OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management - DeSL Integration and Automation

Common Integration Use Cases Between OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management and DeSL

1. Product development records capture for compliance

Data flow: DeSL to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management

When DeSL users finalize product specifications, tech packs, material approvals, or supplier sign-off documents, the integration automatically declares the approved version as a formal record in OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management. This ensures critical product development evidence is retained with the correct retention policy and audit trail.

Business value: Reduces compliance risk, prevents loss of approved product documentation, and supports traceability for audits, disputes, and quality investigations.

2. Retention-managed storage of supplier and compliance documents

Data flow: DeSL to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management

Supplier certifications, test reports, sustainability declarations, and regulatory documents managed in DeSL can be transferred to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management for controlled retention and disposition. The records system becomes the system of record for documents that must be preserved beyond the active product lifecycle.

Business value: Helps fashion and retail organizations maintain evidence for sourcing compliance, product safety, and ESG reporting while reducing manual archiving effort.

3. Controlled access to archived product history for audits and legal review

Data flow: OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management to DeSL

DeSL users can access links or metadata references to archived records stored in OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management, such as historical approvals, design changes, or supplier correspondence. This gives product, legal, and compliance teams a single view of the product history without duplicating records.

Business value: Speeds up audit response, supports product recall investigations, and improves decision making with verified historical information.

4. Automated retention of obsolete product development files

Data flow: DeSL to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management

When a product line is discontinued or a season closes, DeSL can trigger the transfer of obsolete project files, final BOMs, approved artwork, and related correspondence into OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management. The records platform then applies retention schedules based on product category, market, or regulatory requirements.

Business value: Eliminates manual cleanup, reduces storage sprawl in DeSL, and ensures obsolete content is retained or disposed of according to policy.

5. Audit-ready change control for design and specification revisions

Data flow: Bi-directional

DeSL manages active product changes while OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management preserves the official record of key change approvals. When a change request is approved in DeSL, the final approval package can be archived in OpenText. If compliance teams need to review a change history, they can retrieve the record and compare it with the current product data in DeSL.

Business value: Strengthens governance over product changes, improves accountability, and provides a defensible audit trail for regulated product categories.

6. Preservation of supplier onboarding and qualification evidence

Data flow: DeSL to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management

Supplier onboarding documents such as contracts, certifications, audit results, and qualification approvals can be captured from DeSL and stored as records in OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management. This is especially useful when supplier qualification must be retained for multiple seasons or regulatory cycles.

Business value: Supports supplier governance, reduces risk from incomplete documentation, and simplifies evidence retrieval during audits or disputes.

7. Centralized retention for product launch and market release documentation

Data flow: DeSL to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management

At product launch, DeSL can send final release packages, packaging approvals, labeling sign-offs, and market-specific compliance documents to OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management. The records repository then manages long-term retention by region, brand, or product type.

Business value: Ensures launch documentation is preserved consistently across business units and geographies, reducing legal and regulatory exposure.

8. Exception handling for recalls, claims, and post-market investigations

Data flow: Bi-directional

During a recall or quality issue, DeSL provides the active product and supplier data needed to investigate the issue, while OpenText Extended ECM - Records Management supplies the authoritative historical records such as approvals, test evidence, and correspondence. Together, they create a complete case file for legal, quality, and operations teams.

Business value: Accelerates root-cause analysis, improves recall response time, and strengthens defensibility in customer or regulatory investigations.