The End of an Era

image In my last post I mentioned that I have been very busy of late. Well, part of that work has been working towards this…I am leaving the world of consulting. That’s right, after spending almost my entire career being a hired gun, I am choosing sides and becoming a “client”.

More than that, but I am leaving the world of Documentum. This year, for the first time since I started attending in 2000, I will miss the Documentum conference, aka EMC World.

These are some big changes for me. I thought I’d take some time and share.

Consult, Rinse, and Repeat

Five years ago, I was hired to build/lead the Enterprise Content Management practice at Washington Consulting, Inc. (WCI). Over the years, through ups and downs, I became a Director and the capabilities of WCI grew. Today WCI is in a much stronger position, by any measure, to solve the Information Management problems of its clients.

imageMeanwhile, the repetition started to become obvious. While the technology kept evolving and changing, the core challenges were constant. Organizational resistance, short-term financial goals, and the desire to just “throw”  the system over the wall and see what users do with it.

So it became obvious that it was time for new challenges. Of course, there is a side effect…

Leaving Documentum

I am leaving the world of Documentum behind. While that wasn’t a goal, I wasn’t trying to stay in the world of Documentum either.

The next year is going to be critical for EMC and their Documentum line. The Cloud-based Content Management train is leaving the station and this is the year that EMC can grab a spot in first class. It is going to be fun to watch.

Watch I will. Too many friends, colleagues, and clients have a vested interest in the outcome for me not to care. I’ve poured a lot of energy into that world over the years and I’ll always have an intense curiosity regarding Documentum’s fate. I’m rooting for EMC to succeed.

I’ll always care, it just isn’t going to be my problem anymore. At least for now.

The Next Chapter

So what is next? That is the subject for a post in the next week. I’m going to a position that I’ve been wanting for years with an organization that seems to be a natural fit. Since I’ve made the decision, the most consistent feedback I’ve received is, “That’s perfect!”

It likely isn’t perfect but it seemed like the right choice.

12 thoughts on “The End of an Era”

  4. I think you’ll find the change interesting (of course, until your next post I don’t know what you’ll be doing – unless Mr Chapman’s comments about “fries” is accurate).

    After working 10 years in the FileNet world as a consultant I jumped over the fence to the other side. Boy – things were so different…

    Wish you the best of luck. Hope you’ll keep blogging!

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  5. Kristoffer (@laksko) says:

    Thanks for your always thoughtful insights. Good luck in your new role, curiouswhat it is….
    /Kristoffer

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  6. Best of luck Lawrence! 8 years ago I left the world of consultancy and got off the fence, on the side of a vendor. Like you, I also left 10 years of Documentum behind me (can you ever? a small spark of loyalty always remains, the way you always remember fondly your first girlfriend… 😉 ). Curious to see what your next venture will be: Not being a consultant is not going to be easy!

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  7. Best of luck with the new start Laurence! Remember when you go over to the “client” side to be nice to us, consultants have feelings too 😉

    Will be very interested to read your next post!

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    • I’m still going to be a speaker at AIIM 2012, so I’ll see you in SanFran. Applies to everyone else. Come on out and have some frosty beverages (and see me speak). Extra get together forming on that Thursday night as conference end.

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