DM May-Jun 2023

DOCUMENT 

M A N A G E R 

Dm 

www.document-manager.com 

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 

IMAGING & CAPTURE 

WORKFLOW/BPM 

CONTENT MANAGEMENT 

Intelligent Document Processing: 

New spaces to explore 

Interview: 

ibml 

Strategy: 

Reasons to go digital 

Application focus: 

Customer Relationship Management 

NEWS • PRODUCT FOCUS • USER PROFILE • INTERVIEWS 

ISSN 1351-3222 Vol 31 No 3 May/June 2023

Success. Profit. 

Growth. 

• Do you want to stand out from your competition? 

• Do you want to achieve higher profits? 

• Do you want to expand your technology portfolio? 

DocuWare is what you need. Benefit from our attractive 

and lucrative partner programmes. 

go.docuware.com/partner

Dm 

COMMENT 

Editor: 

Dave Tyler 

david.tyler@btc.co.uk 

Sub Editor: 

Mark Lyward 

mark.lyward@btc.co.uk 

Welcome to the May/June issue of 

Publishing Director: 

John Jageurs 

Document Manager magazine, in 

john.jageurs@btc.co.uk 

Sales Manager: 

which we are delighted to include a 

Abby Penn 

'pre-announcement' of sorts of this year's DM 

abby.penn@btc.co.uk 

Lead Designer 

Awards, which will take place in London in 

Ian Collis 

November. That may seem a long way off, but 

ian.collis@btc.co.uk 

Circulation/Subscriptions: 

trust me, it will be here before you know it, 

Christina Willis 

and we are keen to get as many people on 

christina.willis@btc.co.uk 

Managing Director: 

board as possible this year, especially in the 

John Jageurs 

often under-rated Project of the Year categories, as I touch on in our 

john.jageurs@btc.co.uk 

article on page 26. 

Published by: Barrow & 

Regular readers may remember that in the last issue's Editor's Comment 

Thompkins Connexion Ltd 

35 Station Square, 

section I was singing the praises of the humble case study, saying "… for 

Petts Wood 

anyone looking to deploy or update a solution, one of the most valuable 

Kent BR5 1LZ 

Tel: 01689 616000 

points of reference is other people's success stories." And we all know 

Fax: 01689 826622 

how true this is in so many aspects of our lives, not just corporate IT 

Subscriptions: 

purchasing. Very few of us would buy a new car, for example, or a TV, 

UK: £35/year, £60/two years, 

£80/three years 

without first seeking out some trustworthy user experiences to give us 

Europe: £48/year, £85 two 

some context. With the omnipresence of the internet it is hard to 

years, £127 three years. 

ROW:£62/year, £115/two 

imagine any purchase that one might consider that couldn't be informed 

years, £168/three years 

by a quick search for other users' stories. 

Published 6 times a year. 

Single copies can be bought 

You might expect then, that the Project of the Year awards panel is 

for £8.50 (includes postage & 

inundated every year with dozens - nay, hundreds - of glowing 

packaging). No part of this 

magazine may be reproduced 

testimonies from satisfied customers of the many vendors you see in 

without prior consent, in writing, 

from the publisher. 

these pages every issue, packed with in-depth detail of benefits achieved 

©Copyright 2023 Barrow & 

and quotes that explain what made this solution approach stand out 

Thompkins 

from all the competition. Sadly, this is rarely the case, and I have to 

Connexion Ltd 

admit that I am somewhat at a loss as to why this is. 

Articles published reflect the 

We at the magazine do our best to promote the Project element of the 

opinions of the authors and are 

not necessarily those of the 

DM Awards as much as we can every year, but each time we struggle to 

publisher or his employees. While 

every reasonable effort is made 

find a really good selection of stories to narrow down to our final 

to ensure that the contents of 

shortlists. I know these stories are out there - as I said last issue, we carry 

articles, editorial and advertising 

are accurate no responsibility can 

a huge variety of case studies from across every vertical sector, covering a 

be accepted by the publisher for 

errors, misrepresentations or any 

wide range of technologies and processes. 

resulting effects 

To me it feels like a no-brainer: if I were considering putting my 

company or its products forward for a DM Award in any category, I 

would also be thinking "Do we have any good recent user stories that 

we can put in for a project award at the same time?". If you are a 

vendor or channel partner, I'd suggest you do the same - and in the 

meantime I look forward to a record-breaking number of project entries 

later this year! 

Dave Tyler 

Editor 

david.tyler@btc.co.uk 


May/June 2023 

@DMMagAndAwards 

3

Dm CONTENTS 

C O N T E N T S 

MAY/JUNE 

6 

10 

14 

16 

20 

..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 

STRATEGY: DIGITISATION………….............................................................……….6 

A surprising number of organisations have yet to be convinced of the benefits of document 

management technologies. Grace Schneider of Storetec puts the record straight 

INTERVIEW: IBML……..................................................................................………8 

DM magazine editor David Tyler speaks to ibml's chief marketing officer, Susheel John, 

about the company's recent FUSiON HD announcement 

CASE STUDY: DWP…................................................................................………..10 

How the DWP optimised and streamlined a 28-million-plus file inventory thanks to an 

exhaustive audit process 

COMPANY UPDATE: DOCUWARE…….......................................................………12 

David Malan, Sales Director UK&I, DocuWare, explains how the company's products are 

helping user organisations to innovate and grow 

ANALYSIS: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT…................................................……14 

A closer look at AIIM's latest report on the intelligent information management industry, in 

advance of June's AIIM Forum Europe 

APPLICATION FOCUS: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT…….........……16 

Extract maximum value from your document management assets, argues Mark Baterip, 

Senior Consultant, Document Logistix, by centralising for CRM 

TECHNOLOGY: DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT………………......................…….18 

Wes Keller, Product Marketing Manager at Hyland, explains how the right digital asset 

management solutions can support an organisation's growth 

ANALYSIS: INTELLIGENT DOCUMENT PROCESSING……............................………20 

Alan Pelz-Sharpe, founder of Deep Analysis, argues that there is a world of untapped 

opportunities for Intelligent Document Processing outside of the Accounts Payable sphere 

AWARDS: IRMS………...............................................................................………24 

IRMS award winners demonstrate the talent and innovation of UK Information and Records 

Management professionals 

EVENT: DM AWARDS 2023……..................................................................……..26 

The DM Awards returns to London this November - here are the all-important dates for 

your diary and other details 

STRATEGY: INFORMATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT .....................................….28 

With the recent launch of its newest fi-8040 scanner Ricoh epitomises the latest in digital 

document lifecycle management, says Andrew Cowling, Channel Marketing Manager at 

PFU (EMEA), a Ricoh company 

OPINION: CLOUD ……….................................................................................…..30 

A modern content management approach means cloud content services, argues David 

Littler, General Manager, enChoice UK 

STRATEGY: STORAGE………........................................................................……..32 

Eric Bassier, Senior Director Products, Quantum, offers some useful strategies for navigating 

today's data landscape 

4 @DMMagAndAwards May/June 2023 www.document-manager.com

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fi-8270/fi-8290 – 

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fi-7160 – Best selling 

scanner in the NHS 

fi-7260 / fi-7280 

fi-7300NX – Web based document 

capture and network scanning 

fi-7700 

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fi-7140 – Document 

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fi-7460 

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For more information please email us at 

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fi-7700 

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PaperStream IP 

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PaperStream NX Manager 

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Dm STRATEGY: DIGITISATION 

Reasons to go digital, parts 1 to 10 

A surprising number of organisations have yet to be convinced of the benefits 

of document management technologies. Grace Schneider of Storetec puts the 

record straight 

In today's fast-paced business 

environment, efficient document 

management is essential for 

organisations to remain compliant, and 

workflows are critical to ensure effective 

controls are in place. In the context of 

document management, workflows help to 

streamline the creation, review, approval, 

and distribution of documents, as well as 

provide vital security around 

sensitive/restricted materials. 

Improved Efficiency 

One of the most significant benefits of a 

reliable document management system is 

improved efficiency. EDRMS (Electronic 

Document and Records Management 

System) capabilities help to ensure that 

often large amounts of documents are 

processed effectively, reducing the time it 

takes to complete tasks and minimising 

human errors. Correct workflows allow you 

to automate many of the repetitive steps 

involved in document management, freeing 

up time for employees to focus on more 

critical tasks. 

Better Collaboration 

Workflows facilitate better collaboration by 

ensuring that all stakeholders are involved 

in the document management process. By 

assigning specific tasks to specific 

individuals or teams, workflows help to 

ensure that everyone knows their role and 

responsibilities, as well as identify 

bottlenecks in the system and where 

improvements can be made. This helps to 

avoid misunderstandings and ensures that 

everyone is working towards the same goal. 

Increased Accountability 

Systems enable increased accountability 

by ensuring that everyone involved in the 

document management process knows 

precisely what they need to do and when 

they need to do it. This helps to eliminate 

confusion and ensures that everyone is 

responsible for their part in the process. 

By working with Storetec's internal 

development team, you can implement 

local business rule enforcements to 

ensure all rules are being followed by the 

system users. 

Enhanced Security 

Enhance security by ensuring that 

documents are only accessible to 

authorised personnel. By defining specific 

roles and permissions, correctly configured 

systems help to prevent unauthorised 

access to sensitive documents through data 

& password encryption or restricted access 

via IP address. This is especially important 

6 May/June 2023 www.document-manager.com 

@DMMagAndAwards

STRATEGY: DIGITISATION Dm 

"BY DEFINING SPECIFIC ROLES AND PERMISSIONS, CORRECTLY CONFIGURED SYSTEMS HELP TO PREVENT UNAUTHORISED 

ACCESS TO SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS THROUGH DATA & PASSWORD ENCRYPTION OR RESTRICTED ACCESS VIA IP 

ADDRESS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR ORGANISATIONS OR DEPARTMENTS THAT DEAL WITH CONFIDENTIAL OR 

SENSITIVE INFORMATION, SUCH AS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, HR TEAMS THAT NEED TO COMPLY WITH PII 

REGULATIONS, OR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS." 

for organisations or departments that deal 

with confidential or sensitive information, 

such as financial institutions, HR teams that 

need to comply with PII regulations, or 

healthcare providers. 

Better Compliance 

EDRMS' help organisations to comply 

with regulatory requirements by ensuring 

that all documents are created, reviewed, 

and approved according to established 

policies and procedures. To be specific - 

traditionally, businesses have managed 

Subject Access Requests through manual 

processes, such as searching through 

paper records or electronic files to identify 

and retrieve relevant information. This 

can be a tedious and time-consuming 

task, especially if the requested 

information is scattered across multiple 

locations or departments. 

