AIIM: It's still about doing more with less

We're a year past the last AIIM Info360 Conference, and while the economy has certainly improved, companies are still not necessarily comfortable making large investments in software solutions. Last year, my post-conference Editor's Corner was called "Recession Casts a Long Shadow Over AIIM 2009." Everywhere I went last year, the conversation was always about ROI. Even if there are signs that we're emerging from the recession, companies may be taking the lessons they learned during the lean times and applying them now, regardless of the current economic situation (and that makes sense).

Companies should always try to get the maximum value for their investment, and many times that means incremental investments. It may mean buying different solutions from different vendors or buying the piece you absolutely must have now and waiting for the pieces that are nice to have. CIOs are suddenly taking a long look at everything. It makes little sense to buy hundreds of desktop licenses only to find a hundred would have been fine. Maybe you give your power users access to the system for starters and bring others along over time. 

There is no magic formula, but as you make your way around the conference this year, listen to the vendors and ask them about how you can get by while buying less. What do you have to have now and how much of it do you need? When you go to sessions, listen to the analysts and industry experts and ask good questions. We may be emerging from the recession, but after the long cold winter, it pays to remain prudent and to see how much return you get for your investment. It's a question you should always be asking, but it just becomes an imperative when there are fewer resources to go around.

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