Enterprise content management (ECM) is a comprehensive approach to organizing, storing, and utilizing an organization's diverse information assets. It encompasses the strategies, methods, and tools used to capture, manage, store, deliver, and govern content across an enterprise. This content can include documents, images, videos, emails, and any other form of digital information crucial to a business's operations.
ECM systems serve as centralized repositories for all of an organization's content, providing a structured framework for managing the entire information lifecycle—from creation to archival or deletion. These systems are designed to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, ensure compliance with regulations, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Growing out of the document management systems of the 1990s, ECM platforms were originally designed to bring an enterprise layer to the automation of core back-end, document-focused processes. Despite addressing important business functions, many ECM implementations were under-utilized because the solutions were originally focused on the technology rather than the business processes and people using it—with organizations more interested in getting control of their content than enabling what people could do with it.
This led to systems that were excellent at capturing, storing, and managing content but were difficult to use and labor-intensive for the end-user—often requiring them to change their work processes to accommodate the system. As a result, the enterprise content management system became primarily a system of record—which was great for control and governance of official business records—while isolated silos of information spread throughout the organization as users created new content in their preferred systems.
These solutions created a repository—a single source of truth—where content could be stored, managed, searched and retrieved. And as more and more content (structured and unstructured) was created, enterprise content management software evolved to provide users with the content they need, in their preferred applications, at the time they need it—ensuring content is searchable and accessible for users, auditors, and compliance. Plus, today’s tools allow for flexible deployment—on-premises, hosted, or SaaS—and provide advanced analytics to drive insight and action based on data within the content.
Organizations continue to require the core functionality that enterprise content management software provides. Expanding to a content services approach takes ECM a step further, giving organizations a new way of connecting content to digital business—delivering tools end-users can use to easily work with, share, and collaborate on content.
The most effective enterprise content management solutions use content integration to give users access to the right content within the applications they’re already using today, such as SAP®, Microsoft® 365, Salesforce, Guidewire, and SAP SuccessFactors®. At the same time, advanced ECM tools build on control and governance functionalities to enable secure information-sharing and collaboration across the enterprise and with external partners.
Other content services to take advantage of include:
Enterprise content management software needs to keep pace with market demands by delivering new functionality to help businesses elevate information management and boost ROI.
Advanced capabilities include:
OpenText offers a comprehensive suite of enterprise content management tools that can help organizations improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance compliance. By providing a centralized repository for digital content, automating workflows, and enabling secure access, OpenText empowers businesses to make better use of their information assets.
Explore how OpenText’s market-leading enterprise content management software can transform your business:
OpenText™ Content Management
Securely govern the information lifecycle by integrating with leading applications, such as SAP®, Microsoft® 365, Salesforce, and SAP SuccessFactors®.
Link knowledge to processes with enterprise content management tools