Upgrading or replacing your Collections Management System (CMS) can feel like an overwhelming project. Securing funding, researching options, and facilitating internal agreement are challenging tasks to add to your already heavy workload. However, once you’ve replaced your CMS, you’ll look back and marvel that you managed for so long working with the inefficient processes and workarounds imposed by your old, legacy CMS.
You already know that a modern, enterprise CMS will bring a host of benefits, and if the inertia imposed by your current day-to-day work is holding you back, consider this:
1. Your online collections are suffering
An outdated CMS that doesn’t integrate with your website will make it much harder for you to digitize your collection so that it’s fully accessible. Without a proper online collection, your institution may not be reaching large segments of your potential audience. Using an integrated CMS and web publishing system will allow your collection to shine.
2. You’re piling up work for later
While you put off upgrading to a new CMS, you continue to add information and records to your old system. The more data stored in your legacy system, the more challenging it will be to pry out and transfer to your new CMS. Upgrading now will help make sure your new CMS is up and running quickly.
3. You’re coping with the stress of not knowing
Your outdated CMS is making queries and searching very difficult. Reports that you need are impossible to produce, and finding the information you’re searching for is impossible. Inaccurate reporting can lead to serious repercussions, including missing object history, or inadequate information for insurance documentation and loans. With the right tools, you can eliminate many of the stressful and frustrating situations in your job.
4. It’s costing your institution
As your CMS continues to age, it slows down and becomes increasingly cumbersome. Either it can’t handle the amount of data it’s managing, or it can’t keep up with the rest of your digital systems. Supporting an outdated CMS can cost your team valuable time, and those hours could be better put toward other projects. Using a CMS that can handle the load helps you get your jobs done efficiently, while saving you time and money.
5. Your team is avoiding it
Staff may not want to take the time to learn your cumbersome CMS. Your team should embrace their tools instead of avoid them, and giving them a system they want to work with will improve collaboration and workflow while lowering office-wide stress levels.
6. One-off spreadsheets and other ad-hoc tools put your data at risk
When your collections data is trapped in random spreadsheets and files, information loss is imminent. Collection-wide reports aren’t feasible, collaboration is impossible, and time is wasted inputting redundant information. If your server crashes without a backup or a key file gets corrupted, there’s no way to salvage what you’ve lost. An enterprise CMS removes those risks by consolidating your collection information in a secure system designed around industry standards of reliability and data safety.
7. Customer service is critical
You should expect great user support from your CMS vendor. When your legacy CMS support doesn’t deliver, you’re left with no resolution to a problem that you need to solve, wasting hours or even days of staff time. Working with a team that provides excellent customer service will help you to maximize your time.
When you’re dragging around the weight of a rundown Collections Management System, the idea of implementing a new and better system may be daunting. However, when the stress of your outdated process is lifted, you’ll find that your efficiency and productivity improve dramatically. A new CMS will save you hours of time by simplifying your workflows and increasing the effectiveness of every member of your staff. That time saved translates into financial savings for your team, while you accomplish your goals and fulfill your mission.
Interested in getting the Collections Management System you need? Contact us today!