With a document management system 

like FreeDocs, however, SARs can be fulfilled 

in minutes through advanced searching 

capabilities which take you to any 

document in the system with the wording 

you have prescribed, allowing an almost 

immediate location of the information you 

require to comply to the request. 

Consistent Quality 

Workflows within the EDRMS ensure that 

all documents go through a consistent 

process, which helps to maintain the 

quality of the documents. By establishing a 

standard process, it is possible to help to 

ensure that all documents meet the same 

standards for formatting, language, and 

content. This is especially important for 

organisations that produce large volumes 

of documents, such as legal firms, where 

consistency and accuracy are crucial. 

Improved Visibility 

Improve visibility into the document 

management process with an EDRMS. 

They also allow for instantaneous 

searching across all documents for that 

piece of information that in a poorly 

managed paper-based system may take 

weeks, or worse still never be found. 

Freedocs currently searches through 

millions of documents producing results of 

keyword searches in seconds, and then 

allowing for further drill down until the 

document you need is located. 

Structured folders and topics can also be 

set that allow new departments to be set 

up instantly with agreed rules applied to 

the data set as the point of upload. With 

advanced OCR technology handwritten 

documents also become instantly 

searchable opening up the opportunity for 

organisations to really understand what 

they have across multiple formats. 

Better Resource Management 

By automating many of the steps in the 

document management process, 

workflows help to eliminate manual tasks 

that can be time-consuming and resource 

intensive. This frees up resources for other 

critical tasks, and opportunities to improve 

other areas of the business. 

Faster Response Times 

EDRMS' enable faster response times by 

ensuring that documents are processed 

quickly and efficiently. By automating 

many of the steps involved in document 

management, workflows help to reduce 

the time it takes to complete tasks. This 

can be particularly important for 

organisations that need to respond 

quickly to customer enquiries or 

regulatory requirements. 

Scalability 

Document management systems are 

scalable, which means that they can be 

adapted to accommodate changes in the 

size or structure of an organisation. As an 

organisation grows, they can be adjusted 

to accommodate the increased volume of 

documents or the addition of new teams 

or departments, with the ability to 

instantly transfer rules and protocols to 

the new databases. This helps to ensure 

that the document management process 

remains efficient and effective, regardless 

of the size or complexity of the 

organisation. 

TRANSFORMING ACCESSIBILITY 

Many businesses have very little 

knowledge of the information that they 

hold within their organisation. An EDRMS 

is a centralised location for all company 

information so that it's easily accessible. 

Why would you waste time searching 

through paper records, which are often 

held in many separate locations, when 

you can find information to your screen 

within seconds with the advanced 

searching capabilities of Freedocs? 

FreeDocs is built entirely on customer 

needs and feedback by our internal 

development team. We have transformed 

organisations' accessibility to their data, 

linking the information on the page 

directly to the fingertips of the people 

that need it the most. Security and 

compliance is at the forefront of the 

product to ensure your data never leaves 

your domain, while giving you the power 

to make better informed decisions as you 

have the ability to access all data needing 

consideration. 

Don't fall behind in today's competitive 

business landscape, scale up your 

organisation with a document 

management system like FreeDocs. 

More info: 

www.storetec.net/services/freedocsdocument-management 




7

Dm INTERVIEW: IBML 

No compromise 

DM magazine editor David Tyler speaks to ibml's Chief Marketing Officer, Susheel John, 

about the company's recent FUSiON HD announcement 

David Tyler: The FUSiON scanner 

quickly established itself as a winner 

since its launch just over two years 

ago, having walked away with the coveted 

High Volume Imaging Product of the Year 

trophy at the 2021 DM Awards. Tell us 

how this new HD device is an upgrade on 

what is already a highly-regarded product. 

Susheel John: One of the key 

improvements is the introduction of the 

new proprietary 600 dpi camera. Generally 

in the past we have been scanning at 300 

dpi, and that's because most customers 

required only 200 or 300 dpi for typical 

document output. The other thing with 

the FUSiON HD is that we've done a whole 

lot of work to make sure that the images 

coming out are certified for the US 'FADGI 

3 Star' standard for image quality - which 

is equivalent to ISO 19264-1 here, and 

another European standard, Metamorfoze. 

These standards specify how good an 

image needs to be based on various 

image quality specifications. The 

advantage is that customers can be 

confident that their images are good 

enough quality for long term archival, 

and ensures good OCR readability. 

DT: Where is the demand 

coming from for these higher 

quality images - is this a 

governance/ compliance 

driven shift? 

SJ: People have been scanning 

for over 30 years but even 

today are they really validating 

for quality: that it is good 

enough for long term 

archival, good enough for 

extraction purposes, good 

enough that they can 

actually dispose of their 

physical records? 

The FADGI 3 Star standard 

for images is one of many 

different archival standards for different 

type of media and content, In the US the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration has now mandated that it 

will not accept any physical record unless it 

is of historical importance; as such all 

federal agencies can only submit digital 

records. They have also recommended that 

images conform to the FADGI 3 Star 

standard so that all physical records that 

can be disposed of, may be. 

With the ibml FUSiON HD and the ibml 

Capture Suite software combined, we not 

only make sure the image quality reaches 

the required standard, it is also integrated 

back-end with a third-party product, 

Golden Thread software. This provides a 

convenient way for our customers to 

periodically test imaging targets against 

the Golden Thread software and validate 

pass or fail for the image quality. Users can 

run periodic tests; they may want to run it 

once a week, every day or even every hour, 

and it is really simple. They just load the 

target on the scanner and run it through. 

The software tells you if the images pass or 

fail. This information is also stored in the 

software as audit trail validate quality for 

batches done at various times. 

DT: As with many of these driving factors, 

what has started in the USA is likely to 

become more high profile in the UK and 

Europe, isn't it? 

SJ: Exactly - this has not become a 

mandate so much yet in Europe, but we 

see it coming. There are countries that are 

beginning to use the Metamorfoze or ISO 

19264-1 standards to validate image 

quality in Europe. As people move to more 

and more digital records, we don't yet 

know exactly how other international 

standards are going to work. But if and 

when it does happen, it will be very easy 

for ibml to get certified because we know 

the equivalence of these standards. 

8 



www.document-manager.com

INTERVIEW: IBML Dm 

"UNTIL VERY RECENTLY ORGANISATIONS HAVE NOT FOLLOWED ANY STANDARDS TO VALIDATE THE QUALITY 

OF IMAGES AS A STEP IN THEIR DIGITISATION PROCESS. NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS EASY METHODOLOGY TO 

VALIDATE, ANY SERVICE BUREAU CUSTOMER FOR EXAMPLE CAN CLAIM AND PRODUCE AUDIT TRAILS THAT 

THEIR DIGITISATION OPERATION MEETS THE FADGI 3 STAR STANDARDS DELIVERING STANDARDISED IMAGES. 

THIS ALLOWS AN ORGANISATION TO PHYSICALLY DISPOSE OF THE DOCUMENTS WITH CONFIDENCE KNOWING 

THAT IT MEETS THE STANDARD." 

And does it really matter for users 

outside of those interacting with 

government departments? Most 

definitely! Until very recently 

organisations have not followed any 

standards to validate the quality of 

images as a step in their digitisation 

process. Now that we have this easy 

methodology to validate, any service 

bureau customer for example can claim 

and produce audit trails that their 

digitisation operation meets the FADGI 3 

Star standards delivering standardised 

images. This allows an organisation to 

physically dispose of the documents 

with confidence knowing that it meets 

the standard. 

Of course, there will always be some 

physical documents that are extremely 

important or may have historic or cultural 

value that need to be retained. But for at 

least the bulk of transactional or 

legislative records which don't need that 

physical copy, they can be destroyed - this 

generates a lot of benefits, of course. 

productivity and driving efficiencies and 

high quality, so we had to keep it that 

way - keep it simple. For the operators to 

be able to do this just as part of their 

routine work. And FUSiON HD is simply 

the fastest 600 dpi scanner. We run at 

122 pages per minute, even at 600 dpi: 

nobody else comes close. 

And why is that important?Because 

increasingly there are applications that 

demand 500 or 600 dpi, and people 

don't want to have to revert to using a 

flatbed scanner for those tasks. Now they 

don't have to, they can use the FUSiON 

HD. Fingerprint processing is a good 

example, as those records have to be 

scanned at 500 dpi, that's the standard 

they use for matching and verifying. 

To achieve this level of performance 

without compromising on throughput 

speeds has not been just a matter of 

upgrading a camera, of course. There are 

also improvements to the imaging 

algorithms, to the software, to the 

feeder mechanisms. 

DT: It sounds like a key part of the 

FUSiON HD proposition is that it offers 

this additional capability while remaining 

one integrated solution, and crucially, 

without compromising on scan speeds. Is 

that a fair assessment? 

SJ: As companies look to do more and 

more digital transformation, digitisation 

becomes an important aspect, whether 

it's back-file conversion or day-forward 

scanning. With ibml solutions users can 

do all of this with the same productivity, 

at the same speeds that they are used to 

seeing from us, without any compromise. 

Most competitive products that we have 

heard from our customers - they all slow 

down significantly when you require 

them to process images at the top quality. 

We come from a background of 

DT: What will be the focus of ibml's 

marketing message now that the FUSiON 

HD is available? 

SJ: Our focus as ever is on what our 

customers require: ultimately the message 

right now is all about image quality, and 

validating that image quality. And also 

that anybody can make use of it: 

government can use it, banking can use 

it, healthcare can use it; they can now 

have a peace of mind which they didn't 

have before because there was no way 

for them to validate the quality of their 

images. Now they can all implement the 

appropriate quality standard and have the 

peace of mind that the images coming 

from the FUSiON HD are of the best 

quality now and for the future. 

More info: www.ibml.com 




9

Dm CASE STUDY: DWP 

Thinking outside the box 

How the DWP optimised and streamlined a 28-million-plus file inventory thanks to an 

exhaustive audit process 

Many departments in the public 

sector hold huge paper 

inventories which contain 

millions of records - and so optimising and 

streamlining that storage can bring 

multiple benefits. Cost savings in the short 

and long term, faster retrievals and even 

making digitisation a more cost-effective 

option in future are all on the table. But 

where do you start? 

According to Restore Records 

Management, knowing exactly what 

information you are holding - and 

understanding how long each file needs 

to be kept - is the most powerful step 

that can be taken towards optimising a 

paper inventory. 

