So, you are thinking about synchronizing your ECM system with other disparate systems, CRMs, or fileshares. However, you are unsure how to navigate the various challenges that synchronization presents. Well, never fear, because we have a whitepaper ready for download that will help you navigate the hurdles of synchronization. Let’s do a quick preview here.
First of all, there are major differences between consumer synchronization and ECM synchronization. Many people are familiar with consumer synchronization. Take your phone for example. If you have an iPhone, you set up iCloud when you first activate the device, and from that moment on, you are synchronizing the content on your phone with the cloud. Each time you take a picture, it is synchronized to the cloud, and you can access that picture from the internet or your laptop or computer. You do this with little interaction and set up and hardly any realization that it is happening. ECM synchronization is much more complex, and the motivations for which are also different.
Closely related to the complexities of synchronization, is ECM is more than just files. There are so many pieces, such as file hierarchies, metadata, and system architectures, that need to be taken into consideration when implementing synchronization. A single document will often times be referenced in one or more containers within an ECM. You want to make sure that the systems are cleaned up, or those documents are where they belong. The metadata that further defines each document must also be taken into consideration with synchronization. You want to make sure that the metadata is properly mapped.
While this all sounds like a bunch of fancy files, there is much more that plays into it. ECM systems are used for different purposes. Sometimes you may need to share a document or file externally. This is where synchronization comes into play. You can set up a synchronization to publish a defined sub-set from an ECM to a different system, like HighQ or SharePoint, for external consumption. You can also use synchronization to archive information in a central repository.
ECM no longer stands alone, and another important reason for implementing a synchronization is to connect various specialty systems to your repository of record. A CRM, for example, holds a lot of valuable information, and a synchronization would allow you to make sure that information is reflected in your ECM of choice. ECM systems should also be able to handle the content that resides in a Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics. Having a synchronization scheme that will handle all content, not just ECM content, will ensure consistency in managing all content.
Now you’re probably thinking, will a synchronization tool be able to handle when changes are made to a document and all of its parts? An efficient one will. It should ultimately take into account events, change logs, and polling. With SeeUnity’s Echo Content Synchronization, the ability to have a synchronization work both ways, what we call bi-directional synchronization, all of this is possible.
That was a short preview of our Navigating the Hurdles of Synchronization whitepaper. If you are ready to learn more about it, check out the whitepaper here.