The phrase "content management" has various definitions depending on what an organization may need or a vendor may offer. There is no general purpose or standard content management system that can satisfy today's diverse business needs across the board. Therefore, factors for successfully implementing a content management system vary depending on individual business needs.

One of the keys to implementing a successful content management system is conducting a thorough assessment of an organization's specific business application or processes prior to installation. This could be handling customer correspondence documents, online insurance claims processing, accounts payables processing, or other business processes specific to your business. Once that has been accomplished, it's a matter of choosing the right vendor that offers technology specific to your industry that clearly addresses your business requirements.

Ultimately, a successful implementation must deliver business benefits. We've provided enterprise content management solutions for many organizations in different industries, and they have identified the primary benefits that they claim make their content management systems successful:
- Improved business efficiency
- Reduced operating costs
- Accelerated exception handling
- Expanded product/service offerings
- Reduced operating risks

By making an informed assessment and implementing solutions that target your business needs, organizations can realize increased productivity, customer satisfaction, and profitability with a content management system.