MACWORLD on SaaS...

Interesting perspective on the subject of SaaS. The writer leaves you to believe the business consumer may be getting into something they don't fully understand. I don't necessarily agree, IT buyers are rather shrewd. Nonetheless, check out http://www.macworld.com/article/140801/2009/05/saas.html?lsrc=rss_main

All the best,


Paul

Browser Based Scanning/Capture Solution

Andrew Lekenko - a consultant at ScanWorks Software has a series of questions on Linked-in about browser based scanning/capture solutions. Visit Browser Based Scanning/Capture Solution

Commentaries for my upcoming book

My manuscript has been critiqued by a number of respected colleaques in the industry - for which I am very grateful to each of them for taking the time out of their day to do so!

Here is a sneak preview of their thoughts which will be published in the book:

"Paul has nailed it! Much of computing's future is in the "clouds," and some of the largest computer companies in the world are moving full speed in that direction. What has kept document management from being one of the these "killer" applications goes directly to Paul's point about the need for truly distributed capture. Kudos to him for making that happen."

Raimund Wasner
Managing Director
Kollabria, Inc.

"Businesses are seeking to gain efficiencies in extracting critical information from seas of documents handled daily. Instituting a competent and easy-to-use document imaging system provides a competitive edge, adds to the bottom line, and results in quick return on investment. Which business wouldn't want to reap those benefits in today's economic environment?

In Paul's just published book, The Case for Distributed, Web-based Document Capture, he shares a wealth of industry knowledge in helping readers discern choices in document capture systems and presents an innovative distributed, web-based document capture model that offers efficiency and cost effectiveness."

Dolores Kruchten General Manager, Business Solutions and Services
Group Vice President
Eastman Kodak Company


“Paul Szemplinski’s discussion of the current state of the capture market and the value proposition presented by the deployment of SAAS capture solutions such as CAPSYS is relevant to anyone interested in the future of the capture market. ‘ECM Buyer Beware: Real Insights & Answers for Decision Makers’ provides a well organized, insightful guide into the capture process and innovative alternatives currently available with the advent of SAAS. Fine job Paul!”

Bill Cordell
President
NewWave Technologies, Inc


"Distributed, Web-based Document Capture is an idea begging to spring forthfor years. Paul's elegantly written treatise on the subject proves that thewaiting is over and its promise has been delivered. Case made!"

Robert Latham
President/Founder
Prevalent Software, Inc.


“I couldn’t agree more with Paul’s assessment. Document Capture is the ‘On-Ramp to any ECM System’ and one of the most crucial aspects of any ECM project.”

Joyce Osborne
President DMS
AIIM Professional Advisory Council


“The Case for Distributed, Web-Based Document Capture” is extremely timely in its publication. Today, more than ever, corporate America needs cost effective solutions that save money while providing additional business efficiencies. A “tip-of-the-hat” to Paul and his staff at CAPSYS for delivering innovation and a superior product offering to the Electronic Content Management marketplace. Paul Szemplinski is a solid professional that is dedicated to furthering the success and growth of the ECM industry via education and common sense solutions.

Mark Creglow
Chief Operations Officer
Marex Group, Inc. Makers of FileBound.com


“We decided to move from our on-premise solution to CAPSYS CAPTURE ONLINE. Since that move we have been able to roll out document scanning throughout the enterprise with minimal effort. In addition, it has reduced the workload on our IT staff by eliminating the need to support a capture solution in our datacenter.”

Jim Gio
MIS Project Supervisor
Ty, Inc


"Paul’s ECM industry knowledge and expertise have served him well in building a national presence in the ECM market place. His commentary on the SaaS model is ringing truer by the day, as companies face ever increasing costs associated with on-premise systems. The SaaS model removes all the headaches while retaining all the benefit. CAPSYS CAPTURE SaaS truly is a win-win solution."

Jan Letchman
President
Advanced Data Systems, Inc.


"In tough economic times, finding a business model like CAPSYS CAPTURE that is ahead of the curve and a win/win for customers and business partners is truly a treasure! Paul has written a easy to understand, fact-based, helpful guide for why distributed, web-based document capture is the right choice for the future."

Ed Breclaw
President/Owner
Executive Forums - Chicago West

Which one of the following is Really Your Technology Partner: The IT Manufacturer or the Value-Added Reseller?

