Enterprise Content Management (ECM): What It Is and Why It Matters
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) helps organizations capture, organize, store, and secure business content. It takes documents, emails, images, and records out of scattered folders, inboxes, and paper files, and brings them into a single controlled system.
With ECM, information is searchable, secure, and accessible to the right people at the right time. The result is better efficiency, lower risk, and more consistent operations.
What is Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?
ECM is both a strategy and a set of technologies for managing content throughout its lifecycle. It covers how information is created, classified, secured, accessed, and archived.
Instead of letting files sit in silos, ECM centralizes them. Teams can manage contracts, invoices, HR records, marketing assets, case files, and more. Some systems use folder structures, while others (like M-Files) use metadata, allowing you to search by what a file is about instead of where it is saved.
This approach reduces wasted time, avoids duplicate work, and strengthens compliance.
How does an ECM system work and what are its key components?
An ECM platform combines several functions into one cycle:
Capture: Bring in information from paper scans, emails, uploads, or connected systems. OCR and metadata tagging help classify content at the point of entry.
Manage: Organize documents with metadata, apply version control, automate workflows, and enforce permissions.
Store: Securely hold active files in repositories where they can be searched and used.
Preserve: Archive records for the long term with retention rules and compliance safeguards.
Deliver: Provide information to employees, customers, or integrated applications through search, portals, or APIs.
These components ensure information isn’t only stored but actively managed across its entire lifecycle.
What types of content can an ECM manage?
Modern ECM systems handle nearly every type of unstructured content, including:
By consolidating these formats, ECM reduces duplication and creates a trusted, single source of truth.
It also bridges structured and unstructured data. While structured data lives in databases like ERP or CRM, most business information is unstructured. ECM makes unstructured information organized, searchable, and usable.
Who needs ECM, or which businesses and departments benefit from it?
Any organization that depends on documents or records gains value from ECM. Examples include:
Finance: invoices, purchase orders, audits
HR: employee records, onboarding documents, training files
Legal: contracts, compliance files, case records
Sales and Marketing: proposals, presentations, collateral
Customer Service: account files, support records
Heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, financial services, and government often adopt ECM to meet compliance standards. But smaller businesses also benefit. Even without strict regulations, ECM improves daily efficiency by keeping information consistent, secure, and easy to access.
Why is Enterprise Content Management important for businesses?
ECM addresses common problems that slow organizations down. It:
Saves time by making files easier to find
Cuts costs by reducing paper and manual processes
Strengthens compliance with audit trails and retention policies
Improves security through controlled access and backups
Supports collaboration with version tracking and workflow automation
In practice, ECM becomes the backbone of daily operations. It creates order, reduces risk, and ensures information is available when it’s needed most.
How is ECM different from using basic cloud storage or file-sharing tools?
Cloud storage tools like Google Drive or Dropbox make it simple to save and share files. But they lack the advanced management needed in an enterprise. Likewise, other content platforms such as document management or digital asset management systems each handle part of the picture — but not the full scope of ECM.
Workflow automation to move documents through approvals
Records management with retention schedules and legal holds
Granular permissions and detailed audit trails
Integration with ERP, CRM, and other enterprise systems
Cloud drives are useful for basic storage. ECM is a complete system for managing content across its entire lifecycle.
Your Next Step Toward Smarter Content Management
Enterprise Content Management gives businesses a reliable way to manage information from creation to long-term retention. It keeps content organized, applies consistent rules, and supports both compliance and productivity. Companies that adopt ECM reduce waste, protect sensitive data, and make information easier to use across teams and departments.
A Document Management System is not just a tool. It is a platform for how teams work together. The right DMS improves productivity, supports remote access, reduces operational costs, and helps teams collaborate more effectively without the friction of outdated processes.
This article explains how a DMS enhances collaboration and efficiency, covering document search, metadata, reporting, mobile access, Microsoft Office integration, and AI functionality.
Can a DMS reduce operational costs for my company?
Yes. A DMS reduces operational costs by streamlining how documents are created, shared, approved, and stored. By replacing paper with digital processes and reducing manual steps, businesses save time and money.
Common areas of savings include:
Lower printing and storage expenses
Faster document retrieval
Shorter approval timelines
Reduced administrative workload
Fewer errors and compliance risks
These savings often scale across teams and departments, especially in document-heavy industries.
Platforms like M-Files help by automating routine tasks and replacing manual workflows with efficient digital alternatives.