This often allows for significant numbers 

of boxes to be securely destroyed, which 

in turn reduces storage costs and lowers 

the number of files which will require 

scanning for digital transformation when 

the time is right. This is especially true 

when the files which are being retained 

are barcoded and tracked, allowing for 

faster retrieval. 

One outstanding example of how this 

process works, and how it delivers 

positive outcomes, is currently underway 

at the Department for Work and 

Pensions (DWP), the UK's biggest public 

service department. 

The DWP is a ministerial department 

supported by 13 agencies and public 

bodies, tasked with administering the 

State Pension and a range of working age, 

disability and ill health benefits to around 

20 million claimants and customers. As 

such, it holds a vast inventory of records 

and has been working diligently over a 

number of years to audit and optimise 

those records. 

Restore Records Management first 

began working with the DWP in June 

2021, having won a tender for the onsite 

auditing and reduction of their 

10 




CASE STUDY: DWP Dm 

inventory consisting of over 27 million 

files. This process was a huge success 

and completed in February 2023. Now, 

as a part of a new three-year project and 

fully out-sourced solution, Restore 

Records Management is currently 

transferring DWP's remaining inventory - 

(over 13 million files) from their current 

location at Heywood near Manchester, 

to a secure facility. 

TRUSTED THIRD PARTY 

This is the first time DWP records will be 

stored and managed by a third party. The 

contract includes over 600 file retrievals 

and returns per day, allowing the DWP to 

access information on demand. 

Secure destruction services are also being 

provided in line with DWP's retention 

policy, as part of an all-round solution 

that is helping to reduce costs and 

increase efficiency by ensuring files that 

do not have to be kept are destroyed, and 

those which are required most often are 

easily accessible. 

"This work extends and enhances our 

existing relationship with the Department 

for Work and Pensions," commented Nigel 

Dews, Managing Director at Restore 

Records Management. "Our flexible 

approach and ability to find solutions was 

key and it's an exciting project." 

SETTING THE SCENE 

The DWP's largest records management 

site, near Manchester, housed over 27 

million records and covered 28,000 sqm, 

including nine storage facilities. The site 

had been in use since the Second World 

War and had been managed by several 

different suppliers over that time. 

In 2021, the DWP requested a full audit 

and segregation of the holding in 

preparation for a move away from the 

site. It also needed to find a secure 

facility to store and manage its 

remaining records. 

It was clear that a new approach was 

required, one which offered a solution 

tailored to the DWP's requirements and 

which could be delivered within tight 

timescales to vacate the site by the end of 

February 2023. 

Using their extensive experience of 

handling large Government contracts, 

Restore Records Management presented a 

detailed project plan that showed how 

they could handle all stages of the 

contract - including validation, 

segregation, retention, destruction, and 

secure disposal: a full end-to-end solution. 

Within days of the contract award, 

Restore Records Management had 

established a presence at Heywood 

Stores, held staff briefings with all existing 

personnel and introduced new IT systems. 

The audit team was put together from 

existing key onsite staff with many years 

of experience of the DWP holding and 

Restore Records Management staff with 

experience of relocation projects. 

Phase one of the project involved an 

audit of 28.5 million files - including 

1.2 million boxes and 1.8 million 

barcodes. Every record needed to be 

touched, validated, and assessed for 

destruction, then either re-boxed or 

sent for secure destruction. 

Due to the volume of work and tight 

time scales this required the Restore 

Records Management team to create 

bespoke software that was user-friendly 

and would deliver efficient accurate 

processes. The software enabled them to 

check the status of all files and segregate 

the holding by account. Every file had to 

carry its own barcode which required 

1.8million files to be barcoded as part of 

the undertaking. 

The audit tool, developed in-house, took 

the decision making away from the user, 

directing them by using colour-coded 

prompts to move the record, whilst 

creating document tracking and work 

orders in the background. It took three 

months to build and test and went live 

within four months. 

STARTING THE AUDIT 

To hit the deadline Restore Records 

Management had a team of 120 people 

working around the clock. Day and night 

shifts were used to hit the required 

volumes and with limited processing areas 

the desks were in use for up to 16 hours 

per day across the shifts. 

The audit began in April 2022 with 50% 

of the destruction already identified and 

more being added during the process. 

The first pass destroyed almost 12 million 

records and was completed by the end of 

2022. A joint decision was then taken to 

re-process 3.5 million records and destroy 

a further 1.8 million to reach the goal of 

13.5 million destroyed. 

In total over 2,200 tonnes of confidential 

waste was removed from site to be 

securely processed by sister company 

Restore Datashred. 

Daily and weekly review meetings took 

place to ensure volumes were being hit 

on track to meet the deadline. The target 

was 170,000 touches a day. The tool 

created enabled Restore Records 

Management to develop their own 

reports which were used internally and to 

feed progress back to DWP. 

Whilst the audit was taking place, the 

site was still open for business-as-usual 

requests. Every record was fully tracked 

throughout so that it could be picked if 

required by the client. Over 300 records a 

day were requested and 100% were 

delivered within strict SLA rules. 

THE BIG MOVE, AND BEYOND 

During the second stage more than 

270,000 boxes were moved into the new 

facility. The ongoing contract now sees 

over 600 file retrievals and returns per 

day, allowing the DWP to access their 

records on demand. 

All boxes are now fully validated, 

segregated, and consolidated to a smaller 

footprint delivering further cost savings 

for the DWP. A dedicated and experienced 

team from Restore Records Management 

has been supplied, focusing on delivery, 

timescales and budget. 

This is a good example of how a 

'Relentlessly Resourceful' records 

management partner brings value. 

Restore Records Management created 

bespoke technology and the team worked 

around the clock to achieve optimum 

results for the client. 

In total, 28.5m files have been audited 

and there have been 13.5m destructions: 

a happy and positive ending for all, 

delivering long-term cost savings and 

optimisation of records for the DWP. 

More info: www.restore.co.uk/records 




11

Dm COMPANY UPDATE: DOCUWARE 

Empowering businesses to digitise 

and automate 

David Malan, Sales Director UK&I, DocuWare, explains how 

the company's products are helping user organisations to 

innovate and grow 

Every leader knows that remote 

work has become a necessity 

across many industries. As a 

result, many business leaders are now 

prioritising digitisation and automation 

to ensure efficient and compliant 

operations and this has led to an 

increased demand for Document 

Management Systems. Solutions which 

address this have become an essential 

tool for businesses to provide secure 

and immediate access to data all the 

while ensuring compliance and 

business continuity. 

REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES 

Modern-day organisations face 

recurring daily challenges: 

1. Managing information is challenging 

as content is ubiquitous. Workers are 

inundated with email, paper files, and 

other forms of data that can complicate 

simple processes. 

2. Asking individuals to do more with 

fewer resources is not sustainable. 

Employees are continuously being 

stretched to the limit, and finding the 

time and budget to complete tasks is 

an ongoing challenge. 

3. The task of ensuring security and 

compliance is an ongoing challenge as 

information can be lost, security can be 

breached, and compliance may falter. 

Therefore, closing these gaps is a 

perpetual battle that never truly ends. 

4. Finally, enterprise software can be 

costly or require high technical 

expertise for both implementing and 

integrating with existing software. 

Business must therefore invest valuable 

time in researching an ECM that is userfriendly 

and efficient. A low-tech 

solution should be selected in order to 

allow speedy implementation, user 

adoption and software integrations 

that do not drain a possibly small IT 

department. 

There is a lot of room for this market to 

grow - according to Gartner, there is a 

$10 billion market potential for 

document management and workflow 

automation providers who can offer 

assistance to customers in organising 

information, facilitating employee 

efficiency, and enhancing security. 

DocuWare stands out in this market 

due to its ability to deliver exactly what 

businesses need through its expert 

dealer network. 

As a trusted provider of document 

management and automation solutions, 

DocuWare solutions are also easily and 

quickly deployed on-premises, in the 

cloud, or in a hybrid application. With 

over 17,000 customers in more than 

100 countries, DocuWare is recognised 

by customers, partners, and market 

analysis firms like Gartner and Nucleus 

as a reputable and secure solution for 

workflow automation and document 

management. 

As a pioneer in cloud-based document 

management and storage solutions, 

DocuWare has been leading the 

industry for many years. DocuWare 

software is designed to be easy to use 

and install, making it a popular choice 

for both small and large enterprises. 

DocuWare offers flexible procurement 

options, allowing businesses to start 

with small quantities and expand as 

needed for broader implementation. 

This feature is particularly appealing to 

small and medium-sized enterprises 

looking for scalable, flexible, and secure 

solutions to enhance their productivity 

and profitability. 

DocuWare is a leading provider in the 

ECM space and relies heavily on its 

extensive global network of 

partners/resellers. These locally based 

partners provide their customers with 

specialised technical assistance and 

professional services throughout their 

digital transformation journey. 

A TRUSTED PARTNER 

THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY 

The modern workplace has transformed 

in unprecedented ways, driving 

12 




COMPANY UPDATE: DOCUWARE Dm 

"THE MODERN WORKPLACE HAS TRANSFORMED IN UNPRECEDENTED WAYS, DRIVING BUSINESSES TO 

URGENTLY DIGITISE CORE PROCESSES. DEALERS OFFERING DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ARE WELL 

POSITIONED TO HELP ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF THIS NEW BUSINESS CLIMATE. THE GROWING REMOTE 

WORKFORCE HAS ACCELERATED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE NEED FOR REMOTE ACCESS TO FILES 

AND WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT. WHILE MOST LARGER ENTERPRISES HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED 

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, MANY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES ARE STILL PLAYING 

CATCH-UP, CREATING AN IDEAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW PARTNERS TO ENTER THIS SPACE AND MEET 

THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR DIGITAL SOLUTIONS." 

businesses to urgently digitise core 

processes. Dealers offering document 

management solutions are well 

positioned to help address the 

challenges of this new business 

climate. The growing remote 

workforce has accelerated digital 

transformation and the need for 

remote access to files and workflow 

management. 

While most larger enterprises have 

already implemented document 

management solutions, many small and 

medium-sized businesses are still 

playing catch-up, creating an ideal 

growth opportunity for new partners to 

enter this space and meet the 

increasing demand for digital solutions. 

DocuWare's 800-strong network of 

authorised dealers is well-prepared to 

fulfil this increasing demand and this 

is largely due to the way DocuWare 

provides support and training for 

them. The company takes great pride 

in its outstanding program that offers 

support to its dealers. DocuWare's 

partner onboarding program makes it 

clear from the start that it is more 

than just a partnership; it is a 

collaborative effort that involves both 

parties working equally hard to 

achieve success. 

