Enterprise content management: theoretical and practical point

Abstract

Despite the increasing attention that Enterprise Content Management has received from companies, few researchers have scientifically explored the concept. There is a gap between academic research and the practice of ECM, and researchers are challenged to investigate this area that is increasingly gaining strength outside academia. It is a knowledge domain poorly researched and lacking in theories, techniques, and systematic and rigorous methods. To meet part of that need, the article provides an introductory conceptual analysis of ECM. The goal is to establish a theoretical framework that serves as a thorough introduction to ECM as a scientific theme. This purpose is achieved through an analysis of the field based on four of its pillars: (1) components; (2) perspectives; (3) development; and (4) strategic aspects. A literature review is carried out, with the backdrop of the four pillars mentioned, as well as the experiences of authors in a PD&I project, when they identified the lack of more rigorous literature in the area. The literature survey tried to summarize the key concepts believed to make up the ECM field. It follows that the ECM is a new and wide field of research that provides researchers of information science many problems to be studied. However, research exploring scientifically the concepts of the area are scarce in Brazil.