After years of evolution, systems that manage documents, images, reports, web content and other forms of unstructured information have steadily moved from isolated “silo” storage toward a connected infrastructure.
     Even small & midsize companies can now allow any office workers document and image access from all digital file formats and information repositories. More important, new technology can allow authorized workers ubiquitous access to manipulate documents for reuse and reconstruction of the data.

Who's watching?
     Notwithstanding the question of data and image security, let’s just consider the management of exposed content . If everybody on your team can perform any function, there is, besides security, an explosion of new management tasks.
     As we tend to learn by experience rather than foresight, companies have uncovered content management problems as they’ve used electronic equipment and software to reduce specialized staff and make general staff more productive. It turns out, however, someone always needs to be there making sure equipment isn't automating mistakes and chasing off customers...or worse.

Enter management software.
     Among jargon laden technology professionals, Content Management Software is restricted to management of messaging and image files. But this is only because of the quirkiness of the different file types involved.
     Business Process Management (BPM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Process Reporting (EPR)...most all types of software that report on electronic applications and their data files...are all much like Content Management Software. They're each created to act on certain file types and offer certain kinds of reporting methods. 1s and 0s are all alike, but the processes differ.
     Because the creation of today’s electronic applications and the (top)

hardware that moves them involve varied, complex and evolving intellectual disciplines, management of these systems demand precon- ceived, automated systems as well.

 If every person on your team can perform any function, there is, besides security, an explosion of management tasks.

Managing electronic management
     If you were to offer a trans- portation service using horse and buggy, your technology knowledge could be sparse, but you would still need expertise in animal husbandry, some human labor, capital, and a very specialized location with few legal restrictions.
     To offer an unlimited range of travel services to all types of clients, you would need unlimited amounts of:: 1) marketing expertise, 2) technology knowledge, 3) capital connections and 4) legal access.
     In other words, technology -- although substantial and complex -- would only amount to one fourth of the expertise you’d require.

Getting with the systems
     Obviously, a jet airliner requires more investment per passenger than the horse and buggy. It may not be obvious, however, that the investment includes better trained personnel and far greater resources as well as more technology experts.
     The faster your calculator can run, the more people you'll need to feed, absorb and apply information. And, remember, we're not taking into account security and training.
     The once prevalent idea of using technology or automation to reduce personnel has proven to be extremely short sighted. Never leave it to a computer to solve anything. Upgrad- ing technology always means up- grading personnel and resources.

           Best regards,
           -- J.D. Kinney