Today’s competitive business scenario has compelled entrepreneurs and business persons to focus on establishing robust customer communication management (CCM). Ever-changing customer expectations and challenges in the market have expanded the definition of customer communication manifolds. Be it billing or call marketing, customer care, or e-marketing, customer communication has become imperative in the corporate sector.

Though banks and financial institutions are the torchbearers of customer communication by providing 24/7 services to enhance customer experience, various industry sectors have also followed suit by offering multiple communication channels to their customers. As a result, customer communication management has become a necessity to make customers happy and retain them with business.

Let’s understand the basics of customer communication management and its major benefits for modern enterprises.

Basics of Customer Communication Management

Effective customer communication holds a key to survival and thriving in this turbulent time. The right customer communication strategy addresses the core objectives like reduced customer acquisition costs, maximizing the value of every customer, and improved retention rate. Customer Communication Management (CCM) is, therefore, a set of technology solutions that assist enterprises to achieve these objectives.

CCM takes care of every aspect related to customer communication including content creation, enterprise content management, personalized experience, and multi-channel distribution of different forms of content. CCM acts as an integrated solution and bridges the gap between the company and its customers.

Higher dependency on vendors for implementing minor changes to the business system can increase the cost and waste time. CCM tools can overcome this issue effectively and empower business persons to manage customer communications efficiently.

Data-rich industry sectors like banking, retail, and eCommerce have to deal with volumes of transactional documents on a 24/7 basis. The document management system, connected with the customer communication system can work wonders by providing customers with bank statements, invoices, etc. in real-time. Also, companies can offer marketing collaterals to promote their products or services with ease.

Simply put, a properly implemented CCM solution can bring significant benefits to any enterprise. Here we make a list of some of the top benefits of customer communication management.

Major Business Benefits of Customer Communication Management

A robust and reliable customer communication management solution can-

• Bring automation in creating and delivering highly personalized customer communication
• Assist companies to execute multi-channel marketing campaigns with clarity and consistency

Also, Read- Top Business Benefits of Customer Communication Management

• Enable the company management to change the existing communication method by incorporating a mechanism for version control
• Assist companies to focus on the particular requirements of every customer effectively to provide more relevant information
• Enhance visibility and control over corporate communications to ensure seamless business operations
  Integrate enterprise data into transactional communications for agile marketing that leads to improved up-selling and cross-selling
• Reduce dependency on the IT team for performing trivial changes
• Help enterprises comply with regulatory standards with real-time audits and reporting

By giving these benefits, CCM can take the enterprise to a new level as a customer-centric entity.

Concluding Lines
Customer communication management is essential to attract and retain more customers by offering them a personalized and pleasant experience. You can grow your business by increasing sales and achieving a loyal customer base. It is better to consult a reputed customer communication solution provider to integrate CCM into your business system.

ContCentric is a leading Alfresco development company that offers high-end solutions in enterprise content management and customer communication management domains. If you want to delight your customers with real-time communication, simply send us an email at marketing@contcentric.com. We will get back to you soon with the right strategy.

The document management system plays a crucial role in managing and accessing all corporate data. It gives modern companies the strength to survive and thrive amid increasing competition and challenges. Advancing cloud technology can take the document management system to a new level. It facilitates entrepreneurs to spend less on infrastructure while enabling them to enhance business value.

Alfresco, one of the globally acclaimed enterprise content management development platforms has integrated the advancements of cloud technology in Alfresco Cloud. It offers corporate users the benefits of a Platform-as-a-Service delivery model along with a robust, cloud-based environment for managing all new apps and services efficiently.

Top Advantages of Alfresco Cloud PaaS for Modern Businesses
The Alfresco development company can leverage the following advantages of Alfresco Cloud Paas by building and deploying various apps-

• Alfresco Cloud consists of several on-demand services including Process as a Service, Governance as a Service, and AI as a Service to meet different needs.
• It needs minimal configuration for enterprise content management consumption as a services
• The cloud-based platform enables organizations to build, deploy, and run processes in a fully hosted environment

Alfresco Cloud is hosted on Amazon Web services to offer highly reliable architecture with high availability. The platform is fully redundant and provides high-end security features along with the following features-

• Scalability and Speed– With 99.9% availability and an auto-scaling option, Alfresco Cloud enables users to manage the document management system of business while delivering a highly reliable experience and functionality.
• Seamless Upgrade– Users can seamlessly manage automatic upgrades within Alfresco Cloud. It ensures continuity in business operations and provides immediate access to the latest and innovative versions of the Alfresco platform.
• Reduced Operational Expenses– Alfresco Cloud leverages the computing power of AWS and reduces operational costs significantly. With extra storage and scalability of the platform, corporate users can easily manage the content management system.

