Why You Shouldn’t Juggle Multiple Content Management Systems

More often than a few years ago, organizations have had multiple content management systems in use. There are plenty of headaches that come from having to manage multiple systems. One issue that can arise from having various Content Management solutions within an organization is accessing information stored in the different systems.

Let’s look at an example of an organization with two Content Management systems used for content archiving and retrieval. The Human Resources department uses the first content management system for storing documents and data related to employee onboarding and personnel management. The second Content Management system was installed later by the Accounts Payable department; this system is used to manage invoices, purchase orders, and dispute documents and acts as a portal for vendors to find the status of payments. This system became used for all payments, including payroll.

These users need access to the documents and metadata stored in both systems. They can log into the first system and run a search to find HR documents, but then to find Payroll documents, they have to switch over to the second system, log in, and run another search. This requires the users to have the knowledge and an understanding of both systems to perform their job functions. The nature of this task creates inefficiencies within the departments.

The presence of multiple systems within the organization creates several headaches:

• Storage management
• Security and permissions
• Where information is located
• Retrieval processes
• Missing files
• IT Support

Most of this is avoidable, but certain cases often lead to multiple content management systems. The most common reason for doubled systems are:

• Mergers & acquisitions
• Individual strengths of the content management products
• Lack of internal communication
• Lack of understanding of existing systems in the organization
• Departmental decision making

There are a few ways to get around the issue of having documents and data that users need access to in multiple locations:

• Consolidation of the systems.
• Link the data and documents between the systems using a connector, like ILINX.
• Leveraging the investment in one of the content management systems.

Companies rarely have the horsepower to take on these tasks themselves, so some turn to solution integrators, like ImageSource, to assist in this work. There are huge advantages of going with an experienced Content Management integrator. They can:

• Evaluate the current business requirements
• Assist in streamlining the current process
• Provide recommendations (if needed) on optimizing the solution
• Provide risk mitigation throughout the configuration/redesign process.

The utilization of multiple Content Management solutions within an organization can be a cumbersome endeavor. By evaluating the overall business requirements and optimizing the organization’s Content Management architecture, these pains can be easily overcome and make Enterprise Content Management a more valuable asset.

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