Can I start this blog by asking you a question: are you interested in Content Analytics?

If that’s a new term to you, then you are possibly slightly behind the curve – as our latest AIIM report into the topic has found that 60% of the enterprises that took part in our research say it will be “essential” to them by 2020.

Why – what’s the excitement all about? Well, information managers believe there is real business insight to be gained from Content Analytics, which is all about analysing and deriving fresh insight from in-bound and legacy content.

Content Analytics is also seen as increasingly essential to addressing risks associated with incorrectly identified content. Other specifically identified benefits that our members drew out include the potential that auto-classification of content might offer against security breaches, sensitive or offensive content, and exposure to compliance regulations. That’s important, as 54% of the group we polled worry that their organisation is at considerable risk from such threats.

‘Could be a lot of help’

So – a positive picture, looks like Content Analytics has a clear shot at goal here? What’s certain is that we have seen increasing interest and adoption in recognition and routing of inbound content, automated classification of records and email, metadata addition and correction, and all of the improvements in access, security, de-duplication and retention that flow from this.

Meanwhile, 73% of respondents want to enhance the value of their legacy content, not just delete it – while a majority 53% say that auto-classification using Content Analytics is the only way to get what they perceive as “content chaos” under control.

And as in-bound capture extends across more and more types of content, especially where the digital mailroom concept is employed (centrally or distributed), recognition of content types and automated routing to specific processes is seen as very useful.

Content Analytics could be a lot of help in not just these applications, but many other applications we haven’t thought up yet, and so it is definitely something to start evaluating, in our opinion.

Great potential – being restricted

Alas, the reality is that a lot of AIIM members feel there are real barriers in the way impeding their progress with this promising technology. For a start, 80% of survey respondents say there’s no one at a senior level working in their organisations to initiate and coordinate analytics applications.

Indeed, this lack of designated leadership, allied with a perceived shortfall of analytics skills in-house, is restricting the potential and holding back the deployment of Content Analytics tools, according to almost two-thirds (63%) of the research respondents.

That’s a real worry – as the sheer volume of legacy content, combined with increasing volumes of new in-bound content, mean that Content Analytics has the potential to be the single most valuable tool at an enterprise’s disposal. That’s because of the way it can provide meaning and insight to content and help protect organisations from risks associated with unclassified content.

But Content Analytics programmes need strategic direction and people with the right skills to realise the potential – and we think CIOs must look to address these shortfalls soon – in fact, as a priority.

Doug Miles is the head of the AIIM Market Intelligence Division.  Doug has over 25 years’ experience of working with users and vendors across a broad spectrum of IT applications

Also check out AIIM’s ‘Eye On The Industry’ YouTube video series, which has a nice overview of all the report’s main findings here by AIIM’s Director of Custom Research, Bob Larrivee:

The full report, which includes a number of recommendations to progress, is free to download here and is called ‘Content Analytics: automating processes and extracting knowledge’