Top 7 risks of not having an Enterprise Content Management System
Without an enterprise content management system, you run many risks. In this guide, we’re looking at the risks of not adopting a sufficient digital system to manage your content, data and information.
Time spent finding documents reduces productivity
Constantly tracking down documents can be a huge time waster. In fact, an employee can spend in excess of 100 hours a year on document searches. Content management systems can remove this inefficiency and reduce frustrations. This is a huge risk that not only affects overall productivity, but can also impact the ability to complete tasks and projects on deadline.
Lack of clarity on who is responsible
A lack of clarity on who is responsible for updating certain documents or tasks can cause a number of issues. Not only can this result in increased incidents of human error, it can also result in inefficiencies, such as an unnecessary duplication of tasks.
Lack of single source of truth can result in silos
Silos can become a huge burden for enterprises if they’re not managed. Departments across various locations can start to make their own rules, develop their own processes and be out of touch with the core values and objectives of the enterprise. One way to bring everything together is to have a platform that brings all systems and content infrastructure together. Being able to access everything in one place doesn’t just make it more accessible, it also makes it easier to manage and monitor.
Risk of losing important documents
With paper-based documents, there is always a risk of losing them. If you only have one copy, with no photocopies or digital versions, this could cause huge problems depending on the nature of the document. Shifting to a digital document management system removes this risk. As long as documents are stored correctly on the system, they will be easy to find and you can rest assured knowing that if something happens to the physical copy, you have a back-up.
Non-standardised workflows can impact quality of work and efficiency
Standardised procedures are often put in place to help guide departments and teams so that they can maintain high quality standards both in the actual work produced and the way it is completed.
Without a standard process, teams won’t have a framework to guide them and will struggle to be on the same page with the rest of the organisation’s operations. There is a risk of more back and forth on projects and a build-up of bottlenecks where there is no agreement on how to approve and sign-off work.
Having a content management system can help standardise workflows, as well as automate some of the processes for optimum efficiency. You can create brand guidelines and other useful documents that are easy to access and help guide your entire workforce so that they’re working with a common vision.
Risks of data breaches
The risks of GDPR breaches for enterprises can be significant. Not only is the organisation’s reputation at stake, this could end up in financial penalties if data is not handled responsibly. It’s much more difficult to store, monitor and secure paper-based documents.
Where possible, bringing everything onto a secure digital platform makes this element of running an enterprise much easier to manage and can help you avoid legal hiccups. More importantly, you’ll be able to protect your clients and the relationship that you have with them. After all, a data breach can result in contract terminations and lost business.
With the ability to set strict parameters on data accessibility, a content management system can help you control who has access to what information. This can be changed with just a few clicks, so if a sudden change in access is required, this can be done efficiently.
Lack of accountability
Without digital tracking, it can be difficult to truly know who last accessed or amended documents. A content management system increases accountability and helps managers get a better hold on managing errors to ensure they are not repeated.
If you’re interested in seeing how an enterprise content management system could help your business, speak to the experts at Ignite Technology. We help businesses of all maturity levels implement systems that help them thrive, grow and scale up.
