A Framework for EDMS/ERMS Integration

Information Management Journal, Nov/Dec 2004 by Sprehe, J Timothy

The model and its components are intended as an illustrative example. It is not definitive, exhaustive, or intended to imply a chronological order. That is to say, each enterprise may choose to identify the top-level components and component activities in its own way. The C30 committee believes, however, that a high-level reference model that is similar or analogous to the one illustrated is essential for integrated EDMS/ERMS.

Metadata, the central oval in the figure, can be thought of as the common language that information architecture components use to interoperate and integrate their functions. Metadata is a summary of the form and content of a document/record and pertains to the meaning and context of data. The C30 Committee's technical report surveys the literature on metadata and presents a model set of metadata.

Reference Model Components: An Example

TR48 enumerates the various activities that comprise each model component and indicates whether a particular activity occurs in an EDMS, an ERMS, or both. For example, under "Content Creation and Capture," the first component listed in Figure 1, the first step is to define content, then create or receive content, which may require converting paper content, capturing e-mail, or generating content automatically. Content may be enhanced by linking it to other sources, annotating, editing, and translating it into a language other than the source language. Content may be revised to different versions and transformed into different renditions.

Finally, content may be formatted in various ways. Documents may be created and changed in EDMS, but records may not be edited or altered in an ERMS environment. Copies of records may be retrieved into an EDMS in order to create new content or aggregate content into new documents and new records. Both documents and records may be translated and formatted, so any systems that are supporting both activities - integrated or independent - must be able to version and link associated content.

Table 1 (pg. 58) shows the detailed activities of the content creation and capture component and lists whether the activities occur in an EDMS, an ERMS, or both.

Other similarities and differences between the two systems include:

* Documents may be created, edited, altered, deleted, or saved in an EDMS. Saved documents may be declared records and copies of such documents may be exported to the control of an ERMS. An ERMS permits export of records to an EDMS but does not permit the editing, altering, or deleting of records in the ERMS environment.

* Copies of records imported into an EDMS may be combined and aggregated in order to create new documents. These new documents may be declared records.

* IT systems in which documents are created may or may not have EDMS and ERMS functionality, but as a best practice such systems should be capable of exporting their documents to EDMS and ERMS.

Metadata

In the broadest sense, metadata can be used to describe the core set of elements needed for the effective retrieval and management of information. It may also include information structures such as the technical standards, formats, and interconnection policies that are required to render the information in a human-readable fashion. Metadata is essential to sharing data across IT applications in order for integration to occur. It is essential to the management, accessibility, and security of electronic documents and records common to all businesses and organizations. In managing electronic information, the capture of appropriate metadata must be integrated into the process of creating and maintaining the document or record in order to maximize the benefits derived from IT systems.