Five reasons why corporates deploy iManage in different functional departments

I regularly speak to our clients to understand their technology challenges in their business functions such as tax, finance, HR, compliance and of course legal.

In the context of document and email management they commonly they cite the following five reasons for deploying iManage as their system of choice:

1. Microsoft is the way to go. Most enterprises (if not all) have bought into Microsoft’s vision of how the “office” will evolve over the coming years. Their IT infrastructure is built on the Microsoft stack, and their employees live and breathe within Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. So, the fact that iManage has a close collaboration with Microsoft gives them great comfort. iManage and Microsoft working together to develop and deliver highly integrated solutions in the future is a big benefit to corporate departments as well as a great assurance that they are investing in the technology of the future. They also see it as a means of increasing the return from their overall investment in IT.
   
   
2. In-built security capability gives peace of mind. One of the major advantages of iManage is that the system provides data security without hindering their employees flow of day-to-day work. Security is built into the fabric of the platform. Users can apply flexible security policies to a fairly granular level, which means that only those who are authorised are able to access documents. And all this can be managed and monitored from any device and from any location. There’s also an end-user console that allows professionals an at-a-glance view of all the sensitive projects they are authorised to work on.
   It’s then no surprise that the IT departments are actively recommending iManage to other teams across the enterprise. They trust the inherent security capabilities of the platform, and the user self-maintaining rules enable automation of the processes – all of which significantly reduces user demands on help desk. It’s a win-win for the users and IT teams alike!
   
   
3. Capability to extend collaborative working. There is often the need for functional areas, such as Legal, HR, Procurement and Compliance, to collaborate. Frequently we find that different departments use a variety of document management systems (DMS’s), depending on their own requirements, preferences and systems that they use. SharePoint is an example. Due to the way iManage is architected, it is possible to easily create automated processes for information sharing and collaboration by integrating these disparate systems. For instance, for some of our clients, we are deploying Syncly, a solution that helps to connect and sync documents and data – without the need for manual uploads in different systems to facilitate real time sharing and version control.
   
   
4. Integration of iManage and Teams. The use of Teams for collaboration is a logical choice for corporates that have bought into Microsoft,. iManage’s integration with Teams does wonders for the enhancement of that communication and collaboration. Users are able to move seamlessly between their documents, PDFs, emails and Teams. They can access their documents in iManage through Teams, share and even provide context of discussions being had around matters in Teams. Security and governance are of course sacrosanct and embedded within the iManage and Teams integration.
   
   
5. Intuitive to use. Without ease of use, even the best software in the world would come to naught. The iManage DMS is genuinely intuitive to use because, firstly it is designed with professionals in mind; and secondly it has the much-loved, modern and familiar Microsoft look and feel.

If you are a corporate exploring the adoption of a DMS for your department, do get in touch. We’ve had great success in deploying iManage in a variety of departments including Finance, Legal, HR, Tax and Compliance. We’d be happy to help you understand its value, not just from a product standpoint, but also from an organisational perspective. We can also put you in touch with many of our clients in corporates, across many different vertical markets, to enable you to learn first-hand how such a platform has helped their department and so, what you can expect for yours.

Additionally, at Ascertus we have a strong Customer Success team, who will support you through your deployment journey and beyond, whilst also advising on other third-party solutions you could potentially deploy – matter management, document automation, records management, workflow automation, knowledge management, and more – to provide you with an overall solution that addresses the specific needs of your departments.

Updated September 2023