Within the first 90 days of partnering 

with a specific dealer DocuWare 

designs a tailored marketing and 

growth plan, which they then assist 

the dealership in implementing. This 

includes providing sales and 

implementation training, as well as 

certification opportunities. 

Additionally, DocuWare actively 

engages in selling alongside its dealers, 

offering behind-the-scenes and in the 

field expertise to help them earn the 

trust of their customers. DocuWare 

places great importance on the 

reputation of its dealers in the industry 

and works closely with them every step 

of the way. 

The dealer training program for 

DocuWare focuses on lead generation 

and customer events to fill the funnel, 

as well as coaching on solution selling. 

This involves demonstrating, 

consulting, and communicating 

valuable solutions to customers and 

helping them realise the benefits. In 

addition, the program provides 

detailed training on the back-end 

implementation and support of the 

solutions. 

While having a dedicated sales 

representative is not required for 

dealerships adopting DocuWare 

solutions, it is the quickest route to 

sustainable success. Building sales and 

implementation competency is crucial 

for the sales processes and result in 

credibility with customers and enable 

long-term growth. DocuWare's partner 

program supports dealers throughout 

the entire life cycle, with its sales and 

Professional Services teams guiding 

partners until they become selfsufficient, 

and continuing to offer 

assistance as needed thereafter. 

The swift deployment capabilities of 

DocuWare's cloud-based solutions 

enables dealers to cater to more 

customers, leading to increased 

profitability in the form of recurring 

revenues. Moreover, DocuWare partners 

can avail themselves of unlimited sales 

and expansion prospects, while 

enabling their clients to boost 

operational efficiency and productivity. 

DocuWare offers turnkey training plans, 

ongoing training and support 

programs, and a range of marketing 

tools to its partners in the region. 

DELIVERING FUTURE GROWTH & 

INNOVATION 

The growing demand for technologies 

that digitise and automate processes is 

expected to continue and DocuWare is 

at the forefront delivering best-in-class 

solutions globally. 

Moving forward, DocuWare intends 

to sustain its competitive advantage 

and broaden its global presence by 

continuing to invest in its partners and 

its product to better meet the needs of 

businesses worldwide. 

More info: www.docuware.com 




13

Dm ANALYSIS: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 

A pivotal moment 

A closer look at AIIM's latest report on the intelligent information 

management industry, in advance of June's AIIM Forum Europe 

The world has changed since AIIM 

published its State of the Intelligent 

Information Management Industry 

research findings in 2018. The global 

pandemic accelerated the digital 

transformation revolution (the process of 

streamlining a company's core operations 

and customer value propositions using 

technology), with organisations and 

employees of all sizes and sectors having to 

embrace new technologies and ways of 

working. Now AIIM has published its latest 

report, and it is evident that the intelligent 

information management industry is at a 

pivotal moment in its history. 

Back in 2018, the title of the AIIM report 

was 'Getting Ahead of the Digital 

Transformation Curve.' Few could have 

predicted how steep that curve was to 

become in the following 12 months. 

Therefore, it is not surprising that in 2023 

almost two-thirds (65%) of organisations 

polled have reportedly achieved significant 

digital transformation, up from 46% in the 

pre-pandemic era in 2018. 

The average number of content systems in 

organisations has risen from 3.14 to 4.95 

over the last ten years. However, the 

majority of these systems (74%) are 

separate from other lines of business 

systems. In fact, only 26% of document, 

content, and records management 

systems integrate with other 

core applications, meaning 

many organisations fail to 

capitalise on the potential 

operations and resource efficiency benefits 

that can be derived from breaking away 

from a siloed approach to managing 

systems, information/data. 

Incidentally, the research also highlights an 

interesting nuance in perception between 

those working within the industry and 

those in the broader business community. 

When asked how to define the 'thing' that 

is being managed, governed, and 

leveraged, 45% of AIIM members 

responded 'information' compared to 40% 

of non-AIIM members stating 'data.' It is a 

subtle difference, but perhaps an indicator 

of the perceived value of what those of us 

in the industry recognise can provide 

meaningful and actionable insight for the 

broader enterprise. This may be attributed 

to the fact that in 2023 compliance is king 

and continues to be the main driver for 

information management. 

Inevitably, the obstacles blocking further 

digital transformation remain consistent, 

with key inhibitors being a lack of budget 

and resources, the lack of a strategy to 

manage information assets, and an 

immature digital culture within 

organisations. Despite this, the industry 

believes it is well prepared to rise to these 

challenges, with a wealth of 

experienced 

professionals. 

Almost 

half (44%) of respondents from the AIIM 

audience are age 45 or above, and 81% are 

confident that they have the prerequisite 

skills to achieve their goals. 

While only 14% of respondents were 

under 30 years of age, there is reason for 

optimism for the next generation of 

Intelligent Information Management 

Professionals, with 60% of respondents 

seeing information management as an 

attractive career choice. 

However, this confidence must be 

balanced with a need to be receptive to yet 

more change as new technologies evolve at 

pace. The research points out that many of 

the 'hottest' technologies that are making 

headlines (machine/computer vision, 

robotic process automation, process 

mining, and low-code/no-code 

development) are - rightly or wrongly - not 

being considered as part of the future of 

information management by many working 

in the industry today. 

Making the right choices hinges on being 

informed. Whether you are a seasoned 

practitioner or new to the industry, there is 

no better place than the AIIM Forum Europe 

to listen, network, and collaborate with 

peers to truly understand the impact new 

digital tools, technologies, and techniques 

could have on an organisation. This year, the 

AIIM Forum Europe takes place at the Grand 

Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, 

London, on 20th June 2023. 

More info: www.aiimforumeurope.com 


FULLY INTEGRATED DIGITAL 

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT 

FROM RICOH, DOCUMENT LOGISTIX AND LEMMANA 

… POWERED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 

AUTOMATION 

TO MAKE 

WORKING 

LIVES BETTER! 

BOOK A DEMONSTRATION 

WWW.DOCUMENT-LOGISTIX.COM 01908 366 388 INFO@DOCUMENT-LOGISTIX.COM

Dm APPLICATION FOCUS: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 

Keeping the customer satisfied 

Extract maximum value 

from your document 

management assets, 

argues Mark Baterip, 

Senior Consultant, 

Document Logistix, by 

centralising for CRM 

How quickly, widely and accurately 

information is accessible 

throughout an organisation can 

be critical for success. Slow responses 

and uncertain answers can be 

calamitous and lead to problems such as 

poor decision making, purchase 

abandonment and customer defection. 

The history of document management 

(DM) is fascinating. Setting cave 

paintings aside as an information 

repository, the most notable game 

changer was the filing cabinet. Edwin 

Siebel's invention in the late 19th 

century solved problems in a world 

facing document management disorder. 

For the next century, people at least 

knew where to look for documents. 

DM subsequently evolved through 

servers, the PC, search, scanning, the 

Cloud and smart devices. Today, the goal 

in DM is to find information according 

to 'what a thing is', and not to be 

limited to 'where it is located or stored'. 

CENTRALISED DATA BENEFITS 

EVERYONE 

Another core objective today should be 

the centralisation of documents. While 

DM was first installed in back-office 

environments such as Accounts, today 

the aim is to ensure integration so that 

DM works for and across all 

departments to benefit everyone, 

including customer-facing staff. 

When 'one version of the truth' is 

available instantly to stakeholders - 

across invoices, contracts, approvals, 

payments, complaints, comments and 

email correspondence - it provides a 

reliable foundation for excellent 

customer care. 

CUMBERSOME PROLIFERATION OF 

ADMIN SYSTEMS 

We saw the pandemic accelerate digital 

transformation for many reasons, from 

the need to facilitate remote working, to 

the need to generate cost efficiencies. 

However, we also saw the number of 

administrative systems deployed in a 

business rise to as many as 10 - which 

creates an additional problem. 

The proliferation of apps and systems 

means information becomes siloed as 

much as when documents were kept in 



APPLICATION FOCUS: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Dm 

"ANOTHER CORE OBJECTIVE TODAY SHOULD BE THE CENTRALISATION OF 

DOCUMENTS. WHILE DM WAS FIRST INSTALLED IN BACK-OFFICE 

ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ACCOUNTS, TODAY THE AIM IS TO ENSURE 

INTEGRATION SO THAT DM WORKS FOR AND ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS 

TO BENEFIT EVERYONE, INCLUDING CUSTOMER-FACING STAFF. WHEN ‘ONE 

VERSION OF THE TRUTH’ IS AVAILABLE INSTANTLY TO STAKEHOLDERS - 

ACROSS INVOICES, CONTRACTS, APPROVALS, PAYMENTS, COMPLAINTS, 

COMMENTS AND EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE - IT PROVIDES A RELIABLE 

FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENT CUSTOMER CARE." 

filing cabinets, which blights the lives 

of knowledge workers and customer 

service teams. The solution must 

involve centralisation and business 

systems integration. 

IMMEDIATE EXPECTATIONS 

We live in a world in which immediacy 

is a basic expectation. In bricks and 

mortar environments, the average time 

that shoppers are prepared to queue is 

only six minutes before they become 

agitated and potentially abandon their 

attempt to purchase (Source: IT News 

Online). People shopping or 

complaining online become similarly 

intolerant, and inefficient call centres 

stimulate many rants. 

Tolerance management is an important 

consideration in customer satisfaction 

strategy and a key aspect in generating 

loyalty. Organisations looking to gain an 

advantage over competitors know that 

providing excellent customer service is a 

defining factor. 

ACTIVE VS PASSIVE WAITING 

EXPERIENCES 

People are least tolerant when their 

waiting experience is a passive one, 

such as when standing in a queue. 

DM as a relationship management 

tool enables users to access a 

customer's, or an employee's, entire 

history to deal with issues or answer 

questions. 

With the benefit of text and 

document search functions, 

knowledge workers can engage 

actively and positively with staff, 

customers and suppliers. There is no 

danger of not being able to find 

information or any risk of duplicate 

document versions that could confuse 

the situation. 

A centralised DM system provides a 

time-stamped audit trail of activity, 

which empowers users, and also makes 

compliance audits simple to fulfill. 

DM CRUCIAL TO CRM 

When looking for ways to provide 

better customer service, you have 

probably considered staff training. 

While training can help achieve your 

goals, one system often overlooked is 

document management. 

Document management strategy is 

not just about improving 

organisational workflows; it is about 

boosting the performance of every 

business process. There are many ways 

in which DM increases satisfaction: 

Faster response times: Engage 

actively with staff and customers 

using the correct information. 

Greater cost efficiency: Efficient 

business processes improve productivity 

in every department. 

Maximise current assets: DM 

bridges multiple standalone systems. 

