I like the idea of a Content Management System. Face it, I like the idea of management. Orderly, neat and easy to find. If only there was a system to do it all. Copy. Tag. Save. Retrieve.

There isn't. At least there isn't one custom and ready for your workflow. Not out of the box. It takes some upfront planning to configure a Content Management System, and then you have to abide by the rules that you set for your business.

We expect computers to replace the role of personal secretary. A computer should be able to book appointments, return calls, file important papers, and filter out what is no longer necessary. We forget that personal secretaries secured their own job security with cryptic filing methods that only they understood. 

"Susan, will you send me the MacDonald Report?".

Only Susan knows that the version on the S:\\ drive is out of date and that the current copy it is stored on the T:\\ drive because finance was working on it and T:\\ is the common share. Unfortunately Susan is not at her desk and she hasn't replied to the last text you sent so you search for the document yourself and find one on the S:\\ drive but you weren't even looking in the right folder, so the version you find is so out of date that you start to think maybe you saw a notice in an email and you head to Outlook to do a search on subjects that contain McDonald.

There must be a better way!!!

Let's step back a bit. How can a piece of content be stored so that it is a) easy to find, b) up to date c) secure?

A Content Management System can be set up to: Tag it; Use version control; Share by role.

The new scenario will be, you open up the system dashboard and type McDonald, published. The system asks you if you mean MacDonald, published. You sheepishly say yes to the machine but are pleasantly pleased that the whole ordeal took less than 30 seconds. You see that finance did add one line on page four for the last revision, you verify it is correct. You congratulate yourself for having the fortitude to set up a CMS. You check your calander and see that you will have time to attend <insert place you want to go here!>

Congratulations!!