One of the biggest items on my list of projects is to organize my company's files into some sort of system. Initially, they told me they wanted to "go paperless." After asking some probing questions, I realized that what they really meant was "get organized." I'm still figuring out what exactly to call this project: Document Control System, Content Management System, or something else? Once I get a grip on what type of information we have and how we use it, I'll have a better understanding of what we need to do to make work flows more efficient. Maybe then I'll know what to call the project.
Has anyone else started a similar project from the very beginning, as I am, surrounded by thousands of crazily named files in multiple unorganized versions?
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Hi Holli.
I have been in the same boat for several years. I have loads of general and project descriptions in word files but no database. I was initially encouraged by one product, RFP Master. It was part of a very expensive suite of proposal software. I am not a fan of "create an instant proposal" software because I do not think they work for my services. But the RFP Master was to provide a location to which you could upload word descriptions and then search through the data. And the price was not terribly bad for the one piece. Unfortunately, it does not behave very well (without the mother ship$$ I imagine) and I am having a heck of a time getting around things. I gave up as it was taking too long and the search was not returning anything. My plan is to create my own database (in time hahahah). Please let me know if you come up with a good plan.
Ruthmeri
I just wanted to pass along an awesome resources for content management. Scott Abel (abelsp@netdirect.net) hosts a Web site and authors a newsletter about content management. Visit http://www.thecontentwrangler.com/. You can join Scott's mailing list if you like and you'll get his newsletter every month (I think). Scott is an STC member.
I'd call it a Records Management System. The term encompasses both hard and electronic copies. Most companies have older documents only in hard copy. Using a Records Management system recognizes that documents come in all forms and doesn't require you to convert everything to an electronic version (which is often unnecessary).
Attorneys have been using extensive records management systems for decades as part of their due diligence requirements. I recall managing a collection of litigation documents that were housed in more than 20 4-drawer lateral file cabinets; the correspondence, legal briefs, research, etc. were filed in binders on 20-30 library bookshelves. Of course we had electronic copies of everything, too (the litigation documents on a mainframe managed by Control Document in MN; the briefs, etc. on our own intranet).
One of the nicest things about the system was that we kept a printed index of the documents in binders, which made it easy for folks without database expertise to retrieve (read: attorneys). Most of the correspondence, legal briefs, etc. could be indexed in a few lines (date, author, recipient, purpose, brief description, etc.). The documents produced in the litigation were extensively coded, much as we tag webpages or our research.
Using the law firms' records management as a foundation, I created similar systems for a research company and an engineering office. The most difficult part when I created those was deciding on main categories (correspondence, fact sheets, legal documents, research) that were sufficiently broad to encompass the unexpected.
I found the best way to do it was an iterative process. I started by pulling a range of documents that represented the common and the extremes, and then tinkered with a database until I felt it could accommodate all the records I had. Then I randomly pulled other records to see how they fit into the system.
Again it's a lot like building a web page or writing a paper. The more up-front organization you invest in, the more easily it all comes together at the back end.
Good luck!
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