Choosing the right enterprise content management (ECM) solution for the company can be a difficult and overwhelming task. The key is finding the solution that addresses your specific needs, preferences and budget. You need to carefully analyse each ECM solution – how it can streamline current operations, enhance document security and reduce costs.
It goes without saying, the right ECM solution should be able to automatically capture, process and store paper documents into a digital format.
That way, you can minimise the human error of manually processing files and documents, increase the accuracy of documents; and improve productivity with easy access to any needed information.
In this post, we provide a list of steps you need to consider when choosing the best ECM solution for your business.
Enterprise content management or ECM offers an efficient way to store, manage and share all company content. It takes a holistic approach to information management and allows teams to:
An ECM solution also helps convert paper documents to digital format, so they can be easily tracked, managed and controlled.
If your company has decided that it needs a content management solution, and you’ve been tasked to find the right one for the business, here are the top questions you need to ask before searching for your own Enterprise Content Management solutions.
Choosing a content management solution is an important company investment. This is why it should help your business move forward and achieve its overall objectives.
When analysing a specific content management solution, make sure its features and functions can add value to your current operations.
Like any other software or platform, to maximise adoption across the business, the ECM solution needs to be easy to use and perform at expected levels for individual users.
Even with minimal training, staff should be able to improve productivity and easily access and manage the files and documents they need.
At times, the longest and most stressful part of any implementation is the integration with the existing IT environment. The right ECM solution needs to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems and applications.
In other words, your IT or development team should not be spending a lot of time and resources just to make the new content management system work within the current network. An ECM which requires little or no programming would be best, as it should provide you with enough compatibility across a wide range of systems and applications.
The ECM should be able to grow as your company and needs grow.
That way you aren’t basing your decision on your current company size and needs, and your ECM is future-proof.
Storing data in the cloud can provide numerous benefits to the business – including increased scalability, accessibility and security.
Consider a cloud-based ECM so you can easily access and manage documents within a secure private or public cloud. The keyword is secure - so you need to review the provider’s security measures and protocols.
People are increasingly accessing documents and files through their laptops, phones or tablets - and your ECM needs to keep up.
This is especially important for companies who manage a remote workforce.
Is the ECM solution secure? Security is an ongoing concern for many businesses – especially if the data is stored in cloud servers.
Your ECM needs to be able to:
It might be worth asking about measures and procedures in the event of a data breach.
Complying with regulatory requirements is a constant struggle for any business - and unfortunately, the regulations around digital data are getting more and more complex.
That is why it’s essential that your ECM solution is flexible enough to adjust to any record-keeping and security requirements.
It’s important to consider the experience, expertise and track record of the ECM solution provider so that you can work with them more as a partner than just a product vendor.
You need to carefully consider the service and support to be provided before, during and after implementation. This includes a training program for all staff at all levels of technical skill.
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