Think big, act small. But not too small!

A lot of Livelink implementations are not 100% successful. Typically, an unsuccessful implementation results in either an ECM system not being used at all, or a system used in such a way that your users (and your content) are out of control. The first one, is the one I see the most.

Nowadays there is a lot of focus on the change management aspect of an ECM project. This is extremely important when looking at user acceptance, but my thoughts are on the system itself. Many organisations roll-out a very basic system and plan to add more features later on. However, by that time, a lot of damage has been done. On such a limited system, it is very hard to convince end users why this system is soo much better than the network shares they were using before, as most arguments seem to benefit the organisation itself, but not the end-user directly.

So here are the 10 things you should have in place before you roll out your Livelink system (in no particular order by the way). Without these, it will be more difficult to win the hearts of your users.

1. Directory Services
   No discussion possible. You need single sign on from the start!
2. Office and e-mail integration
   Livelink will be the central storage for the content your users create, so make it easy for them to add content to the system.
3. Explorer integration
   For the same reason as #2, your users will need either Livelink Explorer or WebDav (or a combination)
4. e-Link
   E-mail enabling your system greatly enhances productivity, but perhaps more important, your users will love it.
5. Workflow
   Workflow is often not implemented in ‘phase 1’ of the ECM roll-out. However, workflow is a great way to get things into your system in an organised way. You users will quickly see the benefits of the ECM system compared to a fileshare ‘system’.
6. WebForms
   Even if you’re not using them for a business purpose at the start of your Livelink roll-out, you can create one that your users can use to request access to specific areas or functionality of the Livelink system itself. This is just another way of giving your users something extra, something they didn’t have before.
7. WebReports
   WebReports can be used to make your LiveReports more attractive, and once you start using them, you will find out many, many more uses for them. WebReports can also be used turn your Enterprise Workspace into an attractive dynamic homepage.
8. Appearances and Customviews.
   Add some corporate branding to your Livelink pages using Appearances and spend some time creating attractive customviews for the main folders in your Livelink system. Add a few lines indicating the purpose of the folder and add an icon or small image to make it more attractive.
9. Object Importer
   You don’t want to start with an empty system. You will have many documents to bulk-load from existing systems. Object Importer is the perfect tool for this. Make sure you have some Excel templates ready which can be used to generate the XML you need easily.
10. A good viewer
    The ‘View as webpage’ option is simply not that good. A viewer like Brava can be a nice (but expensive) replacement with a lot of additional options you may use later on (markups, limiting downloading/printing of classified documents). It especially becomes a ‘must have’ when you have engineering drawings in your system.

Introduction

Hi, welcome to my ‘Livelink thoughts’ blog. I’ll be posting my thoughts on Livelink related matters here from now on.

But first, let me tell you who I am. My name is Rick Breemer, born in 1976, living in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. I have been working with Open Text Livelink since 2000. I have specialised in Livelink software (OScript) development for Open Text’s flagship product Livelink Enterprise Server. Over the years I have worked with many different Open Text products and have played many different roles in a variety of client environments.

From this experience I will be posting my thoughts on approaches, tools and techniques that I believe are most successful. My target audience? I guess anyone who is interested in Livelink!