Let’s go through six compelling reasons why your company should use Alfresco Cloud-

1) Time to Value Advantage
Alfresco Cloud is ready to run and keeps the enterprise content management system running. There is no need to wait for specific applications and data centers for managing the content management system. In a way, Alfresco Cloud offers instant operation and the advantage of Time to Value (TTV) to enterprises.

Also Read: Top Tips to Create Effective Document Management Strategy for Your Enterprise

2) Access to New Solutions
Cloud-based solutions act as a game-changer when it comes to innovation and creativity. Agile development and the ability to implement changes quickly assist the Alfresco development company to offer seamless access to new features and solutions. As a corporate user, you can get access to new features as and when they become available thanks to Alfresco Cloud.

3) Effective Resource Allocation
Your team can focus on enhancing business value while allocating the available resources effectively. Alfresco Cloud makes it possible by enabling the company management to get rid of data centre operations, upgrades, and backups frequently.

4) 24/7 Support and Maintenance
A robust Alfresco development company provides technical assistance and maintenance services on a 24/7 basis. These services help you keep your enterprise content management system up and running for a long time.

5) Industry-standard Practices
One of the biggest benefits of Alfresco solutions is they comply with the prevalent enterprise standards. With the insights, experiences, and excellent operations, Alfresco Cloud supports tens of hundreds of organizations across various industry verticals globally.

6) Competitive Edge
Alfresco Cloud offers multiple benefits to modern enterprises and keeps them updated with technological advancements. It is easy to manage the operations as there is no version lock-in and other hurdles. As a result, you can get an edge over your competitors.

The Alfresco development company can mention other benefits of the Alfresco cloud platform.

7) Concluding Lines
Alfresco Cloud provides excellent PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) offerings to build and manage apps as well as digital operations without spending additional money. It is better to consult a reputed enterprise content management system development company to know other benefits of Alfresco Cloud.

ContCentric is a reputed Alfresco development company that has successfully developed complex ECM solutions for the global corporate clientele. Just send an email at marketing@contcentric.com with your document management system-related requirements and our expert business consultants will get back to you soon.

Alfresco is a leading open-source ECM (Enterprise Content Management) system. Modern companies, irrespective of their size and business model can leverage the benefits of the feature-rich Alfresco Community Edition. As an entrepreneur, you can consult a reputed and robust Alfresco development company to build a customized ECM powered by Alfresco.

The Alfresco Community Edition enables users to store the corporate documents in a ‘content store’ which is a normal file system. It is an open file system for all users including server administrators, developers, and maintainers. In this system, all the content (documents) can be stored in the form of a .bin file.

The file names within the content stores are referenced through GUID which is maintained within the database. Specifically, in the Alfresco community edition, these .bin files can be converted back to the original document by changing their extensions if the original extensions are known.

These content stores are often exposed during the backup and restoration of the repository in the document management system. If the documents are confidential then there is always a risk of getting these documents into the wrong hands. Therefore, we have developed a custom encryption component that encrypts every document within the Alfresco instance before it gets stored.

As the encryption is being done at the time of the documents/content being stored to the content store, encryption will be the background process. Similarly, the document will be decrypted while accessed within the Alfresco only by Alfresco users.

The best part of the component is- it does not affect the content which is already present in the content store. It means the component can be applied to the Alfresco instance already having content, which is in use. The component will start encrypting the content right from the implementation.

Technical Details

• We have implemented custom encryption using AES with CTR mode of Encryption algorithm.for the alfresco community edition.
• The encryption operation is performed as and when the document/content being stored in the content store.
• AES Algorithm detail

– AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with CTR(Counter) mode Encryption
– 16 bytes key to encrypt-decrypt
– 16 bytes Initialization Vector(IV) param

Also Read- How to Set Workflow Due-date Reminder in Alfresco DMS

• Classes Overridden for Encryption

The following classes are being used internally while creating a unique .bin file at the physical content store. We have to override these classes to encrypt the content before they get stored in the content store.

org.alfresco.repo.tenant.TenantRoutingFileContentStore
org.alfresco.repo.content.filestore.FileContentStore
org.alfresco.repo.content.filestore.FileContentWriter
org.alfresco.repo.content.AbstractContentWriter
org.alfresco.repo.content.LimitedStreamCopier

• Classes Overridden for Decryption

These two classes are used to read the content from the content store. Normally, these classes expect the normal content from the nodes which have been stored in the content store. As we have are encrypting the content of a node before it gets stored in the content store, we have to override these classes to decrypt the content using the decryption key.

org.alfresco.repo.content.filestore.FileContentReader
org.alfresco.repo.content.AbstractContentReader

• Performance

These encryption and decryption of content are adding little extra operations to the process of storing and retrieval of content. However, it will not affect the user experience if the server configuration is done according to the standard recommendation by Alfresco.