ROI on previous decisions. 

Fewer errors: Centralisation 

removes inconsistencies associated 

with multiple systems. Workflow 

automation reduces the risk of 

human error and oversights. 

Easier collaboration: Everyone has 

access to the same files, from any 

location. 

Your organisation has the power to 

turn its staff and customers into its 

greatest advocates or into its harshest 

critics. It all starts with how your 

engagement methods help to meet 

their needs. 

More info: 

www.document-logistix.com 




17

Dm TECHNOLOGY: DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT 

Optimising content processes with 

Digital Asset Management 

Wes Keller, Product Marketing Manager at Hyland, explains how the right digital 

asset management solutions can support an organisation's growth 

Businesses have always had a myriad 

of document management methods. 

Dating back to the first business in 

existence, there would have been one 

system or another in place to track 

important information. 

Modern companies are no different. 

From stacks of paper and filing cabinets, 

to the Cloud - every organisation has a 

way to manage the vast amounts of 

information they need access to on a dayto-day 

basis. With the 21st-century shift 

towards technology, 'documents' and 

'content' have become synonymous given 

the many digital forms that information 

now comes in. 

Content is the greatest asset in online 

marketing. Whether it's videos, photos, 

whitepapers, or brochures, content is 

crucial to the success of marketing 

campaigns for both products and services. 

It's a way to engage with and inform 

people, giving them not just the 

information they need, but an experience 

around it. 

Since their introduction, personalised 

omnichannel customer experiences have 

become increasingly important. These 

experiences demand more variety, and a 

higher quantity of content. This pressure is 

being felt across various industries. No 

matter the profession, more and more 

individuals have reported they were under 

pressure to create more content and 

streamline their digital asset management. 

With the increased demand to produce 

more digital content, there is a growing 

need to escalate efforts to manage, edit, 

and approve it. Organisations are now 

asking what key factors to consider when 

determining the best digital asset 

management (DAM) system. Simply storing 

content is no longer sufficient, systems 

now need to track and optimise content 

processes, too. 

So, what should someone be looking for 

when it comes to DAM? 

ONE SYSTEM FOR EVERYTHING 

Despite this abundance of content, 

departmental and creative teams often lack 

access to marketing materials. According to 

a recent study, more than half of 

employees search for their own company's 

logo on Google. Aside from contributing to 

a lack of brand consistency, this is an 

inefficient process. It also reveals an 

underlying operational issue. Having to 

Google the company logo suggests that 

most employees don't have access to the 

materials needed to do their job correctly. 

To address these issues and give 

businesses the opportunity to thrive in the 

marketplace, a central system for managing 

digital assets is needed. A streamlined DAM 

programme offers numerous benefits to 

advance the management process and 

prevent reliance on ineffective ad-hoc 

solutions such as emails and shared drives. 

Within an organisation, no two people 

will utilise content in the same way, nor will 

they need to access the same content. This 

has to be reflected in the software and 

processes that are integrated into a 

company's workings. Outdated legacy 

DAM products provide limited organisation 

techniques. These systems work, but don't 

promote optimal results and will often not 

scale with the business. Comparatively, 

bespoke cloud-based digital asset 

management systems offer many benefits 

to modern organisations. 

FIGHT THE SILOS 

There is an array of DAM software available 

to companies. Despite the vast quantity, 

many are 'off the shelf' solutions, designed 

to address the most basic concerns and 

offer unimaginative content storage 

functions. Generally, these solutions are 

designed for a single function within one 

area of the organisation. 

While these solutions address the 



TECHNOLOGY: DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT Dm 

"WITHIN AN ORGANISATION, NO TWO PEOPLE WILL UTILISE CONTENT IN THE SAME WAY, NOR WILL THEY NEED TO 

ACCESS THE SAME CONTENT. THIS HAS TO BE REFLECTED IN THE SOFTWARE AND PROCESSES THAT ARE INTEGRATED 

INTO A COMPANY'S WORKINGS. OUTDATED LEGACY DAM PRODUCTS PROVIDE LIMITED ORGANISATION TECHNIQUES. 

THESE SYSTEMS WORK, BUT DON'T PROMOTE OPTIMAL RESULTS AND WILL OFTEN NOT SCALE WITH THE BUSINESS." 

problems within that specific team, being 

limited to one functional area can also 

create a new challenge. For example, if the 

marketing department within an 

organisation launches a new product, they 

will create material specifically for that 

campaign. If the content is stored in their 

specific system or shared only over email, 

there is a risk that nobody else in the 

organisation will know where it is stored. 

Or worse still - they won't know that it 

even exists. 

If another department then does 

produce work on the same product, they 

will waste valuable time looking for the 

content, and likely will be unaware of its 

location. Alternatively, they spend time 

creating the same content without 

knowing it already exists, which is an 

inefficient way of working. 

This unproductive working method can 

also drive teams to create their own 

processes to manage the content they 

deem most valuable. This creates silos and 

renders the purchased DAM futile. It can 

also cause security risks, especially if any 

unsanctioned tools are used. These data 

and content silos not only make it difficult 

for the organisation to work proficiently, 

but they also create preventable costs 

through unnecessary duplication. 

Silos can even demotivate employees. 

Those who want to become creators 

themselves will be slowed down and 

discouraged by the inefficient way of 

working. Employees who share their work 

through social media platforms are 

valuable to the company, its products, and 

its services. The desire to become a creator 

needs to be nurtured, not stifled. 

Ultimately, searching for files is not the 

best use of an employee's time. Creative 

teams often waste hours searching for 

necessary materials in isolated folders, 

when they could be doing much more 

valuable work. DAM has emerged as a 

critical solution for eliminating search 

fatigue by enabling the company to 

store multiple creative assets in one 

searchable location. 

MORE THAN LOGOS & IMAGES 

The move from text to image and then to 

video is a great example of how to 

comprehend the evolution of media within 

the last few decades. Although text and 

images previously dominated, within 

recent years video has become the most 

popular form of content. It's now the goto 

method for conveying a message. 

Whether in the form of a quick Instagram 

story to make an announcement, a 

product demonstration, or a customer 

testimonial; all of these are frequently in 

video form and used as a quick and visual 

way to communicate with audiences. 

The exponential demand for digital 

content is fuelled by the expanding uses of 

rich media assets. These assets are no 

longer just for the purview of marketing 

teams and their consumers. Video 

messages are distributed internally 

throughout a multitude of organisations. 

These messages generate a more 

personalised experience to employees, 

helping to deliver the company's key 

messaging or provide health and safety 

training, for example. This means everyone 

in the business is aware of the 

organisation's messaging, and key values - 

and can be a brand ambassador for them. 

Despite the rise of video as a tool to 

educate and inform, older management 

systems are failing to keep up with the 

pace of change. Legacy brand 

management systems used during the 

time of logo and image domination are 

now completely overwhelmed when 

processing and organising large volumes 

of video files. The diversification of content 

requires solutions that can quickly and 

effectively manage a large quantity of 

media in various formats. 

INTEGRATION IS KEY 

DAM systems generally have an 

integrated solution, where it interacts 

with other applications rather than just 

providing the expected basic functions. 

This allows for media assets to be easily 

located when needed and enhances 

collaboration by authorising information 

to be pulled from other applications. It 

provides functionalities for content 

creation in addition to the workflow 

management tools. 

Some DAM systems operate as a 

platform, creating a foundation for 

building solutions and systems. Platforms 

permit multiple products, applications or 

integrated approaches to be built within 

the same technical framework. This fosters 

a streamlined and wider-ranging 

integration experience for processes and 

applications across an organisation. When 

determining the appropriate platform for 

an organisation, it is important to think of 

it not just as a technical solution, but as a 

business framework. 

When considering the integration of a 

DAM system, the longevity of the platform 

should be paramount. While video is still 

king of content, it's rise to the top only 

goes to show how quickly things can 

change. And how unprepared the 

outdated systems can be for this shift. 

Open-source DAM platforms, which 

provide increased scalability, will allow for 

growth and change. When you add new 

assets to the platform, you can create new 

features to enable user to discover and 

protect those files. Features such as this are 

critical to the lifespan of a platform. With 

the amount of content increasing and 

becoming more complex, you need a 

system that will support company growth 

and not hinder it. 

More info: www.hyland.com 




19

Dm ANALYSIS: INTELLIGENT DOCUMENT PROCESSING 

Finding new spaces to explore 

Alan Pelz-Sharpe, founder 

of Deep Analysis, argues 

that there is a world of 

untapped opportunities 

for Intelligent Document 

Processing outside of the 

Accounts Payable sphere 

In our briefings with IDP vendors, it often 

seems that every single one of the 300 

plus in the market focuses on accounts 

payable (AP), aka invoice processing. Indeed, 

there are a lot of invoices out there to be 

processed, but they are not the only 

documents that could do with some digital 

love. Countless other document-centric 

processes require help, but it also requires 

some imagination and effort to identify and 

address them. 

Thousands of manual paper-based 

processes that get little if any attention 

would benefit hugely from the advances 

we have seen in recent years in document 

processing and enterprise automation. We 

have worked with clients to identify 

untapped opportunities in diverse 

industries, from logistics, to construction to 

pharmaceuticals and beyond. And we 

advise all the vendors we speak to that they 

should look beyond the obvious and 

explore carving solid business in relative 

greenfield and new market opportunities. 

We are on the lookout for these 

opportunities all the time. 

FROM OLIVE OIL TO BLOCKCHAIN 

For example, I am picky about the honey 

and olive oil I buy. Not because I am a food 

snob, I enjoy my eggs and home fries at 

Vincenzo's luncheonette at the weekend, 

just as much as an occasional blow-out at 

nearby Irwin's. Rather it's because I was 

exposed to the inner workings of the 

international honey and olive oil supply 

chain a few years back. 

I discovered that much of the olive oil and 

honey sold in stores is not what it claims to 

be. The honey you buy may not be honey at 

all; there is a fair chance it is sugar syrup 

with some colourings and additives. The 

same applies to olive oil, such as cheap 

vegetable oil with colouring and additives. 

Nor is there any guarantee that the olive oil 

or honey, assuming it is the real deal, came 

from where it claims to come from. For 

example, extra virgin Italian olive oil may be 

produced in North Africa. 

It's a fraud, and it's fraud on a massive and 

global scale, generating billions in profit. A 

large part of stopping this from happening, 

or at least reducing the scale and better 


ANALYSIS: INTELLIGENT DOCUMENT PROCESSING Dm 




21

Dm ANALYSIS: INTELLIGENT DOCUMENT PROCESSING 

"IT'S STRAIGHTFORWARD, FUNDAMENTAL, CLOUD-BASED DOCUMENT 

MANAGEMENT. IT'S THE KIND OF THING OUR INDUSTRY HAS BEEN ABLE 

TO DO WITH EASE FOR OVER A DECADE. SO WHY DON'T PEOPLE DO IT? 