Is it difficult to transition from paper-based processes to a DMS?
Transitioning from paper to digital can feel like a challenge, but most organizations find it manageable with the right plan. Many DMS platforms include tools to scan and import existing documents and apply metadata for easier organization.
The best approach is to start with your most critical or active documents, train users early, and roll out the system in stages. With vendor support and clear communication, adoption improves and the transition becomes smoother.
Vendors like M-Files offer migration support and guided onboarding to help ensure early wins and long-term adoption.
What is the role of metadata in document management?
Metadata describes and categorizes your documents so they can be found and managed without relying on folder names or locations. It includes details such as document type, owner, project, status, or department.
Instead of searching through folders, users filter by metadata to instantly find the right file. Metadata also drives workflow rules, version control, reporting, and compliance policies. It replaces guesswork with structure and improves consistency across the organization.
Systems such as M-Files are built around metadata, enabling powerful automation and precision without sacrificing usability.
How does a DMS improve document search and retrieval?
A DMS improves search by indexing both file content and metadata. Users can search by keyword, tag, date, document type, or status and receive accurate results in seconds.
Instead of digging through folders or asking coworkers where a file is, the system returns what is needed quickly and reliably. This saves time and supports faster decisions.
With platforms like M-Files, search is context-aware, meaning users can locate what they need based on the “what” of a document rather than the “where.
What kind of reporting and analytics can I get from a DMS?
DMS reporting tools show how documents move through your organization. You can track activity such as:
These reports help improve process efficiency, monitor compliance, and make informed operational decisions.
Some systems, like M-Files, include built-in dashboards and reporting tools that visualize these trends in real time.
How do mobile apps or remote access fit into a DMS strategy?
Remote access is a core part of a modern DMS. Users can view, edit, approve, and share documents from any device with the proper permissions.
Whether working from home, traveling, or on site, employees can access files securely and stay productive without needing a VPN or office server. Mobile access supports fast approvals, better collaboration, and more responsive service.
M-Files provides mobile apps and secure browser access so teams can stay connected and in control, no matter where they are.
Does a DMS integrate with Microsoft Office and other popular tools?
Yes. Most DMS platforms integrate directly with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other popular software. This allows users to create and edit documents inside familiar tools while the DMS handles version control, permissions, and metadata behind the scenes.
Integration reduces tool switching and helps employees work faster while staying within a secure and managed environment.
M-Files supports deep integration with Microsoft 365, enabling users to collaborate in real time without leaving their everyday applications.
What role does Artificial Intelligence play in advanced DMS solutions?
AI enhances a DMS by automating document classification, suggesting metadata, detecting anomalies, and improving search relevance.
For example, AI can recognize document types like invoices or contracts, extract key information, and route files to the right workflow. It can also identify duplicate documents, flag missing signatures, or alert users to outdated versions.
By reducing manual work and supporting better decisions, AI makes the DMS smarter and more responsive to your business needs.
Platforms like M-Files use AI to streamline classification, surface relevant content, and highlight potential issues before they become problems.
Conclusion
A DMS supports more than storage. It helps create a culture of productivity, visibility, and collaboration. With features like smart search, customizable metadata, reporting, mobile access, Office integration, and AI automation, your teams can spend less time managing files and more time getting work done.
If your current system causes delays, errors, or confusion, building a stronger DMS culture may be the next step toward long-term success.
Solutions like M-Files offer a modern approach to document collaboration, helping organizations connect people with the information they need—securely and efficiently.
Choosing between cloud and on-premises deployment is one of the first decisions when implementing a Document Management System (DMS). This guide explains the pros and cons of each model and answers common questions about security, scalability, and backup.
On-Premises vs Cloud DMS Deployment
One of the first decisions to make when selecting a Document Management System is how you want it deployed. Should your organization manage it on internal servers, or use a cloud-based platform maintained by the provider? Both models have their place, and each offers distinct advantages depending on your priorities.
This article explains the differences between cloud and on-premises DMS deployment, with answers to common questions about security, backup, and long-term scalability.
What is the difference between cloud and on-premises DMS?
The difference between cloud and on-premises DMS lies in hosting and management. On-premises systems are installed on your own servers and maintained by internal IT. Cloud systems are hosted by the vendor and accessed over the internet.
Cloud platforms offer easier deployment, lower maintenance, and better support for remote teams. On-premises models offer more control but require greater internal resources.
M-Files is available in both deployment models, allowing organizations to choose the option that aligns with their security, compliance, and infrastructure needs.