Talking about the benefits of customized content encryption in the Alfresco document management system, we can include the following ones-

• Security for stored or archived content
• Does not affect other features and operations
• Custom encryption key restricts decryption of the content outside the alfresco without key
• Does not affect old or existing content of the content store and indexing

ContCentric is a renowned Alfresco development company with a team of highly skilled and certified Alfresco developers. We can come up with a user-friendly and feature-rich document management system for companies of all sizes and irrespective of industry sectors. You can contact us by sending an email at marketing@contcentric.com. Our expert consultants are happy to help you!

The manufacturing industry is the backbone of the economy of any country. It is not just the process of transforming raw materials into valuable products, but it is a driving force for adding value to the country’s GDP by making electrical goods, vehicles, beverages, medical supplies, and the like.

The manufacturing sector deals with raw materials and provides finished goods to consumers, and here, it is necessary to maintain a supply chain.

What’s more, the manufacturing industry needs efficient planning and proper maintenance of various equipment. Be it research, design, development, production, or quality assurance, every process generates a lot of data and the manufacturing company has to manage it effectively. There, a robust document management system lends a helping hand to manufacturers.

We are going to see the importance of the Document Management System (DMS) in the manufacturing sector and its major benefits in this blog. But, before moving to the role of DMS in the manufacturing domain, let’s understand the composition of this sector.

Manufacturing Industry Composition

The manufacturing industry focuses on the fabrication of products from raw materials. These finished products are intended for use in other industries and machines. The sector has an enormous potential in manufacturing useful products that can bring more comfort and convenience to our lives. Paper, packaging material, glass, hardware, and other finished goods fall under this sector.

The aim of the manufacturing industry is to reduce human effort or manpower to accomplish various tasks. It can assist other sectors to increase efficiency and enhance productivity. Manufacturing goods and services play a vital role in driving the economy of any country. Let’s see how the DMS or enterprise content management system is useful for this industry.

How DMS Works in Manufacturing Sector

Structured data is crucial for managing processes effectively and staying ahead of the curve. Every industry tends to leverage the benefits of data, and the manufacturing industry is no exception! Manufacturers face many challenges in managing documents and accessing them in real-time. All four types of manufacturing processes- casting, machining, joining, and forming generate enormous amounts of data and the company has to manage them properly.

The manufacturing document software can assist the manufacturers in data management. Effective data management can resolve some common manufacturing challenges like forecasting demand for products, inventory management, sales management, resource management, etc. The enterprise content management system can also enable the manufacturing unit to improve efficiency and increase ROI.

It is fair to mention that paperwork can take a huge chunk of valuable time and needs a lot of effort. Paper is revenue-draining as it is hard to find and highly degradable. It causes various problems for manufacturing and other industries simply because of difficulty in maintenance. The document management system can easily solve this issue and anyone in the manufacturing unit can get access to necessary documents anytime and anywhere.

Manufacturers can stay ahead of the curve while leveraging the benefits of technological advancements. Let’s understand how the document management system resolves some of the big issues of the manufacturing sector.

How DMS Addresses Big Issues of Manufacturing Companies

The document management system not only addresses the challenges related to extensive paperwork but also helps the manufacturing unit to grab the opportunities. In other words, DMS can convert challenges into opportunities if it is implemented in a proper way. Users can easily access, modify, and store necessary documents in the system. Sharing, distributing, and archiving of documents can be handled efficiently through the document management system.

Also, the DMS can enable manufacturing companies to bring radical changes in their operations while resolving the problems like-

Related services page: Enterprise Content Document Management Solutions for all Industries

Intensifying Competition

The manufacturing industry is full of uncertainties and faces tremendous competition. It is difficult to make informed decisions based on real-time insights, and many manufacturers have faced many difficulties due to this issue. Thankfully, the DMS can address this problem while giving more time to manufacturers to spend on other critical processes.

Resource Planning Issues

Another major issue for manufacturing companies is training employees for various projects. Now, proper integration of the document management system can help companies to improve workflow by giving access to necessary documents to employees on their devices.

Inventory Mistakes

Discrepancies in inventory and records can cost a lot to the manufacturing sector. Paper-dominated inventory management systems have many issues and manufacturers find it difficult to resolve them. The document management software can keep the documentation process easy and prevent mistakes in inventory.

Poor Data Sharing

Anytime access and sharing of data are important for the manufacturing sector. The DMS makes it possible by bringing automation to paper-based processes. It directly results in improved efficiency and productivity. Also, the data is shared securely using the DMS to mitigate security-related threats.

Many manufacturing companies have zillions of data but they just do not have any idea to utilize them for improving critical operations. There, centralization or indexing of data can remain handy to analyze. The document management system can give the advantage of Big Data to manufacturers and they can optimize their processes using the stored data effectively.