WHY DO THEY STILL RELY ON PAPER-BASED PROCESSES? THERE ARE 

MANY REASONS, AND IT'S BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE TO 

EXPLORE THEM, BUT OFTEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON IS THAT NOBODY 

TOLD THESE PEOPLE YOU COULD DO THIS. NO VENDOR HAS BOTHERED 

TO LOOK BEYOND THE SAME OLD BUSINESS PROBLEMS TO SEE WHAT 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE THAT THEY COULD FIX." 

policing the problem in the future is, at 

heart, an information management problem. 

Nothing will stop organised criminal groups 

or corrupt nations from committing fraud, 

but you can make it much harder to pull off 

and, in some cases, make it so complicated 

that it's not worth the effort. You may not 

care for honey or olive oil or feel there are 

more significant problems to solve. The issue 

of adulterated or fake products is much 

bigger than that of high-end honey and oil. 

It spans almost every product that sells at a 

premium, such as lifesaving medication. 

The projects I advised on were technical 

proof of concepts: the importation of 

organic honey from South America, and olive 

oil shipping to the US from the south of Italy. 

From a technical standpoint, the POCs 

leveraged blockchain, cloud, and IoT. The 

goal was to prove provenance (where this 

product came from and its journey to the 

shelf) and the validity of the product; it is 

what it says it is. 

For what it's worth these POCs were a 

resounding success in proving the 

provenance of the products, but the validity 

problem was only partly resolved. However, 

in hindsight, validity was the easier part of 

the equation. Organic honey, for example, 

comes from certified organic hives and 

beekeepers at an industrial scale; that's a lot 

of hives and certifications. Internationally, as 

of today, almost all that documentation trail 

back to the local farmers and beekeepers is 

paper-based and manual. 

You make it all digital from start to finish. 

Still, even if the original certification is paperbased, 

we know you could scan that on a 

cellphone, upload it to a secure, shared 

folder in the cloud, and immediately improve 

the situation. You could go further and add 

some document capture software to analyse 

the certification; you could even create a 

blockchain hash and ensure the new files are 

immutable. It's straightforward, fundamental, 

cloud-based document management. It's the 

kind of thing our industry has been able to 

do with ease for over a decade. So why don't 

people do it? Why do they still rely on paperbased 

processes? 

LOOKING PAST THE OBVIOUS 

There are many reasons, and it's beyond the 

scope of this article to explore them, but 

often the number one reason is that nobody 

told these people you could do this. No 

vendor has bothered to look beyond the 

same old business problems to see what 

new opportunities are out there that they 

could fix. 

With a flooded technology market, it 

should be said, with excellent document 

processing and automation tools, to survive, 

many of these startups need to look beyond 

the obvious and forge business paths 

elsewhere. In doing so, they will do both 

themselves and the world a favour. To be 

clear, it's not that the world as a whole has 

automated AP effectively and that this is a 

solved problem. Opportunities are to be had, 

but they are highly competitive to win. 

Everyone from IBM & Microsoft, through 

Appian, UIPath, and Hyperscience, to the 

traditional document capture vendors are 

highly active in the AP space. But there are 

countless other spaces to explore, new 

markets, new geographies, and yet-to-beuncovered 

opportunities. You certainly need 

to do your homework if you want to explore 

branching out beyond the norm. But 

whether you work with us to do that or do it 

yourself, it is well worth the effort. 

So if you are interested in exploring the 

automation and IDP markets and options 

beyond the norm, consider buying a copy of 

our Intelligent Document Processing Market 

Analysis Report, or just give us a call and 

have to chat to see if we can help. 

More info: www.deep-analysis.net 


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Dm AWARDS: IRMS 

Britain's got talent 

IRMS award winners demonstrate the talent and innovation of UK 

Information and Records Management professionals 

The Cabinet Office, Wellcome Trust 

and Oyster IMS were among the 

winners of prestigious annual awards 

presented by the Information and Records 

Management Society (IRMS) in 

Manchester in May. 

Each year the IRMS recognises excellence 

in the field of information management 

through its industry awards, recognising 

those who have made a significant 

contribution to the profession over the last 

12 months. This year's awards were 

presented at a glittering ceremony that also 

celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 

IRMS, and which formed the centrepiece of 

the organisation's annual conference at 

Manchester's Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. 

This year, the Innovation of the Year Award 

rewards the work of the Digital Knowledge 

and Information Management Team at the 

Cabinet Office, in preparing and 

implementing its digital preservation 

solution. Using a purpose built and trusted 

Active Digital Preservation solution, the 

team has been able to ingest critical longterm 

records, protecting integrity and 

ensuring their discoverability and readability 

over decades. 

The Team of the Year is the Information 

Governance team at Wellcome Trust, a 

charitable foundation based in London, 

focused on health research. The team has 

delivered achievements in physical and 

digital storage, information risk 

management, as well as establishing a 

wider recognition of information 

governance needs across the entire 

organisation. 

As well as team performances, the IRMS 

Awards acknowledge the achievement of 

individuals and the honour of being 

Information and Records Management 

Professional of the Year 2023 goes to 

Natali Higgins, Programme Lead - Records 

Management Code of Practice, The 

Scottish Government. 

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award 

was presented to Dr Paul Duller, an 

international information management 

specialist with more than 30 years' 

experience, with 15 years as part of the 

IRMS Executive Team (including four years 

as Chair). He also co-edited the IRMS 

Bulletin for 20 years, before retiring last 

year. As a tutor and Honorary Teaching 

Fellow in Archives and Records 

Management at the University of Dundee, 

Dr Duller has supervised and supported a 

myriad of students through their Masters 

training and research - and inspired a whole 

new generation to enter the profession. 

"In addition to the pleasure of recognising 

the lifetime achievement of one of my 

predecessors as IRMS Chair, it gives me 

immense satisfaction to see not only that 

we are attracting new talent to the industry, 

but that they are excelling in the field," 

states Reynold Leming, Chair of the IRMS. 

"On behalf of the IRMS I congratulate all of 

our worthy winners and thank them for 

their innovation, dedication and 

professionalism. They are true ambassadors 

for the information and records 

management industry, and it is our privilege 

to be able to shine the spotlight on them 

through the IRMS Awards." 

The full list of IRMS 2023 Award winners: 


Team of the Year 2023: Information 

Governance Team, Wellcome Trust 

Innovation of the Year 2023: Digital 

Knowledge and Information 

Management Team, Cabinet Office 

Supplier of the Year 2023: Oyster IMS 


Professional of the Year 2023: Natali 

Higgins 

Author of the Year 2023: Robert Bath 

Lifetime Achievement 2023: Dr Paul 

Duller 

Alison North Award for New 

Professionals 2023: Payton Kufeldt 

Special Recognition Award 2023: 

Elizabeth Barber 

Special Recognition Award 2023: Keith 

Batchelor 

Special Recognition Award 2023: Claire 

Archibald 

As well as an annual conference attracting 

more than 350 delegates, the IRMS offers 

professional accreditation available to all, 

produces a high-quality bimonthly industry 

magazine, and operates a network of 

geographic and special interest groups 

across the UK and Ireland. 

More info: www.irms.org.uk 


Dm EVENT: DM AWARDS 2023 

Sharing the success 

The DM Awards returns to London this November - here are the all-important dates 

for your diary and other details 

It may feel like Summer has barely 

begun, but here we are getting ready to 

open nominations for the 2023 DM 

Awards in November. As ever, the intention 

is to reward the technologies, tools, 

solutions - and the people - that showcase 

the very best in the document and content 

management industries. 

This year we want to highlight the 

Project of the Year categories as they are 

easily overlooked by companies who could 

well be contenders - entries in these 

categories are marked by our panel of 

independent judges (NB: If you wish to 

submit an entry for the Project of the Year 

categories, please send them direct to 

Abby at the below email address). Most of 

the other categories of course will still be 

decided by the most important people of 

all: you, the readers of Document 

Manager magazine and the clients of 

those companies big and small who will 

be competing for the top honours. 

DM editor David Tyler commented: "I'd 

really love to see more companies taking 

advantage of the marketing opportunity 

presented by the Project of the Year awards 

in particular this year: all we need is a case 

study or similar write-up of a successful 

project. One of the best ways of showing 

potential new clients what you're best at is 

by being recognised by our panel of expert 

judges as having done a good job for 

others. The number of entries tailed off a 

little during and after the pandemic, but as 

things have returned to normal it'd be 

great to see a really good selection of 

success stories from across the sector - 

don't be afraid to show off about your 

achievements!" 

Featuring more categories than ever 

before (full list in the next issue of DM!), 

this year's DM Awards allow companies 

from every sector of the industry to seek 

recognition for their efforts over the past 

12 months. The DM Awards 2023 timeline 

is as follows: 

26th June, nominations open 

8th September, nominations close 

18th September, finalists announced 

and voting opens 

3rd November, voting closes 

16th November, DM Awards ceremony 

If your organisation would like to be 

involved in sponsoring or otherwise 

supporting this leading industry event then 

please contact Abby Penn at the office on 

07861 682 066 or abby.penn@btc.co.uk. 

Be sure to get in soon, as these 

sponsorship slots always sell out fast! 

More info: www.dmawards.com 


AIIM FORUM EUROPE 

INTELLIGENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 

20TH JUNE 2023 

GRAND CONNAUGHT ROOMS, LONDON 

Join the AIIM community 

Industry Watch: 

The Future of Information Management 

The world of information management 

is constantly evolving, and if you’re not 

up-to-date with the latest technology 

and techniques, you’ll quickly find 

yourself left behind. 

Our industry is at a crossroads with 

the maturity of AI and automation, 

democratisation of technology, and the 

ever-increasing volume, velocity, and 

variety of information. Based on the 

findings from the AIIM 2023 State of 

the Intelligent Information Management 

(IIM) Industry Survey a panel of experts 

will explore the latest trends and share 

these with you in our opening keynote 

discussion, debating what they mean 

for the future of our industry. 

Register online now to join us for 

this year’s AIIM Forum Europe, 

taking place on 20th June at the 

Grand Connaught Rooms, London. 

