Document and Content Management entails controlling the capture, storage, access, and use of data and information stored outside relational databases. Its focus is on maintaining the integrity of and enabling access to documents and other unstructured or semi-structured information which makes it roughly equivalent to data operations management for relational databases. However, it also has strategic drivers. In many organizations, unstructured data has a direct relationship to structured data. Management decisions about such content should be applied consistently. In addition, as are other types of data, documents and unstructured content are expected to be secure and of high quality. Ensuring security and quality requires governance, reliable architecture, and well-managed Metadata.
The primary business drivers for document and content management include regulatory compliance, the ability to respond to litigation and e-discovery requests, and business continuity requirements. Good records management can also help organizations become more efficient. Well-organized, searchable websites that result from effective management of ontologies and other structures that facilitate searching help improve customer and employee satisfaction.
Laws and regulations require that organizations maintain records of certain kinds of activities. Most organizations also have policies, standards, and best practices for record keeping. Records include both paper documents and electronically stored information (ESI). Good records management is necessary for business continuity. It also enables an organization to respond in the case of litigation.
E-discovery is the process of finding electronic records that might serve as evidence in a legal action. As the technology for creating, storing, and using data has developed, the volume of ESI has increased exponentially. Some of this data will undoubtedly end up in litigation or regulatory requests.
The ability of an organization to respond to an e-discovery request depends on how proactively it has managed records such as email, chats, websites, and electronic documents, as well as raw application data and Metadata. Big Data has become a driver for more efficient e-discovery, records retention, and strong information governance.
Gaining efficiencies is a driver for improving document management. Technological advances in document management are helping organizations streamline processes, manage workflow, eliminate repetitive manual tasks, and enable collaboration. These technologies have the additional benefits of enabling people to locate, access, and share documents more quickly. They can also prevent documents from being lost. This is very important for e-discovery. Money is also saved by freeing up file cabinet space and reducing document handling costs.
