That got me thinking about Sharepoint. It might seem like an odd comparison, but it seemed like my handyman tools were to construction what Sharepoint is to Enterprise Content Management (ECM).

When many organizations think of document management, the first thought is Sharepoint. Microsoft has made over $1 billion in revenue from sales of Sharepoint 2007 alone. And, according to research performed by AIIM (www.aiim.org), 83% of those surveyed said they either currently use or likely will be using Sharepoint in the near future.

Predominately used for file sharing, collaboration, and searching; Sharepoint has limitations in its ECM capabilities much in the same way my Dremel^® is great for detail work, but may not be the best choice for building my screened in porch. An effective ECM solution can step in where Sharepoint leaves off. ECM software companies have developed Sharepoint integrations by providing organizations with interactive workflow, records management, and Digital Asset Management in addition to the components Sharepoint provides. Sharepoint can be the effective unifying layer while the ECM handles the heavy lifting of Content Management.

In the end, I looked to professionals with the right tools and experience to help me complete construction on my screened-in porch.