What is enterprise information management (EIM)?

An overview of enterprise information management (EIM)

Enterprise information management (EIM) is defined as the optimization, storage and processing of data within an enterprise through the combined power of business intelligence or analytics and content management.

In other words, EIM software enables organizations to manage structured and unstructured data across business operations, extract valuable business insights and secure that information while meeting compliance requirements, all on a single platform — at enterprise level.

The goal of information management solutions is to improve efficiency, promote transparency and enable business insights by leveraging software solutions and technologies that are designed to help organizations extract value from their information.

Why do businesses need EIM tools?

With the increase in unstructured data, new regulations and organizational growth drivers such as customer service and process improvement, most organizations are under pressure to ensure complete data security along with improved efficiency and reduced costs.

EIM solutions offer a cost-effective infrastructure that requires minimal IT support, has automatic and seamless upgrades, and provides accessibility to cloud-based data across the organization.

• One platform: Uses a single platform for building content applications that complements other core business systems
• Low-code configuration: Reduces cost, saves time and eliminates departmental siloes by creating content-enabled solutions with a rapid low-code application development platform
• Anytime, anywhere access: Deployable on the cloud and mobile devices and integrates seamlessly with existing applications for access at any time from any location

What are the benefits of EIM capabilities?

The idea behind information management is based on the principle of turning data into information and converting that into action and value. This is an ongoing challenge as very few organizations can extract the full value of their data. To unlock the power of information, organizations need new technologies. This is where an EIM solution fills the gap.

Related articles

• What is electronic file management?
• What is enterprise content management?
• Why fast-paced enterprises need secure file sharing?

Large organizations often have separate applications to tackle each segment — analytics, content management and business processes — but EIM software can combine them all in an integrated platform, effectively removing silos. EIM software includes tools and capabilities to capture, integrate and manage data effectively, enabling organizations to optimize business processes and analytical insights to make critical business decisions.

In a nutshell, EIM solutions help businesses to:

• Improve the way information is managed across business operations
• Leverage data insights to increase visibility into business processes and operations
• Automate business processes to improve efficiency and productivity, and drive engagement
• Enable accessibility to real-time data for an improved customer experience
• Ensure data security and legal compliance

EIM tools and capabilities

Optimizing the use of information is key to support decision-making processes and day-to-day operations that require the availability of knowledge. The growing need for real-time data is expected to have major impact in the current and future business environment. From evolving business models to data management to increased mobility in the workforce, data analytics have become an essential part of information management that reveals meaningful insights into company processes and customer data.

Being able to find relevant information when needed and managing it efficiently is essential in today’s increasingly fragmented information landscape. Some of the intelligent tools and capabilities of an EIM platform includes:

• Capture: Faster, simpler and improved access to critical content automatically extracts data from incoming documents, captures information from various sources and formats, and makes it instantly accessible across the enterprise.
• Business process management: Optimizes business processes with automated workflows, streamlines and simplifies document approvals, and provides visibility into business processes through dashboards and real-time status updates.
• Integration: Seamless integration with your key applications enables your employees to access the information they need from their preferred application. By integrating your applications, you can ensure the data across all your systems is accurate, consistent and up-to-date.
• Records and retention management: Minimizes risks and supports compliance by securely storing, protecting and destroying information in accordance with regulations. Secures important data via tools like keyword encryption, version control and digital signatures to ensure your content is protected throughout its lifecycle.
• Reporting and analytics: Provides the transparency you need across the enterprise with real-time reporting and analytics, including interactive dashboards and audit trails of all content-related activities — and turns it into actionable insights.

> Read more | Mastering the information life cycle: A comprehensive guide