Places start at 

£150 

This includes access to the conference 

programme, innovation showcase, 

networking, lunch and refreshments 

www.aiimforumeurope.com 

Headline Sponsor 

Chaired by Dave Jones 

ECM expert with 25 

years’+ experience 

Panellist Tori Miller Liu 

CEO, AIIM 

Panellist Ron Cameron 

Board Chair, AIIM 

Plus expert panellist 

from PFU 

For more information on sponsorship opportunities please get in touch today: 

Deborah Ward-Johnstone | Deborah@revolution-events.com | 01892 820936

Dm STRATEGY: INFORMATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT 

The right combination 

With the recent launch of its newest fi-8040 scanner Ricoh 

epitomises the latest in digital document lifecycle 

management, says Andrew Cowling, Channel Marketing 

Manager at PFU (EMEA), a Ricoh company 

From digitising paper records and 

secure centralised data to automated 

workflows powered by artificial 

intelligence and machine learning, Ricoh, 

Document Logistix and Lemmana combine 

to provide the ultimate integrated 

document management solution. 

PFU has an impressive track record of 

innovation in the digitisation space that 

was taken to the next level with the launch 

of the Ricoh fi-8040 in May 2023. The new 

scanner offers multiple ways to connect to 

business workflows and delivers a highly 

intuitive user experience - with or without 

a PC or server. 

The fi-8040 'DirectScan' function enables 

operators to scan directly into business 

workflows and save time and money. The 

unit provides unsurpassed image quality 

and facilitates dissemination to multiple 

locations, including emails. 

Hiroaki Kashiwagi, President and CEO of 

PFU (EMEA) Limited said of the launch: 

"Our aim with the Ricoh fi-8040 scanner is 

to offer a flexible connected solution that 

breaks down barriers for organisations 

looking to find new, more efficient ways to 

scan directly into workflows." 

FAST, ACCURATE BUREAU 

DEPENDABLES 

Jason Field, Document Logistix, 

commented: "PFU scanners have powered 

our in-house bureau for many years and 

enable us to scan millions of documents 

annually, to help organisations to digitise 

paper archives, and to capture and store 

paper used in daily operations. The 

accuracy of PFU scanners enables us to 

capture data with such clarity that keyword 

searches rarely fail later on in the 

document management process. 

"The latest scanners have built-in 

efficiency functions that take digitisation 

speeds to a whole new level. Our bureau 

staff have enormous regard for their easeof-use 

and ability to batch-scan mixed 

substrates. Together with Lemmana's 

progressive data handling, we are able to 

provide a uniquely integrated document 

management solution with our system, 

Document Manager, at the core." 

THE FUTURE OF DM IS AI 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine 

learning (ML) are constantly in the news in 

many spheres, notably in security 

applications, the finance sector and 

medicine. It's fair to say that the 

emergence of AI in the world of document 

management is new and, as yet, not 

widely understood. 

The key drivers for implementing AI in 

document and data management are 

enhanced automation, increased process 

efficiency, and optimised accuracy. In 

combination, these critical drivers 

eliminate error and provide a platform 

for reliable business process 

management automation. 

Ben Davies of Lemmana explains: "In brief, 

AI enables a document to be indexed and 

classified based on its content or layout 

and metadata captured such as customer 

number, invoice number, name, date, 

address, car registration, or any other 

preferred data. ML means that the 

customer can train documents to achieve 

maximum routing accuracy, be it to a 



STRATEGY: INFORMATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT Dm 

standard departmental workflow, broader 

dissemination or an exception alert. 

"My challenge is to explain the powerful 

new possibilities presented by AI and ML. 

As a rule, it is a complicated matter for 

companies to overhaul their business 

processes and document workflows. 

However, the latest in automation 

technology means that workflow re-design 

can be achieved quickly and reliably." 

SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX DOCUMENT 

CHALLENGES 

The Covid-19 pandemic sped up digital 

transformation agendas and some 

departments faced particular challenges. 

HR teams came into the spotlight when 

called upon to help employees concerned 

about their livelihoods as well as business 

leaders attempting to cope with 

unprecedented disruption. 

Many HR professionals felt digitally 

under-prepared to perform as effectively 

as they would have liked, notwithstanding 

the fact that HR already faces arguably 

the most complex document 

management and compliance challenges. 

Today, HR is among many departments 

embracing digitisation and automation to 

advance critical business objectives such 

as workforce engagement, talent 

acquisition and efficient compliance, 

along with historical imperatives such as 

cost reduction. 

EMBED BEST PRACTICE IN 

DEPARTMENTAL WORKFLOWS 

Another important benefit of automation 

and digital workflows is that organisations 

can embed policies and best practice to 

ensure that data and documents are 

routed and processed securely within and 

across all departments, from back-office 

finance, payroll and HR, to front office 

procurement and customer service. 

AUTOMATED RETENTION & PURGE 

A centralised data management hub 

automatically enables you to retain and 

purge data for and at prescribed periods, 

according to category, to meet data 

compliance regulations. In addition, to 

reinforce GDPR compliance, redaction 

(data masking) and encryption ensure that 

noone's data privacy is breached 

accidentally. As with any data in Document 

Manager, automated alerts are sent when 

a threshold or milestone is reached - so no 

task is overlooked, be it a payment, 

scheduled maintenance, an essential order, 

or a mandatory data purge date. 

DON'T LET PAST PRACTICE STAND IN 

THE WAY OF PROGRESS 

Organisations are naturally concerned 

about the seeming complexity of 

committing fully to digital processes. 

However, migrating paper archives and 

integration with your organisation's current 

systems is crucial to deliver a collection of 

individual services, such as document 

ingestion, access controls, comprehensive 

search, data retention and publishing 

features. The new breed of content services 

contains a set of microservices as an 

integrated suite to accommodate users 

throughout the organisation. 

More info: pfu-emea.ricoh.com 




29

Dm OPINION: CLOUD 

Cloud computing as the engine 

of digital transformation 

A modern content management approach means cloud 

content services, argues David Littler, General Manager, 

enChoice UK 

It is no coincidence that digital 

transformation and cloud computing 

have taken hold of enterprise 

technology agendas almost in parallel. 

They are codependent and mutually 

enabling in ways that have driven 

unprecedented progress. 

It's a relationship worth taking a moment 

to consider. While the term "digital 

transformation" has become so ingrained 

in our vernacular that it is now almost a 

blanket descriptor of progress, at its core 

the term marks a real and fundamental 

shift in how we all manage information 

and information-based processes. It 

represents the seismic shift from the 

analogue to the digital; from the physical 

to the virtual; from manual processes to 

automated processes. 

Few have questioned the inherent value 

and inevitability of digital transformation, 

but we have all grappled with the new sets 

of challenges it presents. It is common for 

businesses and government organisations 

to become so excessively engrossed in 

addressing technical and infrastructure 

requirements during their digital 

transformation journey, that they can lose 

sight of their larger goal of achieving 

customer-centric outcomes. 

It comes as no surprise then, that cloud 

computing has revolutionised the pace 

and scope of digital transformation in our 

world. Providers such as Amazon AWS and 

Microsoft Azure have invested eyewatering 

amounts of time to solve the 

infrastructure challenges of digital 

transformation through public and private 

virtual cloud offerings. And a next 

generation of solution and application 

providers has emerged to help enterprises 

adopt and fully leverage the value of these 

cloud offerings. 

REALITY CHECK 

The lockdown and remote working 

necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic 

were also an unexpected reality check for 

organisations of all sizes. In a sense, the 

global health crisis has served as a catalyst 

for establishing the value and flexibility of 

cloud computing and has led to more and 

more organisations charting the course for 

their journeys toward cloud computing 

and digital transformation. 

Many of the conversations about cloud 

computing in the past were focused on 

leveraging modern infrastructure for 

quicker innovation, faster time to market 

and cost optimisation. However, the 

pandemic has brought additional factors 

into focus to allow for more resilient 

business functions. These factors include 

flexible computing power, high 

availability, disaster recovery, costeffectiveness 

in backup and DR, a robust 

core for business processes and 

continuity, the risk associated with legacy 

skills, remote workforce management, a 

safe transition back to the workplace, and 

business agility. 

Enterprises have overcome initial 

concerns over cloud security, regulation, 

and cost to embrace the migration of their 

computing power and data storage needs. 

This shift to the cloud is, in turn, enabling 

digital transformation and the adoption of 

digitally enabled business models, across 

all sectors. 

Content is at the heart of digital 

transformation, not only in the 

management of the information assets 

that drives decision making, but also 

because it supports more advanced 

functions associated with transformation, 

such as personalisation and artificial 

intelligence initiatives. 

One of the main tasks in digitally 

transforming a business is moving existing 

data to digital formats. The sheer volume 

of documents and content has driven the 

need to manage and store the 

information, as well as to make it available 

and usable. A modern content 

management strategy is crucial to meeting 

these digital transformation objectives. 

DEMOCRATISATION OF CONTENT 

As demands for collaboration capabilities 

increase and content becomes more 

digital, the ability to provide simple, 

secure, and seamless access to content is 

crucial to driving business success. It is vital 

that the democratisation of content and 

data enables everybody in an organisation, 

irrespective of their technical know-how, 

to work with data comfortably, to feel 

confident talking about it, and as a result, 

make data-informed decisions and build 

customer experiences powered by data. 

Cloud content services simplify access, 

content creation, and processing, 

streamlining the experience of interacting 

with content for all stakeholders. A 



OPINION: CLOUD Dm 

modern content management approach 

means cloud content services. 

Information has unique characteristics 

that can render it an asset or a liability, 

depending on how it's governed and 

managed - and the ubiquity and 

accessibility of cloud-based information 

magnifies those effects. Consolidating 

multiple legacy content systems to the 

cloud and/or integrating transactional 

platforms with your content repositories 

can become complex and risky without an 

, information management process that 

includes data curation and hygiene. 

Strategic information governance is a 

key enabler to tactical cloud content 

management. When strategically 

planned, the cloud can empower an 

organisation with greater access to more 

actionable information and give your 

content greater value. 

Information governance-based content 

management forces organisations to 

manage content across the information 

lifecycle to ensure the authenticity, 

reliability, and integrity of documents 

and records, delivering content to 

authorised users only. This approach 

results in secure managed access, 

ensuring that the sharing and use of 

content is within established governance 

rules and processes. 

Cloud-based enterprise content services 

are designed to be integrated into core 

business processes. This integration 

should deliver centralised information 

management and governance while 

ensuring that content is made available 

through integration into enterprise 

applications to empower decision making 

at each stage of the process, while 

helping to automate previously manual 

process steps. 

NO MORE RIP-AND-REPLACE 

Integration-ready content management 

systems, and the ability to migrate existing 

systems, moves businesses forward faster 

by utilising applications and processes 

already in place. This avoids a complete 

'rip-and-replace' approach while increasing 

efficiencies by bringing all existing systems 

and workflows into one consolidated 

content archive. 

