INTEGRATING CONTENT WITH WORKFLOW: Learning from the pioneers

Background

• Integrating content with end user workflow is climbing the list of priorities for many information providers

• Workflow systems demand the interaction of three components:
  • Process;

  • Content;

  • Functionality.

• Rather than simply demanding content, users want to be able to use the information they receive, to embed it into their day-to-day activities, and to work with it in an integrated fashion

• Information providers must re-position themselves away from being simply a provider of information to a provider of content and services

Benefits of integrating content into workflow for the information provider

• Strategic lock-in:
  • Publishers? content becomes integral to workflow processes;

  • Proprietary solutions provide a barrier to competitors.

• Competitive differentiation:
  • Workflow is a naturally competitive environment - you cannot run two sets of workflow tools simultaneously.

• Margins:
  • Providing integrated content and services enables the information provider to tap into value-based pricing models which could offer higher margins than simple data delivery.

• Cross-selling opportunities:
  • Exploiting synergies between assets within a portfolio;

  • New information services could be developed which integrate content from two or more disparate sources.

• New business services;

• New product development.

End user benefits

• Enabling greater efficiency, effectiveness and productivity through:
  • Improving in-depth research;

  • Searching multiple information resources;

  • Providing information at the point of need;

  • Improving current awareness;

  • Less duplication of work effort;

  • Sharing information and expertise;

  • Customisation of service offerings;

  • Cost savings.

Problems and issues

• Understanding how the end users of information work with it on a day-to-day basis, and designing systems to provide workflow efficiencies moves outside of the publishers? areas of core competency

• Building the technology to provide these services is the next crucial step

• Content ownership and control comes into question

Drivers of change

• Market developments: regulation and however, attitudinal change

• Difficulty in finding information effectively

• Feedback from users of other products

• Accessibility

Identifying customer needs

• One on one discussions with end users

• Forum sessions with small selected groups of end users

• Pilot exercises during product development

• Larger-scale market research exercises

Implementation issues

The products described in this report?s case studies experienced a range of issues surrounding the implementation process of creating the products in question:

• Leveraging traditional skills into creating a saleable product;

• Avoidance of ?spec creep?;

• Legacy data conversion;

• Finding the right balance for the product, between using new technologies and moving too far ahead of the customer base.

Pricing and business models

• In all cases the services were paid for on a subscription basis

• Pricing for the subscription package was determined either by the number of end users or by the amount of end user data which the product would be required to analyse

• Additional revenue streams included content, software and consulting services necessary for implementation

Recommendations

• Keeping the customer in the loop throughout the development process

• Finding the right technical partner (if one is necessary) is crucial

• Building on an open platform makes integration with the user content simpler and also enables the product to be spun off into other vertical markets without too much difficulty

• Undertaking product tes