How Your Small Business Can Benefit from Content Management

Too often it is assumed that Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions are only worth investing in within the context of large enterprises. However, small businesses (SMBs) can greatly benefit from content management solutions. From access and cost savings to compliance and flexibility, we’ve broken down a few of the key ways that SMBs can benefit from ECM.

Compliance with Government and Industry Mandates

With so many regulations to watch including HIPAA and ISO, it can be tough to keep track of how to maintain compliance with them. Failure to keep in compliance with these regulations can deal significant financial blows to your company through some hefty fines. An ECM system can help with this by controlling the management of access and retention, as well as offering automated audit tracking. With the help of ECM, organizations are able to comply with regulations and pass audits with ease.

Easy Access to All Content

A good portion of a company’s most critical business information is kept inside paper documents. It’s important for small businesses to take note of which business departments paper bottlenecks can occur in. From there, it may be wise to consider investing in a digital copier or a multi-function product. These tools can serve as a great entry point into converting paper documents into digital files that can be easily accessed and stored through an enterprise content management solution.

Bypass Added IT Costs

Most small businesses don’t have the resources to support an extensive IT support team. Because of this, an ECM solution can be advantageous. By implementing the right content management system, SMBs won’t need incredible amounts of IT support to implement it. By using a content management suite with a focus on security and administration, businesses will be able to reduce the overhead required to install it.

An ECM System that Adapts to Fit Your Business

Instead of investing in a content management system that you’ll quickly outgrow, finding a solution with the flexibility to meet the changing needs of your company is a better option. You shouldn’t only look for a large content repository for keeping stored documents, as these provide limited functionality. A strong, flexible ECM system allows you to manage a wide range of document types and content, such as scanned files, spreadsheets, word documents, blog posts, and videos.

Provide Simultaneous Access While Controlling Versions

Many small businesses are constantly needing to update their documents. It starts to become incredibly costly to print and store a large number of documents. With this also comes the risk of printed documents becoming outdated in a short amount of time, as well as employees exchanging outdated documents and acting on them. A solid content management solution will allow employees to view the latest versions of a document at any time and from any location.

Running a small business can be a time-consuming and overwhelming feat. However, with the right platform, SMBs can benefit from content management solutions and the organizational functionality they provide. Consider implementing an ECM tool to facilitate the development and management of your business.

Looking for more information on enterprise content management and content services solutions? Consider downloading our Content Management Buyer’s Guide! This free resource gives you the ability to compare the top 20 products available on the market with full page vendor profiles. The guide also offers five questions to ask yourself and five questions to ask your software provider before purchasing. It’s the best resource for anyone looking to find the right content management or content services solution for their organization.