The importance of a modern approach to information management [Q&A]

Information is now a critical asset for businesses, but it’s only of real value if you can manage and access it efficiently.

More and more data now is in an unstructured form too, so has the way we manage information changed, and what do businesses need to do to make the most of it to inform their day-to-day decisions? We spoke to Antti Nivala, founder and CEO of M-Files to find out.

BN: What do today’s intelligent information management solutions provide, that was missing from legacy document management technologies?

AN: The reality is, many businesses have content siloed across several systems or repositories, which can create chaos when no one knows exactly what documents or data there is, and where it can be found. This is especially true when employees are unable to get the information they need to make critical decisions.

Legacy document management systems simply provided a place to store information, but today’s intelligent information management solutions go a step beyond — enabling employees to access and use content anytime, anywhere, on any device. Unlike their legacy counterparts, today’s modern solutions enable organizations to do more than simply manage documents. They provide the automation and capabilities required to improve document security, keep up with evolving compliance regulations, enhance search functionalities, and even improve collaboration.

Modern intelligent information management solutions are more than a means to store documents, they provide the context to connect people, processes, and technology together meaningfully to drive business forward.

BN: What role do modern information management systems play in helping organizations secure and control information across their organization?

AN: Today, organizations must navigate an ever-increasing amount of data brought on by digital transformation. Modern information management solutions play a key role in keeping an organization’s data secure and enforcing policies throughout the organization.

By providing a 360-degree view of information stored across all systems and repositories, modern solutions help employees surface content in the right context, avoiding both content duplication and data sprawl. Information management solutions provide the guard rails to easily control user and access rights with metadata, as well as automate version control and audit trails so nothing bypasses security requirements and sensitive information stays secure. However, perhaps one of the biggest benefits is that information management systems can help organizations understand how data and business processes flow across the enterprise, so organizations can better adhere to strict compliance requirements.

BN: How can information management solutions help organizations increase the productivity of employees?

AN: When employees can’t find the information they need when they need it, they get bogged down, spending countless cycles searching, or worse, recreating it from scratch. That time wasted searching for information is time that could have been better spent on value-adding tasks.

Employees that spend less time searching for documents or tending to manual, repetitive tasks have more time to dedicate to revenue-generating work. That’s where information management solutions can step in, to provide an easier and faster way for employees to find the information they need, when they need it, quickly and securely.

Information management systems can help create a more structured, stress-free working environment that enables teams across the organization to function effectively, which in turn enhances productivity, increases customer satisfaction, and contributes to greater profitability.