July 28, 2021

OpenText vs MFiles: Which is Better for Business Process Automation?

Is your Atlanta-area organization leveraging business process automation software to simplify tasks and enhance your staff’s efficiency? Otherwise, you’re probably wasting valuable time and financial pluses.

With the innovations of business process automation, you can program repetitive, regimented processes, thus making your business tasks more efficient, saving on personnel time, and guaranteeing your team members can focus on work that grow the organization.

Today, we're examining two of the most widely used enterprise content management (ECM) software accessible today for business process automation: M-Files and OpenText. We'll evaluate both, next to each other and explain how we take advantage of these tools at Wave.

However, first, let's start with a primer on what business process automation is and how it operates.

What is business process automation?

Business process automation (BPA), alternately called business process management (BPM), is the utilization of machine-driven technology to establish routine, rules-based processes namely sending records, data entry, onboarding a new worker, sending wages, or processing accounts payable dealings.

State-of-the-art automation platforms makes use of innovative tech like robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to deal with these tedious tasks on a human's behalf.

By automating tasks that would typically use up valuable man-hours, you can redirect your precious human resources to other areas of the business where they can be more productive.

Automation also decreases the probability of manual error, inaccuracy, and process blockers - all of which take away from a company’s bottom line.

How do I know which processes I can automate?

Not all business process is suitable for business process automation. The appropriate task is the one that’s done consistently and can be explained by user-generated standards and actions.

What to look for in a process that can be mechanized:

  • Does it require that it be consistently done the same way in the entire organization?

  • Is it a routine, repeatable process?

  • Is it vital that the task is perfect?

  • Does the process entail an enormous amount of tasks?

  • Does it call for multiple people to do?

  • Is it time-sensitive?

  • Is there a need for an audit log for this process?

M-Files vs OpenText Comparison



M-Files

OpenText Documentum

Pricing

By quote

By quote


Prices vary between Documentum and AX

Deployment

Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based

Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based

Support

Email/Help Desk

Forum

Knowledge Base

Phone

Chat

Email

Phone

Chat

Training

In-person

Online

Webinars

Documentation

Videos

In-person

Online

Documentation

Features

Access Controls

Android/iOS Mobile app

Archiving & Retention

Audit Trail

Collaboration Tools

Compliance Tracking

Content Management

Customizable Templates

Digital Asset Management

Document Management

Drag & Drop

Electronic Signature

Encryption

File Conversion

File Recovery

Full-Text Search

Governance

Offline Access

OCR

Search/Filter

Real-time Sync

Version Control

Workflow Management

Access Controls

Administration

Advanced File Versions

Analytics

Business application

Capture

Collaboration

Content Security

Content management

Delivery models

File Sharing

Governance

API

Metadata Search

Microsoft Office 365 Integration

Records Management

SAP Payment Automation

Security, 2FA, SSO

Workflow Automation



M-Files Pros and Cons

M-Files is a strong ECM tool that offers both on-premise, cloud solutions, or a hybrid version depending on your business requirements. It offers automation innovation to simplify your business tasks and workflows as well as intelligent information management.

At Wave, we often employ M-Files as a one-way information collector for a client's different tools and information. In this way, we can assist our clientele undergoing rapid development, the ability to unite all of their operations and information, and obtain greater agility during digital transformation.

M-Files is a good, scalable application for clients who don't already have a goliath ECM like OpenText Documentum already installed in their company.

But, with MFiles it's essential to note that building automation compels the investment of an add-on referred to as a 'vault'. M-Files accessible vaults are Document Management, Contract Management, Back Office, HR, Project Management, GDPR, and QMS.

The rate is set on a case-by-case basis contingent on the characteristics your business calls for.

OpenText Pros and Cons

OpenText is an Enterprise Information Management (EIM) tool that allows organizations to better leverage enterprise data, industrialize156] repetitive tasks, generate a more extensible business model, and reduce risks correlated to information governance and intellectual property.

It can be unfurled on-premises in a data center or by means of the cloud.

At Wave, we typically see OpenText applications operated in one of two ways: with Documentum as a deeply rooted ECM or via Application Extender (AX) which works as a downsized, create-as-you-go alternative to Documentum.

Documentum comes fully equipped and ready to solve any organizational difficulty you possess. The problem with Documentum is that the UI is a little complicated, it requires tedious maintenance, and upgrades, along with the platform itself, are expensive.

For businesses that have previously put forth the investment in Documentum and don't wish to uproot the application and start all over again, Wave can assist with tool upgrades and optimizations to ensure that businesses can get the most out of their ECM ecosystem.

With Application Extender, the user experience and user interface (UI/UX) are quite distinct from Documentum which a number of clients like.

It's a great option for enterprises who don't want to invest in Documentum, and it is possible to be built to figure out any business difficulty.

The downside to AX is that it isn’t fully loaded once purchased like Documentum, rather, connectors and extras will be necessary to be built in to create enhanced functionality and set up automated tasks.

Similar to M-Files, the cost of Documentum and Application Extender are fixed on a case-by-case foundation influenced by the characteristics your business requires.

Let Wave Help You Implement and Optimize Your BPA Software

If your company is unaccustomed to business process automation, or you have started mechanizing workflows but want to enhance your tools to achieve more, Wave can help.

Wave assists companies just like yours every day to implement automation cloud, SaaS or on-premise solutions, content management systems (CMS), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools.

We help our customers to simplify their processes through the entirety of the lifecycle, program monotonous, repetitive work, and integrate the whole data ecosystem to take away siloes and establish long-lasting expandability for theirorganization.

Already putting to use a legacy platform, and don't want to start from scratch No worries!

Wave can be closely associated with your organization and enhance your current business applications through add-ons, unifications, and connectors so you can get more from your current tech stack without being in an obligation to start over with a new service supplier.

We're happy to work with ECM solutions like M-Files, OpenText and Microsoft Sharepoint, or any other content services platform you're currently running.

If you'd like to learn more about how Wave can help support digital transformation and business process automation in your Atlanta company, contact us today.


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