ERP Document Management Integration Solution Offering

From MIKE2.0 Methodology

This article is currently Under Construction. It is undergoing major changes as it is in the early stages of development. Users should help contribute to this article to get it to the point where is ready for a Peer Review.

This Solution Offering currently receives Minor Coverage in the MIKE2.0 Methodology through the Overall Implementation Guide and SAFE Architecture, but Activities are missing and there are no detailed Supporting Assets. In summary, the Solution Offering has not yet been formulated to the point where it should be used.

Introduction

The ERP Document Management Integration Solution Offering provides a document management solution that directly integrates with the structured content held within ERP systems. This approach enables content that is directly entered by users to be published in an unstructured form and for documents that are loaded into ERP systems to be broken into corresponding record sets.

Executive Summary

Solution Offering Purpose

This is a Core Solution Offering. Core Solution Offerings bring together all assets in MIKE2.0 relevant to solving a specific business and technology problem. Many of these assets may already exist and as the suite is built out over time, assets can be progressively added to an Offering.

A Core Solution Offering contains all the elements required to define and deliver a go-to-market offering. It can use a combination of open, shared and private assets.

Solution Offering Relationship Overview

This Solution Offering is part of the ECM Solution Group

MIKE2.0 Solution Offerings provide a detailed and holistic way of addressing specific problems. MIKE2.0 Solution Offerings can be mapped directly to the Phases and Activities of the MIKE2.0 Overall Implementation Guide, providing additional content to help understand the overall approach. The MIKE2.0 Overall Implementation Guide explains the relationships between the Phases, Activities and Tasks of the overall methodology as well as how the Supporting Assets tie to the overall methodology and MIKE2.0 Solutions. Users of the MIKE2.0 Methodology should always start with the Overall Implementation Guide and the MIKE2.0 Usage Model as a starting point for projects.

Solution Offering Definition

Relationship to Solution Capabilities

The MIKE2.0 ERP Document Management Integration Management Solution Offering is primarily focused on Information Development. It uses a number of activities from the Overall Implementation Guide to see a project through from strategy to implementation.

Relationship to Enterprise Views

This solution is primarily about enabling Information Development to manage assets. Sophisticated capabilities related for Infrastructure Development are also important for this offering if there are large document volumes or complex security requirements. The Application Development worksteam applies to the development of the solution that interfaces to the ERP system.

Mapping to the Information Governance Framework

The Information Governance Solution Offering is required across all Solution Offerings. For this offering it is particularly important that the governance models focus on information workflow, security and classification.

Mapping to the SAFE Architecture Framework

For an a collaboration and knowledge management programme, a number of components may be required from the SAFE Architecture. All components within Enterprise Content Management are particularly relevant to this offering. In addition, a Search capability is a priority area.

Mapping to the Overall Implementation Guide

A typical Document Management engagement will involve a large number of the Activities from the Overall Implementation Guide. One that involves integration to an ERP application may add some additional tasks. Users of MIKE2.0 should review each activity as a starting point to see if they are required based on the scope of the project requirements.

The Usage Model for Enterprise Content Management provides a list of all the required activities for this offering. Shown below are the most important activities for a typical programme and how they relate to the overall approach.

Phase 1 - Business Assessment and Strategy Definition Blueprint

For a comprehensive, top-down programme a number of the activities are required from this phase to define the overall Business Strategy. Some programmes can be quite tactical but generally should cover these tasks at a very high level. Some strategy activities may not be needed if they were already done as part of part of an enteprise programme, as described in the Enterprise Content Management Strategy Solution Offering.

Enterprise Information Management Awareness

The Enterprise Information Management Awareness activity is important to introduce concepts related to managing document assets. For awareness the most important areas to introduce are workflow management, searching document content, categorisation of information and content access. It is also important to illustrate how the specifics of the ERP application inter-relate with information development processes.

Overall Business Strategy for Information Development

In the Overall Business Strategy for Information Development activity, the strategic business initiatives are defined in the context of information requirements. For Document Management, this activity defines the scope of information to be managed, shared and collaboratively developed. Documents may receive as input structured information from analytical repositories such as KPIs and CSFs which can be fed directly from the ERP system.

Future State Vision for Information Management

The Future State Vision for Information Management is an important activity for defining the strategic conceptual architecture for managing digital assets. This includes standards, conceptual component definitions and high level solution architecture options.

This activity also defines the future-state business processes for document management. The future-state will typically be focused on the problematic areas in the current environment such as workflow inefficiencies, performance or security. It should be ensured that it also focuses on capabilities to support new business functions.

Phase 2 - Technology Assessment and Selection Blueprint

For a comprehensive, top-down programme a number of the activities are required from this phase to define the overall Technology Strategy. Some programmes can be quite tactical but generally should cover these tasks at a very high level. Some strategy activities may not be needed if they were already done as part of part of an enteprise programme, as described in the Enterprise Content Management Strategy Solution Offering.

Strategic Requirements for Technology Backplane Development

In the MIKE2.0 Methodology, Enterprise Content Management technologies are seen to reside along the Technology Backplane of Information Development and Infrastructure Development. This activity is used to define the capabilities that are needed for the strategic implementation of these programme It should include the definition of capabilities required to meet functional requirements related to document creation, collaborative management, sharing and destruction.

