Electronic Records and Document Management System

MEMORANDUM
DATE:	August 15, 2003
SUBJECT:	Electronic Records and Document Management System (ERDMS) Update
FROM:	Mark Luttner, Director Office of Information Collection (OIC) Mark Day, Director Office of Technology Operations and Planning (OTOP)
TO:	ERDMS Task Force Members ERDMS Steering Committee Members ERDMS Pilot Applicants IRM Branch Chiefs Senior Information Resource Management Officials Record Liaison Officers

The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you of the Agency's decision to select Documentum as EPA's standard platform for records and document management applications. Over the last year and a half, the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) has lead an Agency-wide effort to select an enterprise-wide Electronic Records and Document Management System (ERDMS). Part of this effort included evaluating the suitability of more than eighteen commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) records and document management applications for use in EPA. The COTS evaluation focused on several major areas:

functional requirements (electronic document and records management functionality)
technical requirements (infrastructure requirements, web-based capabilities, security, scalability, ease of use, desktop application integration, etc.)
integration requirements (the number of proven integrations with third-party software),
deployment (costs, training, professional services)
market presence (products currently being used in EPA, viability of vendor, and success of the application in other federal agencies).

All products were evaluated similarly through product demonstrations, literature reviews, federal agency user interviews and expert analysis via contract support.

In the final analysis, product scores were very close. There was only a two to three point difference between the top three recommended products, with Documentum ranking in the top three. The closeness in scores indicated there was no significant differences between the top products in terms of functional and technical capabilities. Therefore, the determining factor was the Agency's current investments in Documentum and the desire to move toward a common platform for electronic records and document management systems. OEI plans to conduct two ERDMS pilot projects in FY 04 using Documentum.

We realize that many important questions are still unanswered, such as who will pay for ERDMS, how and when will it be deployed, and what happens to current electronic records and/or document management systems. We will continue to work with you to address these questions as we work through and learn from the pilot projects.

Finally, we thank you for your continued interest, support and involvement in this important undertaking. Our staff have received much support and help throughout this project, and we are confident that this support and your participation will ensure this project's long term success. If you have any questions, please call Deborah Williams at 202-566-1659.

cc:	Kim Nelson Ramona Trovato Rick Otis Assistant Regional Administrators OEI Office Directors QTS Members

Electronic Records and Document Management System

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