Today, organizations are driven by information. And as business transactions and other related activities become increasingly complex, companies are generating massive volumes of data that must be effectively and cost-efficiently managed. Additionally, many firms are striving to go “paperless”, and as a result, are accumulating a tremendous amount of digital content in a variety of formats.

Yet, most organizations struggle to properly administer their most important content. In order to thrive, they must ensure that their mission-critical information is kept up-to-date at all times, and that it is stored in the most reliable and affordable manner possible. It must also be logically organized for easy retrieval, made readily available to key stakeholders across the business, and fully protected from unauthorized access.

What is a Content Management System?
A content management system is a powerful and comprehensive solution that combines processes and technologies to support digital information throughout its lifecycle. From generation and updating, through publishing and archiving, a content management system supports the widest range of content types, including electronic documents; audio, video, and other multimedia files; Web pages; and more.

With a content management system, all workflows related to file creation, sharing, and management are streamlined and fully automated. Digital content, even files that exist in non-proprietary forms, can be logically stored and archived in a centralized repository. Additionally, information is made more readily available to authorized users, both inside and outside the enterprise, via a network or the Web.

Key Benefits for Your Company
Content management systems offer tremendous benefits to companies who are challenged to keep up in today’s information age, and are seeking a way to better control and administer their digital files. Some of the key advantages include:

• Improved content accuracy, consistency, and timeliness through the ability to more efficiently manage updates and changes
• Enhanced collaboration through more rapid information accessibility and sharing
• Reduced overhead costs through the elimination of paper waste, and a decrease in real estate required for file cabinets and other hard-copy storage
• Increased efficiency through greater content re-usability

And, studies by leading analyst firm Deloitte Consulting demonstrate that a content management system can cut labor costs by close to 50% by minimizing the time needed to author, design, and publish both online and printed documents.

What to Look for When Choosing a Content Management System
Security
A significant portion of corporate information is highly sensitive and confidential. Therefore, it is crucial to select a content management system that offers multiple levels of security, to protect files from unauthorized access. Many content management systems offer role-based security, where access to content, as well as system functionality, is granted based on each user’s role in the content management process.

Enterprise Search
The use of search tools like Google and Yahoo is on the rise, as more and more workers use them to browse the Web for information that will help them better perform their jobs. Combining the ability to search external Web sites with the ability to easily locate and retrieve corporate content can dramatically increase the efficiency of research and other important functions. That’s why many content management vendors are incorporating enterprise search capabilities into their offerings, making files in the repository easily accessible via most major search engines.

Integration
In order to maximize the value of a content management system, it must be seamlessly linked to other content-related systems throughout an organization. For example, any Web publishing or graphic design software should be tightly integrated with the content management system, so files generated, updated, or consumed by these tools can be easily included in the repository.