publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/306297
ILTA WHITE PAPER: APRIL 2014 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 3 Enterprise content management: The term suggests that you can manage the content that sprouts relentlessly throughout your firm or law department. But can you? If your role has you working on technologies or business processes that touch on the storage, search or extraction of content, you probably have felt the task is impossible. ILTA's Enterprise Content Management Peer Group is dedicated to proving not only can you manage your firm's content, but you can also use it to derive business value — which is becoming an essential skill for success in the ECM realm. There are many new and exciting technologies to help manage your content, but without an enterprise strategy in place, you won't be able to use them effectively. Our white paper authors describe how to develop an ECM strategy that fits your firm and how to apply the evolving principles of information governance to strengthen that strategy. They explore some technologies that offer new methods of managing legal enterprise content, such as SharePoint, and how to keep your more traditional systems healthy. You'll want to learn the five key areas your peers have identified as likely to change the most during the next five years. Mobility already has brought significant change to the ECM world, and we have 10 actionable tactics to assist with meeting the challenges that our smartphones and tablets present on a daily basis. Finally, enterprise content is more than "documents and email messages," and you'll read about an innovative approach to identifying attorney expertise by extracting content from multiple sources. As the articles highlight, ECM encompasses many functional areas, and the breadth of the ideas and solutions presented will help you harvest what is best from your enterprise content. We would not have those ideas without the able contributions of our authors, and I thank them for sharing their expertise. And special thanks to the members of the ECM Peer Group Steering Committee who helped shepherd the white paper to completion. We are always seeking topics for additional educational content to present to the ILTA membership, and you can contact me at pcwittekind@pbnlaw.com with any suggestions. Paul C. Wittekind Vice President of ILTA's Enterprise Content Management Peer Group ABOUT ILTA Providing technology solutions to law firms and legal departments gets more complex every day. Connecting with your peers to exchange ideas with those who have "been there done that" has never been more valuable. For over three decades, the International Legal Technology Association has led the way in sharing knowledge and experience for those faced with challenges in their firms and legal departments. ILTA members include firms of all sizes and all areas of practice, all sharing a common need to have access to the latest information about products and support services that impact the legal profession. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE ILTA is the premier peer networking organization, providing information to members to maximize the value of technology in support of the legal profession. DISCLAIMER This report is designed for use as a general guide and is not intended to serve as a recommendation or to replace the advice of experienced professionals. If expert assistance is desired, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither ILTA nor any author or contributor shall have liability for any person's reliance on the content of or any errors or omissions in this publication. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright © ILTA 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any manner or medium whatsoever without the prior written permission of ILTA. Published by ILTA c/o Editor, 9701 Brodie Lane, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78748. INTRODUCTION