Strategic Non-Functional Requirements

Strategic Non-Functional Requirements for Document Management are defined at a overarching level in this activity. There is a particular focus on usability, performance and ability to scale to meet future business volume growth requirements.

Current-State Logical Architecture

The Current-State Logical Architecture assesses the current capabilities in the environment for managing documents and interfacing to the ERP application. This activity specifically defines which technologies can be re-used and the scope of any content that should be migrated.

Future-State Logical Architecture and Gap Analysis

The Future-State Logical Architecture and Gap Analysis builds on the conceptual architecture that is already defined and takes it to the level of detail required to make strategic technology decisions. A gap analysis can then be conducted between the current-state and future-state to determine which technologies can be re-used.

Future-State Physical Architecture and Vendor Selection

Through defining the Future-State Physical Architecture and Vendor Selection, logical capabilities are mapped to specific product options. This mapping is then used to make technology decisions, often through an RFP-based selection process.

Phase 3 - Information Management Roadmap and Foundation Activities

Within Phase 3, the scope of the solution for a specific increment is defined and the overall content model begins to take shape.

Detailed Business Requirements

When developing the Detailed Business Requirements for Document Mnagement, the focus is on the scope of information to be managed. This activity builds off the strategic set of requirements, adds more detail and prioritises business requirements for the increment of work to be implemented.

Taxonomy Design

The Taxonomy Design activity defines the structures for relating content to one another. This is typically more strictly defined in ERP document integration as it may be based on the producing application. Informal content classification is rare.

Phase 4 - Design Increment

For Document Management, a number of design activities are required which are described below.

Information Security Design

Information Security Design defines which information assets can be seen by users. It is one of the most important activities for Document Management to ensure against various forms of security breaches.

Infrastructure Management Process Design

The Infrastructure Management Process Design applies to the back-end environment that stores content. For Document Management, this activity which designs the backup, recovery and high-availability process is typically quite sophisticated in approach and use of technology. This activity will be tightly coupled to the design of the ERP system.

Collaborative Framework Design

Collaborative Framework Design applies when users are to make use of documents in a collaborative fashion. For example, if users were to interact with one another about a particular asset or if they will work jointly in its development. Collaboration will be defined within the ERP application workflow.

Data Integration Logical Design

Data Integration Logical Design would be applied if document management will go across federated sources and a search capability is needed. Search may be into the repository of the ERP application but also may involve federated access to other repositories.

Data Integration Physical Design

Data Integration Physical Design would be applied if document management will go across federated sources and a search capability is needed. Physical design of interfaces would include technologies to be used, performance requirements and security.

User Interface Design

User Interface Design applies to the front end of the Document Management system. This activity is used to build a solution that is easy to navigate, visually appealing and meets organisational layout standards. It will be tightly aligned with the design of the application interface.

Phase 5 - Develop, Test & Deploy Increment

Through development, testing and deployment activities the solution the prototyped is hardened and implemented into production.

Technology Backplane Development

The Technology Backplane Development activity covers the development of integration and information management components. This includes development of the document management application's security, workflow and storage components.

Testing Activities

Depending on the complexity of the solution, different testing activities will be required although testing is generally not complex. Functional Testing and some level of System Integration Testing will be required at a minimum; SVT is are also important. Perhaps most important is UAT; it should be ensured that are users are actively engaged throughout the development and testing process. Testing for collaboration and knowledge exchange technologies is much quicker than other types of engagements.

Continuous Improvement Activities

The Continuous Improvement activities are focused on delivering incremental improvements to existing functionality. For a Document Management solution, it is important to factor in these continuous activities to improve the content quality , the infrastructure and to improve organisational efficiency. They are also re-visited over time to account for new standards, regulations or improvements to technology.

Mapping to Supporting Assets

Logical Architecture, Design and Development Best Practices

• Integrating a Formal Taxonomy to an Informal Taxonomy

• High Level Solution Architecture Options for Digital Management

• Guiding Principles for Document Management

• Document Management Standards

Product-Specific Implementation Techniques

Product Selection Criteria

Relationships to other Solution Offerings

This Solution Offering relates closely to the following Offerings:

• The Enterprise Content Management Strategy Solution Offering can be used to define the overall strategy for implementing content management across the enterprise. If this strategy work has been done it serves as input to this offering and some activities in phases 1 and 2 can often be skipped.

• The Enterprise Search Solution Offering defines an overall approach for content in many different forms. Search is typically an important capability for retrieving documents.

Relationships to other Solution Offerings

Extending the Open Methodology through Solution Offerings

Listed below are proposed extensions to the Overall Implementation Guide to meet the requirements for this Solution Offering:

Potential Activity Changes

Overall Business Strategy for Information Development

The Business Strategy for document management would require expanding beyond the metrics and KPIs and should involve knowledge requirements

Organisational QuickScan for Information Development

Should explicitly extend the QuickScan tools to cover search and more broadly the management of unstructured content.

Data Standards

Should be extended to include Content Modelling Standards

Data Classification

If this activity is completed and includes the development of taxonomies than it would be more relevant for this offering. It should probably be generalised to cover structured data and unstructured content.

Information Workflow

An activity may be explicitly added that relates to the flow of information across systems where process is long-lived and complex

Solution Architecture

This activity will likely be generalised to better cover solution offerings

Information Security Design

It is still under development. It may have some more detail added to it in relation to content security.