{"id":46690,"date":"2026-09-10T18:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/?p=46690"},"modified":"2026-09-10T18:03:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:03:22","slug":"when-should-something-become-an-object","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/when-should-something-become-an-object\/","title":{"rendered":"When should something become an object?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When discussions about implementing an ECM system begin, a lot of the talk is about documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What metadata should they contain?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What workflow should they follow?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who should have access to them? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, there is another crucial consideration: Is everything we need a document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or should it be something else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supplier<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complaint<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invoice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a traditional document management mindset, we tend to think about everything as a file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A contract is a PDF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An invoice is a PDF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A project plan is an Excel file.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A customer request is an email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the file is often just one representation of something that exists in the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the concept of objects becomes interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/interested-300x300.png\" alt=\"Interested to know about business objects!\" class=\"wp-image-46855\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/interested-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/interested-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/interested-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/interested.png 796w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing when to turn something into an object can change the way you design an ECM solution fundamentally, so let&#8217;s take a look at it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-document-centric-way-of-thinking\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The document-centric way of thinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s start with a familiar example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine a company that manages supplier contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might have documents such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supplier_Agreement_ACME.pdf<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supplier_Agreement_Contoso.pdf <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supplier_Agreement_Fabrikam.pdf<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You then add metadata:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supplier<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract type<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>End date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Responsible person<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is already much better than a shared folder. The document is no longer just a file. It has context. However, something is still missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this case, the supplier is treated as metadata attached to the document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That might be perfectly fine. But what happens when the supplier becomes important in many different business processes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The supplier has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>contracts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>invoices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>contacts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>certificates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>purchase orders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>quality documents<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>complaints<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>audits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>correspondence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suddenly, &#8220;Supplier&#8221; is doing a lot more work than simply describing a document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has become a business entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that is usually the point where I start asking: <strong>Should Supplier become an object?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-metadata-describes-objects-exist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Metadata describes, Objects exist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This distinction is at the heart of the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Metadata answers: <strong>What is this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An object answers: <strong>What exists in the business?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A document might have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/designing-metadata-cards-that-users-like\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">metadata<\/a> saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supplier = Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if &#8220;Nordic Components&#8221; is an object, we can start saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contract \u2192 relates to \u2192 Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Invoice \u2192 relates to \u2192 Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certificate \u2192 relates to \u2192 Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Complaint \u2192 relates to \u2192 Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now &#8220;Nordic Components&#8221;is no longer just a value in a metadata field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It becomes a piece of the information model, offering a fundamentally different way of thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use metadata to describe an object. Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/blog\/the-forgotten-power-of-relationships-in-ecm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relationships<\/a> to connect objects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-not-everything-should-become-an-object\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not everything should become an object<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you discover the concept of objects, it can be very tempting to treat everything as one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that&#8217;s a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t need an object for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>document language<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>document type<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>creation date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>priority<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>confidentiality level<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>department<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are characteristics, they describe something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They don&#8217;t usually need an independent identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating objects for every piece of information can make your ECM model unnecessarily complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the question isn&#8217;t: Can I make this an object?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost anything can be modeled as an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The better question is: Should this be an object?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-so-when-should-something-become-an-object\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, when should something become an object?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There isn&#8217;t a single universal rule. But I use a few questions to make the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-does-it-exist-independently-from-the-document\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does it exist independently from the document?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider a customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The customer exists even if there are no documents associated with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can have a customer with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>no contract yet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>no invoice yet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>no correspondence yet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The customer still exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compare that with the confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Confidentiality does not exist in isolation; it is an attribute of something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s a strong indication that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customer \u2192 object<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Confidentiality \u2192 metadata<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-is-it-referenced-by-many-things\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is it referenced by many things?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is probably one of the strongest indicators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Suppose you have: Supplier = Nordic Components<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">attached to 200 documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could store &#8220;Nordic Components&#8221; as a metadata value on every document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But now imagine you want to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Which contracts do we have with Nordic Components?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which invoices came from Nordic Components?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which complaints are associated with Nordic Components?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which certificates are about Nordic Components?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who is responsible for Nordic Components?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When does our relationship with Nordic Components need to be reviewed?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The supplier is no longer simply describing documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is becoming a <strong>central point of reference<\/strong>. That&#8217;s where an object starts to make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-does-it-have-its-own-lifecycle\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does it have its own lifecycle?