Are cloud-based DMS solutions secure?
Yes, cloud-based DMS platforms are secure when properly managed. They often include enterprise-grade encryption, secure transmission protocols, multi-factor authentication, and continuous monitoring.
Top vendors also maintain global infrastructure with built-in redundancy and hold certifications such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001. In many cases, the security standards of a cloud provider exceed what most businesses can maintain internally.
Cloud-first solutions like M-Files apply these protections by default, giving organizations a secure environment without the need for custom infrastructure.
How does a DMS address data backup and disaster recovery?
A cloud-based DMS typically includes built-in disaster recovery and automated backups. Your files are stored in multiple secure data centers, making recovery fast and reliable if disruptions occur.
With on-premises systems, backup and recovery are handled internally. You must create and manage your own policies, storage, and testing protocols to ensure business continuity.
Solutions like M-Files Cloud include redundancy and disaster recovery as part of the platform, easing the burden on internal IT teams.
How does cloud-based DMS scalability help a growing business?
Cloud-based DMS platforms scale easily as your business grows. You can quickly add users, expand storage, or activate features without infrastructure changes.
This flexibility supports fast-moving teams and remote work, one of the many advantages of a document management system. On-premises systems require physical upgrades and licensing changes, which add time and cost.
For organizations looking to grow without constant reconfiguration, platforms like M-Files offer rapid scalability and predictable performance.
Making the Right DMS Deployment Choice
Cloud and on-premises DMS solutions both offer value, but their differences matter. On-premises systems give you full control and deep customization. Cloud platforms reduce your IT burden, deploy faster, and scale with your business.
For many organizations, especially those prioritizing speed, flexibility, and simplicity, a cloud-based DMS offers a secure and practical path forward.
If you’re unsure which approach best fits your organization’s needs, our Ultimate Guide to Document Management Systems discusses cloud vs on-premises in context with other DMS decisions.
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is the undisputed leader in the digital productivity market, with more than 80 percent of the global share in productivity software. Familiar names like Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, and PowerPoint are hard-baked into the everyday foundations of most any office.
While M365 offers a wide array of powerful productivity tools that are easy to use, the very best benefits of the suite can also create problems down the road.
As Microsoft 365 tools continue to improve and become even easier to use, the challenge to effectively and efficiently manage the resulting output can paradoxically create new productivity challenges. The risks of document sprawl, siloed information, and compliance gaps only grow as it becomes easier for any knowledge worker to quickly create, duplicate, and share content.
Forward-thinking organizations can leverage the power of a metadata-driven document management platform to augment the power of M365, secure information processes, and ensure compliance without sacrificing the productivity benefits of the overall Microsoft 365 investment. Here’s how:
Taming information chaos
As organizations grow, information grows. As information grows, information sprawls. The result? Knowledge workers often struggle to find the right information in an ocean of data spread across disconnected data repositories, including SharePoint and OneDrive, as well as non-Microsoft systems.
An astounding 56 percent of surveyed organizations say their document management systems don’t connect with other systems in place. While Microsoft provides powerful data storage and management tools, M365 doesn’t include an out-of-the-box plan or policy mapping how information is managed. Documents get duplicated, version control fails, and access management can’t adjust to the chaotic change. Knowledge workers waste time finding the right information, get frustrated, and “re-invent the wheel,” with their own storage schemes, leading to poor productivity.
To tame the information chaos, a top-of-class, metadata-driven document management platform can connect Microsoft and non-Microsoft systems to create a single source of truth over enterprise data. Such a platform can deploy search capabilities to help find information based on what it is rather than where it is, as well as enabling control over document access, versions, publishing, and distribution.
Embrace automation to fight data frustration
Nearly 8 in 10 workers surveyed report they’ve recreated documents which already existed because they were unable to find it on their corporate network. When information management strategy relies on manual processes and employee diligence, errors happen, costs rise, and everyone gets more stressed and frustrated.
Because Microsoft 365 lacks automated rules on how to name files or where to store them, content can easily “go dark,” slip through the cracks or wind up on a team members local or even personal device. When documents aren’t automatically connected to business data or processes, business processes must be tracked manually, wasting time and money.
An intelligent document management platform connects documents to business data to drive improved daily workflows and processes and guides users when creating new content or filing existing documents.
Details like file naming, permissions, or the next document reviewer can be automated, while workflows, views, tasks, and notifications help keep daily work organized.
