the team can get a probability of the threats that could cause the greatest impact. Based on this, contingency plans can be created. If needed, the risk owner – not the project manager, takes ACTION by putting the back-up plan in motion. It should have a minimal effect, since the risk was identified and built into the project timeline and budget.
Even in times of fiscal frugality, you can implement successful programs by applying a disciplined approach to all of your resources.
What do you think?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Money-Saving Strategies
By Mark Brousseau
During the interactive roundtable luncheon at the 2009 TAWPI Forum & Expo in Washington, D.C. this week, attendees shared the best money-saving strategies they have implemented in the past year.
Below are some of the best ideas.
... Take good care of your scanner maintenance technician and they will reciprocate.
... Use of early tracking of customer replies to mailings in transit can help you avoid the cost associated with sending second notices
... Consolidate IT archive solutions; getting rid of outdated technology can save you big bucks
... Use slightly slower (and less expensive) disk storage in place of ultra high-speed archiving
... Enable internal and external end-users to access your archive to eliminate the need for dedicated back-office staff to handle all archive requests
... Ensure that personnel initiatives are team-based, not individual-based
... Take a hard look at open source technologies for IT back-office functions; they work fine and saved one end-user hundreds of thousands of dollars a year
... Educate your staff on the cost -- and potential impact -- of errors; other strategies for reducing errors: send errors back to the "team" that created them, have personnel who don't make mistakes mentor others, and don't be afraid to look at even small errors with relatively smaller savings
... Implement a program to recognize your best performers; symbolism helps
... Use a MICR database or other account lookup technology to reduce data entry requirements
... When shopping for an ECM solution, make sure its functionality is aligned with your business needs; you shouldn't buy features you don't plan to use
... Leverage the Internet to drive improvements in reject processing
... Move to image cash letters (ICLs) to eliminate daily trips to the bank branch
... Adjust your staffing to reduce the money you need to pay out for shift differentials
... Implement Lean Six Sigma
... Move to electronic signatures to save time and to reduce the number of documents required
... Adjust end-user pricing to further incentivize them to move to more efficient processing methods
... Consider remote keying with recognition technology
... Never pass up a free lunch -- definitely attend the interactive roundtable lunch each year
During the interactive roundtable luncheon at the 2009 TAWPI Forum & Expo in Washington, D.C. this week, attendees shared the best money-saving strategies they have implemented in the past year.
Below are some of the best ideas.
... Take good care of your scanner maintenance technician and they will reciprocate.
... Use of early tracking of customer replies to mailings in transit can help you avoid the cost associated with sending second notices
... Consolidate IT archive solutions; getting rid of outdated technology can save you big bucks
... Use slightly slower (and less expensive) disk storage in place of ultra high-speed archiving
... Enable internal and external end-users to access your archive to eliminate the need for dedicated back-office staff to handle all archive requests
... Ensure that personnel initiatives are team-based, not individual-based
... Take a hard look at open source technologies for IT back-office functions; they work fine and saved one end-user hundreds of thousands of dollars a year
... Educate your staff on the cost -- and potential impact -- of errors; other strategies for reducing errors: send errors back to the "team" that created them, have personnel who don't make mistakes mentor others, and don't be afraid to look at even small errors with relatively smaller savings
... Implement a program to recognize your best performers; symbolism helps
... Use a MICR database or other account lookup technology to reduce data entry requirements
... When shopping for an ECM solution, make sure its functionality is aligned with your business needs; you shouldn't buy features you don't plan to use
... Leverage the Internet to drive improvements in reject processing
... Move to image cash letters (ICLs) to eliminate daily trips to the bank branch
... Adjust your staffing to reduce the money you need to pay out for shift differentials
... Implement Lean Six Sigma
... Move to electronic signatures to save time and to reduce the number of documents required
... Adjust end-user pricing to further incentivize them to move to more efficient processing methods
... Consider remote keying with recognition technology
... Never pass up a free lunch -- definitely attend the interactive roundtable lunch each year
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