One of the biggest questions faced by companies seeking to make large technology purchases is which firm to partner with to get the job done. Will you work with a local Value-Added Reseller (VAR) or purchase directly from the hardware and software manufacturers? Where can you get the best price? How can you tell a good VAR from a bad one? Do you really need a VAR/integrator if you have a capable IT staff? Who is going to be there to help you through the process, so your project is deemed a success rather than a crash-and-burn-catastrophe? After all, even the best-intentioned decisions can be disastrous if implemented poorly.

It is not uncommon that VARS will many times outlast the manufacturers as manufacturers get bought and sold quite frequently (i.e. Optika -> Stellent -> Oracle or; OTG -> Legato -> EMC; or; Great Plains -> Microsoft Dynamics GP).

To begin, it may be helpful to define who the possible players on your team may be:

Manufacturer – The company that makes the actual product, whether it be hardware or software. These companies may or may not have a direct sales channel. It is quite possible that the manufacturer of your product only sells its products through its partners – its VARs. Microsoft serves as a great example of this model.

They manufacturer and publish software, but resell it through a network of indirect channel partners.

VAR – The term “VAR” or "value-added reseller" is a term used to describe various types of solution providers (SPs), such as: application service providers (ASPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), e-business and IT consultants, Web developers, independent software vendors (ISVs) and traditional resellers of hardware and software. Generally speaking though, a VAR is a company that takes an existing product and adds its own “value” before selling to the consumer.

This added value can be in the form of things like professional consulting services, custom development, hardware, vertical industry expertise, specialized services, complementary applications, etc.

Systems Integrator – A systems integrator – in the truest sense of the word – does not sell product. Instead, after the purchase, integrators work to install the base software product(s), and customize the product(s) to make them work together with your existing systems.

Likely, you’ll have a combination of the three types of players working with you on your projects. The important thing is to get the balance right. Of course you want a manufacturer who produces a quality product. And, of course you want an integrator who will get you up and running smoothly. But how do you know that the manufacturer’s product is really the right one for you? Do you want to bring in an integrator mid-stream, after the “homework” has been done and product decisions have been made? Further, will the integrator you select be an IT generalist, versus an expert in Content Management?

Visit www.idt-inc.com/briefing to get the complete analysis on this subject.

The Case for Distributed, Web-based Document Capture

Executive Summary


Author’s Note

Companies of all sizes face an avalanche of documents and content in various types of formats to be managed, whether in paper or in electronic form. Navigating the myriad potential solutions is what this book is all about.

The set of tools available -- software, hardware and most recently, Software as a Service, all known today as Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technologies -- have advanced significantly in the past decade. Because ECM systems are made up of multiple components (see sidebar), designing an optimal system takes a great deal of knowledge, not only of individual components, but how they all work together.
ECM System Components

Content Management Repository
Document Capture
Workflow or Business Process Management
Search Technology
Document Scanners, MFP’s, Network Scanning Appliances
IT infrastructure (servers, network, database, storage, etc.)
Professional implementation and support services
Maintenance & support fees (re-occurring)

Costs can be as high as six or seven figures to create
and maintain these systems, for staff, hardware,
software, storage, consumables and support.

In more than 20 years of consulting with companies across the U.S., I’ve found that many customers do not do their homework with ECM system vendor selections and the subsequent system rollouts. Due to the technical complexities and multitude of choices, most customers are best served by bringing in an expert adviser. In these pages, I share real-world knowledge of what make these systems tick – and point out the stumbling blocks that often interfere with getting the absolute most from them.

One of the keys to ensuring all of the ECM components work together is Document Capture. It is often mistakenly not the focus of an ECM software purchase. Yet it is of infinite importance because it is the “on-ramp” to any ECM system, interfacing with many points in the content management process – from data inputs through Workflow processes, integration with your line of business system (such as ERP or operations systems) through storage in your Content Repository.

The secret: Content Management vendors rarely – if at all - address efficient and effective Document Capture without the help of third-party Document Capture applications. So the lesson for you, the buyer, is to understand its importance, and not cut corners!

You need a well-defined business process AND;
A software application capable of handling the document capture process.

Another reason to care: Labor associated with Document Capture is one of the highest costs in an ECM roll-out.

So how do you ensure you are on the right cost/performance track with the Capture system you are specifying? Read on.

Part One - tells you what you need to know about Document Capture; details system options; describes on-premise and SaaS models; and details the costs of traditional Centralized Document Capture versus Distributed, Web-Based Capture.

Part Two - discusses every step of the Distributed, Web-Based Capture process; offers tricks, tips and realities of each; and presents a new software/SaaS system that solves the challenge of effective Capture at a lower cost, without sacrificing capabilities of traditional software.


Paul E. Szemplinski
April 2009