Ensure compliance with access controls
Data compliance controls are no longer a “nice-to-have” across the business landscape—they are a “must-have.” Despite its many productivity strengths, Microsoft 365 does not include out-of-the-box compliance tools. For many organizations, this means access control —a key aspect of compliance management—can become cumbersome and difficult to keep up to date.
Following policies and procedures requires extra work and relies on employee diligence, and, as we’ve seen, such manual processes inevitably lead to errors. In the world of compliance, errors can not only cost lost hours and revenue, but can also result in huge fines. Without a document management strategy in place, audit trails can break with access control issues and document duplication. The bottom line: Compliance doesn’t follow the speed of business and audits create unnecessary workloads.
By deploying a metadata-driven document management platform, organizations can reduce business risk and ensure compliance by automating access controls to follow the rhythm and rules of all internal and external rules. Industry, standard, and regulatory compliance controls are embedded into daily work as automated workflows seamlessly gather and retain compliance evidence. As a bonus, each content access and edit event creates an electronic audit trail.
Maximizing the Microsoft Advantage
As Microsoft 365 is undoubtedly poised to continue its reign as the GOAT office productivity tool, organizations need to constantly keep up with innovative ways to complement the strengths of M365. A metadata-driven document management platform, like M-Files, integrates into Microsoft 365 and acts as the single point of access for all enterprise data. Team members can find, access, and manage all connected data, regardless of its repository through Microsoft user interfaces.
• Add information governance over documents accessed from Teams • Connect Outlook emails and attachments with clients and projects • Organize information across multiple SharePoint sites and search with business relevant criteria. • Access and use information from non-Microsoft repositories directly in Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
“Cloud, collaboration, and connectivity: How can seamless communication be delivered?“, M-Files CEO Antti Nivala took on some of the toughest issues facing businesses in our time of digital transformation.
For many, the new ways of working are freeing, but there are unanswered questions: How do businesses communicate seamlessly in a work-from-anywhere world? What does a good office environment look like in the cloud era? How can you empower your employees when they’re working in drastically different time zones?
According to Antti, getting employees on the same page is about more than just sending them a laptop. “Even in places where the technological gaps have been filled, there needs to be a cultural change,” he said. “Now that many people, especially those at knowledge work companies are independently working at a time and place of their choosing, we have to make information available in a self-serve, on-demand way.”
Collaboration off the clock
The best workplace for your business may not be a physical place at all. You may not even work at the same time. “When we free people from the limits or restrictions of a place, they also begin making choices of when they work. Synchronous ways of communication and collaboration don’t necessarily work anymore,” Antti said. “We have to accept new ways of asynchronous collaboration and work together differently than when we were all gathering together in a meeting room.”
One way that companies can get more done in an “always-on” world is by unlocking information and empowering their employees to access it when they need it.
“Maybe it’s a cultural thing that companies, managers, and leaders tend to keep information to themselves,” Antti said. “Unless there is a very specific confidentiality reason why it shouldn’t be, I’m an advocate of the thinking that most of the information should be available and accessible, from a technical and access rights point of view to pretty much every employee in the company.”
Lifelong learning
Another way to optimize processes and make your business more dynamic is to provide access to learning possibilities. “For us as leaders, it’s about enabling and empowering employees to be successful.” According to Antti, “our role is to provide ways for them to develop their skills.”
During the panel, Antti explained that existing platforms like LinkedIn Learning offer a lot of value to your employees’ skill set. However, you know your business best. Beyond creating comprehensive onboarding processes and information libraries, companies should offer their team members in-house learning and self-development courses that can be taken when and where they want.
“If you can provide extensive learning and self-development opportunities, I think you are doing a great job in enabling your employees to not only do what you hired them to do but to elevate themselves to the next level.”
Regardless of the type of business, you’re talking about, organizations invest in digital transformation for a myriad of different reasons.
Some turn to the power of modern technology to improve efficiency – empowering employees to communicate from department to department easier than ever before. Others want to guarantee that data can flow freely across the enterprise, making sure that the critical information that people need to do their jobs is always in the right hands. Others still do it for cost savings. Not only can a digital transformation save a tremendous amount of money upfront, but it’s an investment that will also continue to pay dividends for years to come.
