Integrating content into workflow

John Blossom is reporting from SIIA Content Forum 2007. Here is his valuable insight from a panel on content integration into workflow where speakers included Bill Burger, VP of Marketing at Copyright Clearance Center; Sasha Gurke, SVP and Co-Founder of Knovel Corporation and Jim Reeves, SVP of New Product Development for Thomson RIA.

"....but I think that the key lesson I learned from this is that your product will benefit from thorough field research to understand your users' needs. I.T.-centric products that presume too much about the value of a current platform are likely to result in "workflow" solutions that may increase productivity on some level but are not necessarily truly integrated into the ways in which users really to their job. Workflow is a sword that can cut both ways: if you invest heavily in a tool that works well in a closed environment when your customers are looking for more open-ended workflow integration you may be finding your content locked in to a platform that will have a problem responding to competitors who can devise more horizontal integrations via widgets, mashups and other new technologies." Via Shore Online

If the "workflow solution" is not built on an open architecture and customer can't build on it or integrate it with another solution this ain't workflow solution in today's environment.