Document Management Systems: Off-The-Shelf vs. Custom Solutions
Marci L. Crane
March 31, 2010
Is the term "out-of-the-box" nothing more than a lame profanity in your workplace environment?
Within many working environments out-of-the-box solutions have a bad reputation and for good reason. Imagining that an out-of-the-box solution will meet the needs of various companies is like trying to fly to the moon on your son´s model rocket. It´s simply bound to result in disappointment---despite good intentions. Even if an out-of-the-box solution claims to meet the needs of a vertical niche there are still the distinctions between company process management and product development that have been completely ignored.
Off-The-Shelf Configurable Document Management Systems
Off-the-shelf configurability is seen as the positive solution for those companies that need a solution relatively fast but also want to ensure that the solution can be configured to meet certain needs or control specific processes. Off-the-shelf configurable solutions provide core basics that are the "general rule" for specified industries while simultaneously providing "legroom" for configurability.
Document Management Systems: Integration Services
Off-the-shelf configurability may also loosely apply to the integration capabilities of document management systems. For example, if one software company´s document management systems can be integrated with ERP (enterprise resource management), CRM (customer resource management), MES (manufacturing execution systems) and/or PDM (product data management) many companies would consider the additional "configurability" as a must-have bonus to the solution itself.
Pure Customization
Pure customization, though obviously more expensive than it´s off-the-shelf counterparts, really presents an opportunity for software developers and industry experts to discuss, converse and really see "eye to eye." The type of discussions and subsequent technologies that are the "brain children" of these types of endeavors can without a doubt be superior to other options. However, financial interests must be weighed and it is often many times more difficult to predict a fast (and solid) return on investment from this type of solution. Another drawback to the customized solution is the management of the project´s logistics. For both the company and document management systems developers, a customized software development project is an extremely large undertaking. Simply figuring out the associated costs can be a job for a virtual Sherlock Holmes.
Customized solutions also present the difficulty of predicting future maintenance customization requirements that may become necessary as a company grows and develops. For companies that plan on large amounts of rapid growth and development, an off-the-shelf configurable option that is built to grow is most likely the best option. Cost estimates also vary widely from customization "bidders." Companies searching for document management systems should consult bidders´ references and should determine whether the developers have specialized experience with specific industries.
The Expertise
Another consideration for purely customized solutions is the expertise available on both sides of the discussion table. Not only must the software developers be able to communicate well and ask the right questions but in-house experts must know their companies processes inside and out and must have a thorough understanding of what areas of their company need to be improved before the customized solution is "set in stone." If either side of the table falters during necessary communication efforts, years of programming and reprogramming as well as thousands (or hundreds of thousands of dollars) can literally be flushed down the customizable drain.
Conclusion
For most companies off-the-shelf configurable solutions will be far better solutions than their out-of-the-box counterparts and most likely more efficient than purely customized solutions.
Marci Crane is the Lifeline Publications Editor for MasterControl, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT. To learn more about document management systems for modern business and manufacturing environments, please feel free to contact a MasterControl representative.
Within many working environments out-of-the-box solutions have a bad reputation and for good reason. Imagining that an out-of-the-box solution will meet the needs of various companies is like trying to fly to the moon on your son´s model rocket. It´s simply bound to result in disappointment---despite good intentions. Even if an out-of-the-box solution claims to meet the needs of a vertical niche there are still the distinctions between company process management and product development that have been completely ignored.
Off-The-Shelf Configurable Document Management Systems
Off-the-shelf configurability is seen as the positive solution for those companies that need a solution relatively fast but also want to ensure that the solution can be configured to meet certain needs or control specific processes. Off-the-shelf configurable solutions provide core basics that are the "general rule" for specified industries while simultaneously providing "legroom" for configurability.
Document Management Systems: Integration Services
Off-the-shelf configurability may also loosely apply to the integration capabilities of document management systems. For example, if one software company´s document management systems can be integrated with ERP (enterprise resource management), CRM (customer resource management), MES (manufacturing execution systems) and/or PDM (product data management) many companies would consider the additional "configurability" as a must-have bonus to the solution itself.
Pure Customization
Pure customization, though obviously more expensive than it´s off-the-shelf counterparts, really presents an opportunity for software developers and industry experts to discuss, converse and really see "eye to eye." The type of discussions and subsequent technologies that are the "brain children" of these types of endeavors can without a doubt be superior to other options. However, financial interests must be weighed and it is often many times more difficult to predict a fast (and solid) return on investment from this type of solution. Another drawback to the customized solution is the management of the project´s logistics. For both the company and document management systems developers, a customized software development project is an extremely large undertaking. Simply figuring out the associated costs can be a job for a virtual Sherlock Holmes.
Customized solutions also present the difficulty of predicting future maintenance customization requirements that may become necessary as a company grows and develops. For companies that plan on large amounts of rapid growth and development, an off-the-shelf configurable option that is built to grow is most likely the best option. Cost estimates also vary widely from customization "bidders." Companies searching for document management systems should consult bidders´ references and should determine whether the developers have specialized experience with specific industries.
The Expertise
Another consideration for purely customized solutions is the expertise available on both sides of the discussion table. Not only must the software developers be able to communicate well and ask the right questions but in-house experts must know their companies processes inside and out and must have a thorough understanding of what areas of their company need to be improved before the customized solution is "set in stone." If either side of the table falters during necessary communication efforts, years of programming and reprogramming as well as thousands (or hundreds of thousands of dollars) can literally be flushed down the customizable drain.
Conclusion
For most companies off-the-shelf configurable solutions will be far better solutions than their out-of-the-box counterparts and most likely more efficient than purely customized solutions.
Marci Crane is the Lifeline Publications Editor for MasterControl, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT. To learn more about document management systems for modern business and manufacturing environments, please feel free to contact a MasterControl representative.
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