Designing a Document Management Strategy
Article #2:
Where are you now? Where are you going?
(Read more articles in this series)
By Kevin Craine
Last time we examined the characteristics of a successful document strategy. One of the key attributes for success is that any document strategy be comprehensive, yet manageable.
One way to manage this is to begin with a Baseline Assessment. My book, "Designing a Document Management Strategy," prescribes a three-step process to follow that begins with the notion that before we can map our document strategy we must first "get located."
A sailor must know two things before he can chart a course: his current location and the location of where he wants to go. Picking a destination may be easy – the Bahamas perhaps – but determining the precise distance and direction the ship must travel to get to the tropical paradise requires a skipper know his exact location at the time of his departure.
During his journey a navigator also must constantly measure his progress. Unexpected weather conditions, changes in ocean currents and breakdowns in equipment all conspire to throw him off course. To reach his destination safely and successfully requires an accurate assessment of the ship’s progress compared to where it started from and where it needs to go.
When mapping a document strategy, you must also understand two things in order to make the right directional decisions: Where are you now? Where do you want to go? Ports of call may be easy to settle on – increase revenue, cut costs, satisfy customers – but to reach those destinations will require a reliable starting point from which to calculate the course of your plans.
One way to determine your starting point is by performing a Baseline Assessment. This assessment provides a sense of direction and helps to make the process of designing a document strategy more manageable and measurable. Most importantly, a Baseline Assessment makes certain that your plans are closely linked to the fundamental needs and objectives of your particular organization. The more closely your strategy is tied to these basics, the more likely it will be given sponsorship, support and funding, and the more likely your efforts will result in meaningful improvement.
Perform a Baseline Assessment in three steps:
Step 1. Understand the key business needs, pressures and constraints that your organization must satisfy and manage.
- What are the hard numbers that measure company performance?
- What are the business pressures your company must manage?
- What are the constraints, requirements and expectations that your organization must live with each day?
Step 2. Examine the specific objectives and strategies that are defined in your company business plan.
- What are your long-term objectives and overall strategy?
- What are your organization’s short-term objectives and operational strategies?
- What are the specific ways your company tracks the achievement of these objectives?
Step 3. Understand the mission and vision of your organization.
- What are the reasons your company exists?
- How does your company envision success?
- What are the specific initiatives underway to achieve your company’s mission and vision?
By following these steps you will perform a comprehensive yet manageable assessment of your organization. With this balance, you will be in a better position to determine two essential pieces of information you need to chart your document strategy: where you are, and where you need to go.
A document strategy also calls for consistent measurement of progress. Unexpected difficulties, changes in business climate and breakdowns in technology can work against even the most well conceived plans. Reaching a meaningful destination requires that the progress of your document strategy be continuously evaluated – comparing where you are, with where you started and where you need to go.
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