Unlike with a car, when multiple trips to the mechanic can signal the end of a cars life, or with a smartphone, when the battery life becomes so poor your only option is to upgrade, knowing when to upgrade an EDRMS is not necessarily clear cut. With a car or with a phone, the signals are clear, and any extra cost incurred is justified by the removal of pain points. However for the EDRMS - the system that forms the foundation of all the information and data your organisation holds - there are many factors to consider, particularly if you aren’t experiencing any issues.
So when it comes to upgrading, what should you keep in mind, and what potential future pain points will this help you avoid? Here are our top three considerations.
Third-party Integration Issues
Like all software with powerful third-party integration capabilities, you’re not in full control. When you integrate a third party system with your EDRMS, maybe SharePoint, it’s not what your system does, but the third-party. When their software is upgraded, there’s a risk that it won’t integrate fully with your system. The longer you use an older version the more this risk rises (think Windows 7!). This is more typical for the underlying resources such as versions of Windows Server, SQL and Office.
Support Withdrawal
Another consideration that warrants your attention – product support. If you’re running on a typical two year service agreement, then gradually, as your system becomes superseded by newer versions that support will be withdrawn. Support may seem like a secondary thought, much like home insurance, but you’re pleased you have it if there’s a flood!
Changes to Internal Policy
An EDRMS update may fall within an annual, two-year or even five-year review of internal systems within public bodies. A decision may have to be made that it’s now, or another five years’ time. Ask yourself if this something you can wait for?
Micro Focus has recently released the latest version of Content Manager (formerly Tower/HP TRIM, HPE Records Manager), its governance based enterprise content management system, version 9.4.
Content Manager helps regulated industries and organisations seize control and manage end-to-end business information from creation all the way through to disposal.
What’s new in V9.4?
Away from what-if scenarios regarding integration failures, or support withdrawal, product upgrades also bring a host of benefits.
The latest V9.4 release brings with it improved functionality and more than 150 additional enhancements, all designed to make your job as a records manager or a data protection officer easier.
The Content Manager V9.4 headline improvements include:
Event based archiving: A new trigger method for retention schedules. These are based on real-world events, such as a change of Government, the disposal of records can be invoked manually or automatically based on the event occurrence.
Metadata Capture: For record types that support the creation of electronic documents, on the record type, you can define the settings to determine how the document metadata is extracted from electronic documents that are checked into Content Manager via drag and drop, document queues and from Offline Records.
Web Client Updates: Among the extensive upgrades to the web client are the review & authorisation of documents, review of renditions, view Office online documents as well as customisation logo support, downloading multiple files as a compressed file and much more.
New Dashboard and Explorer Window: The new dashboard (opt out available) allows users to access pre-defined work item lists with a breakdown of the number of items that are within the set time periods, including a total number of items for each work item list. An explorer window gives users a hierarchical view of records grouped within Content Manager Item types in a single window.
Powerful Microsoft Office Integration: Enhancements to existing Office integrations include new default file storage and the ability to choose to create revisions for non-mail Outlook items, such as notes for example.
Whether you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade to Micro Focus Content Manager V9.4, or whether you’re undecided, our expert team of Information Management Consultants are on hand to discuss any queries or challenges you may have. Simply contact us and we’ll get back to you.
Alternatively, request a free system health check here.