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is another important question, if we consider a contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A contract might have its own lifecycle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Draft \u2192 Review \u2192 Approval \u2192 Signature \u2192 Active \u2192 Expired \u2192 Archived<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document representing the contract also has a lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But sometimes the business entity has a lifecycle that is larger than the document itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a project might move through: Initiation \u2192 Planning \u2192 Execution \u2192 Closure<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During that lifecycle, hundreds of documents may be created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project isn&#8217;t one of those documents. The project is the thing that connects them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a strong argument for making Project an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-does-it-have-its-own-attributes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does it have its own attributes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An object usually has information that belongs to the object itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might want to store:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Customer number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer type<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Account manager<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These aren&#8217;t really properties of a particular document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are properties of the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you keep them as metadata on every document, you introduce duplication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And duplication creates another problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Which value is correct?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Nordic Components changes its address, do you update:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>10 documents?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>100 documents?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10,000 documents?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or do you update the customer once?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where object-oriented information modeling starts to provide real business value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-do-users-need-to-navigate-to-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do users need to navigate to it?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This question is often overlooked. Consider how users actually work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A user may not start with: I need to find a document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They might start with: I need to work on this customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or: I need to see everything related to this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or even: I need to understand this supplier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document is then only one part of the information they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If users naturally think in terms of an entity, that entity may deserve to be an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of navigating through folders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customers \u2192 CustXYZ \u2192 Contracts<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">you can have a relationship-based information model:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CustXYZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contracts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Invoices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Certificates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complaints<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Correspondence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference is subtle. But the user experience can be completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-object-should-have-a-reason-to-exist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The object should have a reason to exist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned above, there is one rule that I find particularly important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t create an object just because you can. Create one because the business needs it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This sounds obvious. But it is surprisingly easy to create overly complex information models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, imagine a project document with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Department<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manager<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Business unit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Region<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cost center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could potentially turn all of these into objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But should you? Not necessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If &#8220;Region&#8221; is simply used to classify documents, a metadata property might be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If &#8220;Product&#8221; has its own lifecycle, documents, specifications, certifications, and relationships, then perhaps it deserves to be an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction is not technical. It is about business meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-objects-connect-information\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Objects connect information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the model becomes much more powerful. An object isn&#8217;t valuable simply because it is an object. Its real value comes from what it allows you to connect, reuse and understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine you have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2193 has<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2193 governed by<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contract<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2193 generates<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Invoice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2193 supported by<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Documents<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the information is no longer a collection of isolated documents. It becomes a connected business context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question is no longer: Where is the document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It becomes: What does this document relate to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-but-what-about-the-document-itself\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">But what about the document itself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where things get interesting!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, the object and the document are closely related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a contract, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is the contract an object? Or is the PDF the contract?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many cases, you actually need both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contract object represents the business entity. The documents represent the content associated with that contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contract 2026-001:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contract number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>End date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Status<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contract owner<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Related documents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Proposal contract<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Signed contract<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Amendment #1<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Amendment #2<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Renewal letter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contract now has its own identity and context, while the documents provide the actual content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This distinction is particularly valuable when a business entity is represented by multiple documents over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A contract doesn&#8217;t disappear just because the initial PDF is replaced by a signed version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, the customer doesn&#8217;t disappear just because a contract expires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project doesn&#8217;t disappear just because the project plan is updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The object represents the business entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Documents represent the associated content and evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you start thinking this way, relationships become much more than a technical feature. They become a way of representing how the business actually works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-and-this-is-where-ecm-becomes-information-management\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">And this is where ECM becomes information management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is, for me, one of the most interesting evolutions in ECM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditional document management starts with: Where should I store this document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.m-files.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Metadata-driven ECM<\/a> moves to: What is this document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relationship-driven ECM goes one step further: What does this document relate to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And object-oriented information management goes even further: <strong>What business entities exist, and how are they connected?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s a very different mental model. The document is no longer the center of the universe. The business information is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-real-question\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The real question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, when should something become an object?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not when the technology allows it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not because objects are more sophisticated than metadata.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And certainly not because we want to build the most complex information model possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Something should become an object when it represents something the business recognizes as existing in its own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From: Where do I put this document?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To: What is this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then: What does it relate to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And finally: What business information are we really trying to manage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because once you stop seeing the document as the center of the ECM world, a lot of things start to make more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document is only one piece of the information. The real value comes from understanding what it represents, what it relates to, and how it fits into the business. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbi-services.com\/expertises\/digitalization-with-ecm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Want to find out more?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When discussions about implementing an ECM system begin, a lot of the talk is about documents. However, there is another crucial consideration: Is everything we need a document? Or should it be something else? In a traditional document management mindset, we tend to think about everything as a file. But the file is often just [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[525],"tags":[3840,1144,391,3190],"type_dbi":[3238],"class_list":["post-46690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-enterprise-content-management","tag-digitalization","tag-ecm","tag-enterprise-content-management","tag-m-files","type-m-files"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.4 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>When should something become an object? - dbi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When should something become an object in an ECM? 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