The DMS streamlines the work processes, improves workflow, and facilitates employees to work with more efficiency. The document management system also enables employees to find the necessary documents using meta tags and keywords. It also brings automation in document-related operations like inputting similar information. It saves time and effort of all employees. In a way, manufacturing companies can stay ahead of the curve.

Concluding Lines
In a nutshell, the manufacturing industry can get the advantage of a document management system in bringing automation and increasing convenience in every process.

ContCentric is a leading Alfresco content management company. We have a team of certified Alfresco developers who have hands-on experience in developing enterprise content management systems for SMEs as well as Fortune 500 companies. If you want to give your manufacturing company an edge over peers through a robust document management system based on Alfresco, simply send us an email at marketing@contcentric.com. Our expert business consultants will get back to you soon.

Every industry sector needs proper coordination for ensuring seamless business processes. But, it is quite a task as most companies have geographically dispersed workplaces. There, transformation in the existing document management system can work wonders as employees from different places can get access to necessary documents as and when they need them.
Alfresco, with its excellent functionality and features, can bring digital transformation in various sectors, and the education sector is no exception. As a robust document management system, Alfresco can take care of documentation in the education sector. Be it assignments, quizzes, reports, or various questionnaires, Alfresco is a perfect choice for managing everything.

Let’s understand the role of Alfresco in resolving the issues related to universities and education institutes.

Problems Related to Education Sector

Most educational institutes and universities have to manage the documentation process. It starts with the admission of students and ends with evaluating assignments or tests. As mentioned above, the Alfresco content management system can assist education organizations to manage the documentation. Let’s see how Alfresco helps address various problems-

• Distance Learning
  

  Most institutes provide distance learning facility these days, and it requires an efficient collaboration with real-time access to various documents. Various institutes offer various courses, and it is necessary for them to conduct the entrance exams for these courses. They need to store and manage the exam-related documents properly. Also, their document management system should be capable enough to facilitate evaluation and manage the admission process after conducting the exam. Here, Alfresco can greatly help.

• Online Classes

  Thanks to advancing technology, many universities conduct online classes for national and international students. Hundreds of faculty are engaged in giving online lectures worldwide. Now, the challenge is to maintain the documents related to transcripts of lectures and other study material of different courses. What’s more, these documents need proper permission for students. For example, the study material should be in the form of Read-Only for students. The Alfresco document management system can help institutes to manage these documents effectively.

• Assignments

  Conducting and managing the assignments is complicated for universities and educational institutions alike. Various courses have different subjects and every subject has assignments. Here also, assignments for teachers and students need different permissions. Alfresco can play a vital role in ensuring real-time access to assignments.

• Examination and Evaluation
  

  The examination and evaluation concept needs the utmost accuracy and security. Faculties set the examination paper and the institutes conduct the exam. Then the papers are evaluated by reviewers. The entire process is conducted with ease through an advanced document management system.

Also Read- How Alfresco Application Development Framework Benefits Enterprises

How does Alfresco help Education Sector?

Alfresco document management system can be customized to meet data management needs. Here is how Alfresco helps the education sector.

• Alfresco is basically a repository and enables the sector to manage varieties of documents. As a content management system, it facilitates the educational institutes to store the content in a relational database through the file system. Proper segregation of study material offers better access. Faculty and students can get real-time access to the study material. Whether it is an examination process or admission process, all documents can be effectively handled with the help of Alfresco.
• Folder management and workflow automation are necessary to streamline the process and ensure proper implementation of processes. Talking about the education sector, the sector needs proper management of various activities. Let’s take an example of the assignment process. The faculty can upload subject-wise assignments in a particular folder. Only students can get access to assignments. After completing the assignment, students can submit the same in a different folder. The content management system can shift this folder to a ready-to-review folder where the reviewer can get access to the completed assignments.
• At times, there is more than one reviewer for evaluating the competitive or entrance exams. In such a scenario, it is necessary to keep the provision that more than one reviewer can handle the single document along with getting the complete history of changes. It is necessary for proper grading and a more effective evaluation. The alfresco-based document management system can make it possible in the education sector.

Efficient storage and higher mobility can enable the industries to implement process standardization. The education sector is getting more advanced with the concepts of eLearning and online coaching. The Alfresco platform manages the documentation of the sector to ensure a seamless implementation of these concepts.

Concluding Lines
The Alfresco document management system is designed to meet the diverse requirements of the education sector. It helps the sector by segregating all necessary documents properly and assisting the management to maintain all the records. Simply put, when it comes to simplifying the document management process in the education sector, Alfresco always remains handy in increasing efficiency and speed. Alfresco has also a proven track record in ensuring accuracy while promoting optimum time utilization.

A reliable document management company can come up with a customized Alfresco-based system for your education organization.