All of these benefits have always been important – but they’re especially so given everything going on in the world right now with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March of 2020, as the pandemic first began to make its way across the world, millions of employees suddenly found themselves working from home indefinitely. As a result, many organizations suddenly realized that they lacked the infrastructure needed to support this revolution. In addition to not having access to the tools people needed to work as productively as possible, they found themselves in dire need of solutions that would allow them to share critical information as securely as possible. This is especially true in an industry like accounting and financial services, where firms are dealing with data that is decidedly more sensitive than most.
Even though vaccines are rolling out across the world, the number of remote workers isn’t exactly dropping. One recent study revealed that in August of 2021, about 13% of people were still working remotely full-time due to concerns about the pandemic and the newly emerged Delta variant, among others.
Indeed, working from home is a trend that shows absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon – which means that organizations who were preparing for digital transformations prior to the pandemic need to seriously rethink their approach. The world has changed in a dramatic way and there’s no putting that particular genie back in the bottle. This is only a negative thing if you allow it to be. If you approach your digital transformation from the right perspective, you stand to gain enormously in a wide range of different ways, all of which are worth a closer look.
The Shifting Landscape of Post-Pandemic Life
Not too long ago, the team at M-Files partnered with Accountancy Age on a report that detailed what digital transformation – and business in general – has been like before, during, and (hopefully) after the pandemic. It featured survey respondents from a mix of organization sizes, ranging from those with 51 employees all the way up to those with 1,000 or more.
Overwhelmingly, the report revealed that accountancy firms in particular were simply not ready for the transition to fully remote work when lockdown restrictions were originally imposed. A massive 76.6% of respondents said that they initially battled significant challenges in terms of enabling staff to work productively from home – not to mention the difficulty they experienced in servicing clients as effectively as possible.
So much of this has to do with the fact that the accounting industry has long adopted a myriad of different applications and solutions to share, manage and store sensitive business data. This includes but is not limited to chat and video conferencing tools, enterprise content management systems, and more.
The issue here is that this almost immediately runs the risk of creating data silos that firms simply cannot afford to have existed. Again, information needs to be able to flow freely from one segment of the business to the next – regardless of where those employees happen to be. This is true not only in terms of allowing people to effectively collaborate with one another but with regard to empowering workflows as well. If critical data is trapped in a single repository and the person who needs it to do their job doesn’t have access to it – or worse, isn’t sure it exists at all – this only runs contrary to a firm’s goals.
Initially, in an effort to combat some of these risks, many accountancy firms took to sharing information with clients by sending physical copies in the mail. This was true of 44.4% of respondents. Another 79.4% of respondents said that they shared the same information via email. Not only do these methods pose a significant security risk, but they also affect traceability as well – leading to a poor client experience when the opposite should be your primary objective.
The Future of the Workforce Has Arrived
All of these things underline the importance of digital transformation in the modern era – particularly during a time when the “new normal” that we’re all about to return to will likely have little resemblance to the one we left behind.
Case in point: data security. As stated, accountancy firms in particular lacked the infrastructure needed to truly support remote workers in the most secure way possible. In addition to email folders, respondents to the aforementioned survey said that they used files and folders across shared network drives, solutions like Microsoft SharePoint, CRM and ERP systems, dedicated accounting solutions, file sharing applications like Google Drive, and more to manage and share business and client documents within the firm itself.
The right approach to digital transformation is an opportunity to consolidate all of this down into one simple, easy-to-use system that is built with modern workflows in mind. M-Files, for example, is a document management system that allows information to be accessed based on not where a file is stored, but on what is contained within it. All data is stored via a system that can be accessed anywhere, at any time, on any device. More than that, permissions can be set to make sure that only the people who need a particular file to do their jobs have access to it – thus preventing that information from falling into the wrong hands.
Likewise, a digital transformation can be a great opportunity to create branded, customizable client portals that themselves can help accountancy firms better collaborate with clients. Not only does this guarantee the security and privacy of client documents, but it also improves the digital client experience as well.
In the end, a digital transformation is a massive undertaking, yes – but for most accountancy firms, the pandemic has proven that it’s an investment that is well worth making. “Change” and “disruption” are only negative words if you allow them to be. With the right perspective, you can see them for what they really are – opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of to propel the next decade of your firm’s success and beyond.
Regardless of the type of business, you’re talking about, organizations invest in digital transformation for a myriad of different reasons.
Some turn to the power of modern technology to improve efficiency – empowering employees to communicate from department to department easier than ever before. Others want to guarantee that data can flow freely across the enterprise, making sure that the critical information that people need to do their jobs is always in the right hands. Others still do it for cost savings. Not only can a digital transformation save a tremendous amount of money upfront, but it’s an investment that will also continue to pay dividends for years to come.
