Enterprise Content Management an Overview

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) describes a broad set of activities that help manufacturers and other companies manage key areas of their businesses, including product planning and development, inventory management, parts purchasing, accounts receivable and payable, order tracking, and customer service.

Software applications by leading vendors such as SAP and PeopleSoft have emerged to support these activities by providing a single interface to ERP data, often employing different modules for general aspects of the business to aid user in specific areas such as finance and engineering.

Enterprise Content Management

Increasingly, though, ERP application users require other critical supporting content to complete their work. Finance tasks require customer statements and invoices. Logistics tasks require facilities drawings. Production planning tasks require engineering drawings and parts lists. Integrating this supporting content helps companies realize the maximum benefit from an ERP investment. In some cases it is critical to realizing that benefit.

However, ERP applications are typically not adept at managing unstructured content; they don’t have the robust functionality required for handling the indexing, searching, storage, and security of huge volumes of information in multiple formats. For these functions, large companies invest in a content management solution, such as the Documentum enterprise content management platform.

Also See: Product Lifecycle Management an Overview