5 tips for ensuring smooth Alfresco Implementation
Alfresco is one of the best enterprise content management systems in the open source domain. Some features of Alfresco include document and image management, learning content management, integrated publishing, multi-language support, and multi-database support among a few. In this post, I will be discussing in brief a few questions that can be taken as tips for ensuring smooth Alfresco implementation and what an organization should expect from Alfresco consulting partners.
Is it a well-planned implementation?
Rightly said by Kenneth Chin, a Gartner analyst, “Many companies are investing in this software without actually knowing how they are going to use it, or if their workers will use it. In all cases, planning is key.” The smooth Alfresco implementation would be the result of a meticulously designed plan, and of course, the discipline of sticking to it from start to end. The planned design should consider the current position of the organization, must include the people capable of handling the implementation, and those involved must understand and own the work assigned to each of them.
Are users comfortable with it?
Before the Alfresco development process begins, the organization should have taken in to consideration a consensus from its end-users about the change that is about to be implemented. The users who would be using the solution should be comfortable in adopting the change in process. The implementation will not be of much use if the users prefer old methods rather than the newly implemented solution. The change in process should aim to reduce or eliminate problems that users face while using the solution and not burden them with additional tasks.
Does it support continuous improvement?
The Alfresco consulting firm must plan the implementation using an open-ended approach. The solution should be flexible enough giving room for upgrading to a future version without any tedious tasks involved. Activiti workflows should be designed taking in to consideration future changes that could happen in any organization or within a department. For example, if the primary objective of an Activiti workflow is to send a document for review to a group and get its comments and feedback, the workflow should be flexible enough to include other step(s) in its workflow. Another example could be that if instead of sending a document for review, the same Activiti workflow should be easily modified to send out surveys to the same group and send reminders to the group to complete the surveys before time.
How secure is it?
Data security is of primary importance for every organization. IT departments work day and night to protect an organization’s private data and confidential information and ensure that what happens in an organization stays in the organization. Alfresco consulting partners should have designed the solution such that permissions can be set file level as well as folder level for every employee in the organization preventing unauthorized access of confidential information.
Has the solution developed using best practices?
The strategy for development, packaging, documentation, and implementation of an open-source software is different from that of commercial software. In the case of open-source, the software is developed by a group of like-minded individuals who are not necessarily employees of the organization that owns the product. In this scenario, every individual contributing to product development will have his/her own style of coding. These individual contributors should be made aware of best practices for every phase of software development including, but not limited to, coding, testing, packaging, and documenting the product.
Are you interested in learning how Alfresco consulting partner can help your organization reaching its goals ensuring a smooth ECM implementation? Please visit our website for Alfresco Consulting Services and get a free quote for your Alfresco Implementation requirements