All of these benefits have always been important – but they’re especially so given everything going on in the world right now with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March of 2020, as the pandemic first began to make its way across the world, millions of employees suddenly found themselves working from home indefinitely. As a result, many organizations suddenly realized that they lacked the infrastructure needed to support this revolution. In addition to not having access to the tools people needed to work as productively as possible, they found themselves in dire need of solutions that would allow them to share critical information as securely as possible. This is especially true in an industry like accounting and financial services, where firms are dealing with data that is decidedly more sensitive than most.
Even though vaccines are rolling out across the world, the number of remote workers isn’t exactly dropping. One recent study revealed that in August of 2021, about 13% of people were still working remotely full-time due to concerns about the pandemic and the newly emerged Delta variant, among others.
Indeed, working from home is a trend that shows absolutely no signs of slowing down anytime soon – which means that organizations who were preparing for digital transformations prior to the pandemic need to seriously rethink their approach. The world has changed in a dramatic way and there’s no putting that particular genie back in the bottle. This is only a negative thing if you allow it to be. If you approach your digital transformation from the right perspective, you stand to gain enormously in a wide range of different ways, all of which are worth a closer look.
The Shifting Landscape of Post-Pandemic Life
Not too long ago, the team at M-Files partnered with Accountancy Age on a report that detailed what digital transformation – and business in general – has been like before, during, and (hopefully) after the pandemic. It featured survey respondents from a mix of organization sizes, ranging from those with 51 employees all the way up to those with 1,000 or more.
Overwhelmingly, the report revealed that accountancy firms in particular were simply not ready for the transition to fully remote work when lockdown restrictions were originally imposed. A massive 76.6% of respondents said that they initially battled significant challenges in terms of enabling staff to work productively from home – not to mention the difficulty they experienced in servicing clients as effectively as possible.
So much of this has to do with the fact that the accounting industry has long adopted a myriad of different applications and solutions to share, manage and store sensitive business data. This includes but is not limited to chat and video conferencing tools, enterprise content management systems, and more.
The issue here is that this almost immediately runs the risk of creating data silos that firms simply cannot afford to have existed. Again, information needs to be able to flow freely from one segment of the business to the next – regardless of where those employees happen to be. This is true not only in terms of allowing people to effectively collaborate with one another but with regard to empowering workflows as well. If critical data is trapped in a single repository and the person who needs it to do their job doesn’t have access to it – or worse, isn’t sure it exists at all – this only runs contrary to a firm’s goals.
Initially, in an effort to combat some of these risks, many accountancy firms took to sharing information with clients by sending physical copies in the mail. This was true of 44.4% of respondents. Another 79.4% of respondents said that they shared the same information via email. Not only do these methods pose a significant security risk, but they also affect traceability as well – leading to a poor client experience when the opposite should be your primary objective.
The Future of the Workforce Has Arrived
All of these things underline the importance of digital transformation in the modern era – particularly during a time when the “new normal” that we’re all about to return to will likely have little resemblance to the one we left behind.
Case in point: data security. As stated, accountancy firms in particular lacked the infrastructure needed to truly support remote workers in the most secure way possible. In addition to email folders, respondents to the aforementioned survey said that they used files and folders across shared network drives, solutions like Microsoft SharePoint, CRM and ERP systems, dedicated accounting solutions, file sharing applications like Google Drive, and more to manage and share business and client documents within the firm itself.
The right approach to digital transformation is an opportunity to consolidate all of this down into one simple, easy-to-use system that is built with modern workflows in mind. M-Files, for example, is a document management system that allows information to be accessed based on not where a file is stored, but on what is contained within it. All data is stored via a system that can be accessed anywhere, at any time, on any device. More than that, permissions can be set to make sure that only the people who need a particular file to do their jobs have access to it – thus preventing that information from falling into the wrong hands.
Likewise, a digital transformation can be a great opportunity to create branded, customizable client portals that themselves can help accountancy firms better collaborate with clients. Not only does this guarantee the security and privacy of client documents, but it also improves the digital client experience as well.
In the end, a digital transformation is a massive undertaking, yes – but for most accountancy firms, the pandemic has proven that it’s an investment that is well worth making. “Change” and “disruption” are only negative words if you allow them to be. With the right perspective, you can see them for what they really are – opportunities just waiting to be taken advantage of to propel the next decade of your firm’s success and beyond.
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