The back-end integration of digitised 

content, acting as an extension of existing 

business logic, combined with front-end 

flexibility in how digital content is created 

and presented, allows content to be 

delivered to decision makers in a way that 

achieves greater operational efficiency. 

This delivery takes place on the channels 

customers are currently using. 

Machine learning and AI are enabling 

cloud content management systems to 

become smarter. AI shines when it comes 

to understanding vast pools of data and 

automating routine tasks. Machine 

learning has long been driving content 

management innovation with technologyassisted 

review tools, helping analyse 

content to identify its sentiment and 

overall tone, automating content 

categorisation, text labelling and keyword 

extraction. AI can improve the efficiency 

of business processes, saving time, money 

and reducing human error. Using smart 

content analysis and categorisation frees 

up users to focus on more productive 

activities. This makes it an invaluable tool 

to enhance content management services 

and accelerate digital transformation. 

Cloud service pricing has evolved to 

support the adoption of digital 

transformation strategies. With more 

flexible and customer-centric approaches, 

establishing the cloud as a strategic tool 

for providing an agile platform to develop 

solutions faster, with no capital 

expenditure for IT infrastructure. 

In summary then, a modern cloud-based 

enterprise content management system 

should support: 

Scalability: Any cloud-based platform 

should be able to scale to meet changing 

demands and requirements. 

Enterprise-grade security controls: 

Industry-leading security and compliance 

practices with roles and capabilities 

that control what functionality is 

available to users and groups. 

Regulatory compliance: Integrated 

records management capabilities to 

protect valuable business content at 

every stage of its life. With governance-centric 

functionality to ensure 

content is maintained or destroyed in 

an auditable and compliant way. 

Commercial flexibility: Paying for what 

you use, as you use it. Enabling you to 

manage the costs as a simple, predictable 

operating expense, not a timeconsuming, 

capital expense exercise. 

Automation and classification: automatically 

classify, categorise and store 

newly added information as part of 

your governance-based enterprise content 

management process. 

User-centricity: Delivering a customised 

and personalised user experience with 

embedded mobility and consistency 

across devices. 

Powerful search and discovery: quickly 

find the exact document you're looking 

for, whether there are thousands of 

files, or hundreds of millions of files in 

your content management system. 

Automatic refreshment: Inclusive product 

upgrades ensuring you receive the 

latest releases as part of the service. 

As we have outlined, digital 

transformation starts with an effective 

content management platform. 

Knowledge Capture by enChoice is a 

cloud-based content management 

platform that enables you to take full 

advantage of the information and 

knowledge embedded in your content 

across your organisation. 

Knowledge Capture captures, classifies, 

and automates business content, creating 

value from information that was 

previously unstructured and unavailable. 

Integrated information governance 

automates the entire information lifecycle 

from capture through to final destruction, 

with no intervention from users needed. 

Knowledge Capture takes a flexible 

consumption-based approach to pricing 

with a tiered model offering multiple 

"packages", with different combinations of 

features offered at different price points. 

Each tier is designed around the needs 

(and budget) of distinct customer types. 

The inclusive pricing model comprises the 

Knowledge Management cloud service, 

consumption packages based on monthly 

activity, on-boarding, and ongoing service 

management and support. 

More info: www.enchoice.co.uk 




31

Dm STRATEGY: STORAGE 

Mastering modern data storage 

Eric Bassier, Senior Director Products, Quantum, offers some useful strategies 

for navigating today's data landscape 

The growth in the creation, storage, 

and management of data has 

become so large that the associated 

numbers are increasingly hard to 

comprehend. To illustrate, the total 

amount of data created, captured, copied, 

and consumed globally is expected to 

exceed 180 zettabytes by 2025 - a figure 

so enormous that, in 'old money', it 

represents the equivalent of around 39 

trillion DVDs. 

It's no wonder, therefore, that data has 

also become such a valuable and 

important commodity. Together with the 

financial implications, however, comes the 

accompanying risk factors and for many 

organisations, harnessing and managing 

their data presents some huge - and 

sometimes insurmountable - challenges. 

Yet, in the contemporary business 

context, realising the intrinsic and latent 

value of data has become one of today's 

mission-critical priorities in the fight to 

stay relevant in rapidly changing markets. 

For each organisation, addressing the 

opportunities that the effective 

exploitation of data can bring is grounded 

on developing a clear understanding of 

what datasets they create and collect, how 

often they need to access them, and how 

long they need to retain them. 

As a result, the storage strategy any 

organisation adopts is crucial to meeting 

both data and wider business objectives. 

Without an effective 

approach, however, deriving full value 

from data that's improperly stored and 

secured is impractical and frequently 

impossible. 

THE ROLE OF STRUCTURED AND 

UNSTRUCTURED DATA 

In defining what is required within any 

storage solution, every organisation first 

needs to understand the volume and 

proportion of structured and unstructured 

data it holds. Unstructured data, such as 

the ubiquitous creation and retention of 

video and image files, now make up the 

lion's share of data generated by most 

modern organisations on a daily basis. As 

a result, it consumes the most storage 

capacity and resources - a trend which is 

set to grow further, with 80% of the 

world's data expected to be unstructured 

within the next two years. 

The next big question is how much of 

the data an organisation is generating can 

and should be archived for longer-term 

retention, for security purposes, or to 

meet compliance obligations - and for 

what period of time. Moreover, what 

impact does this approach have on the 

ability of an organisation to use archived 

data for analytics down the line? Be in no 

doubt, these variables should have a direct 

impact on what type of storage is used 

and how much capacity 

must be allocated to each use case. 

ASSESSING NEEDS AND SELECTING 

THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS 

The obvious question to consider at this 

stage is how can an understanding of 

these points help inform the choice of 

storage solutions. Complicating the 

process is the sheer number of options 

available, and from on-premises solutions 

to outsourced cloud services or a hybrid 

approach, every organisation has 

important choices to make. Despite the 

challenges this situation can create, there 

are some unifying ideas to consider: 

Firstly, performing a comprehensive data 

audit and analysis exercise can help fully 

reveal what kind of data each organisation 

generates and collects, how they should 

retain it, and over what timescale. Not 

only does this help identify what datasets 

exist, but it also helps teams understand 

more about the quality of data they hold 

and how to maximise its accuracy and 

efficacy. Without having full confidence in 

the integrity and validity of data, 

organisations are, by default, introducing 

more risk into any data-led activities they 

undertake. 

Assuming that a data audit has been 

carried out and assets are generally in a 

32 




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Dm STRATEGY: STORAGE 

"IN THE CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS CONTEXT, REALISING THE INTRINSIC 

AND LATENT VALUE OF DATA HAS BECOME ONE OF TODAY'S MISSION- 

CRITICAL PRIORITIES IN THE FIGHT TO STAY RELEVANT IN RAPIDLY 

CHANGING MARKETS. FOR EACH ORGANISATION, ADDRESSING THE 

OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE EFFECTIVE EXPLOITATION OF DATA CAN BRING IS 

GROUNDED ON DEVELOPING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT 

DATASETS THEY CREATE AND COLLECT, HOW OFTEN THEY NEED TO ACCESS 

THEM, AND HOW LONG THEY NEED TO RETAIN THEM." 

good place, the next step is to consider 

where data should be stored based on 

each use case. A decision about storing 

data on-premises or in the cloud, for 

example, should be based on a range of 

criteria, including performance, cost, 

security, and compliance, among others. 

This can be seen very much as a 'horses 

for courses' argument, with nonpermanent 

workloads requiring highperformance 

access best suited to one of 

the public cloud providers. In contrast, 

more sensitive data such as that 

containing Personally Identifiable 

Information (PII), data that is subject to 

compliance requirements, or legacy data 

may be best located in on-premises 

environments. 

ON-PREMISES, CLOUD, OR HYBRID 

In each situation, organisations should 

evaluate the pros and cons of every option. 

While public cloud offers immense 

flexibility, for instance, some organisations 

have found it to be an expensive long-term 

option. In April this year, for example, 

OFCOM proposed referring the UK cloud 

market to the Competition and Markets 

Authority for investigation, one of the 

reasons being the "high fees for 

transferring data out." In its statement, 

OFCOM argues that "The cost of egress 

fees can discourage customers from using 

services from more than one cloud provider 

or to switch to an alternative provider." 

With these considerations addressed, 

data strategy decision-makers also need to 

look at issues such as the speed, security, 

and sustainability of the solutions on offer. 

For on-premises environments, this should 

focus on choosing the right backup 

solution, such as tape, disk, or a mix of 

technologies. The choice of technology 

and vendor will depend on data access 

needs, whether offline capabilities are 

required, and whether each product on 

the shortlist fits the available budget. 

For example, disk-based storage offers 

faster performance than tape, but in 

contrast, tape is more suited to air-gapped 

backup use cases where an extra layer of 

security is required by storing the data 

offline. In addition, tape also helps deliver 

better environmental performance 

because it requires less power, doesn't 

need as much cooling and, therefore, 

emits less CO2 than disk-based storage. 

Disk or Solid State Drive (SSD) solutions, 

in contrast, offer much faster read/write 

speeds than tape systems while offering 

easier data mobility and integration 

options. As a result of these various pros 

and cons, many organisations opt for a 

combination of multiple technologies to 

match their specific needs relating to each 

business requirement and dataset. 

Ultimately, the choice of storage 

technology is an issue that should be kept 

under regular review, not least because of 

the speed of innovation, which continues 

to drive product and service 

development forward. For instance, the 

emergence of software-defined all-flash 

storage platforms designed for the 

enterprise is giving organisations the 

ability to implement cloud-native file and 

object storage software without the 

constraints associated with legacy 

hardware-centric systems. 

STORAGE IN THE ERA OF BIG DATA 

Given that more than double the amount 

of data will be created in the next five 

years than was in the previous ten, 

according to IDC, most enterprises 

continue to store this data on systems that 

were designed 20 years ago. Many of 

these technologies can't take advantage of 

the latest flash and memory technologies 

available today, while even more recent allflash 

file and object storage solutions rely 

on specialised hardware and won't run 

natively in the cloud, leading to trade-offs, 

compromises, and complexity. 

Whatever their priorities, organisations 

must carefully consider their unique data 

storage needs, taking into account the 

volume and type of data, compliance 

requirements, and performance demands. 

Get it right, and a well-planned storage 

strategy can help organisations effectively 

manage and secure their data whilst 

staying agile in a rapidly evolving 

technology and business landscape. 

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