Poorly managed email is just as dangerous to small businesses as it is to large organisations. However, while large firms employ teams of administrators to take control of document and email management, small companies typically don’t have and can’t afford the same luxury.
Poor email management can result in small businesses losing critical data and struggling to find the information they need when they need it. This is a major risk in the event of disputes with a contractor or supplier, as businesses inevitably waste time searching through historical communication to find contracts, project agreements and scope changes.
The risks of not having email management
Not having email management in place can result in small businesses losing control of their critical data and leave their information vulnerable to cyber-attacks. A lack of email management can result in the following:
Suffering from email overload: The vast amount of information shared via email means failing to manage it properly can be business-critical. For example, our recent research found 91% of business leaders use email to communicate with clients and 61% prefer it to communication tools like Skype and Slack. Respondents also revealed that email is critical to record management (87%), data visibility (86%) and quality management (84%).
Losing visibility of data: People are only receiving more emails, which makes it increasingly easy to lose track of communication. This also makes it more difficult to store emails securely and find the information they need when they need it.
Data loss: Failing to store data appropriately or securely makes it vulnerable to theft, leakage or loss. Data can easily become locked in individual inboxes, which means other project members can’t access the data they need. This becomes a bigger risk when people leave the business, which can see emails lost or deleted if the appropriate processes aren’t in place.
Poor business productivity: Poor email management continues to create a significant drain on businesses and their employees. Our research found that 32% of business users spend more than one hour managing their email inboxes every day. Additionally, 70% believe managing their inbox is one of the most significant productivity drains at their business.
Legal action: Losing visibility of data makes businesses more likely to suffer disputes with customers or suppliers. It also affects their ability to find the data they need to evidence their dispute, such as contractual agreements and changes in scope.
Security threats: Not having email management in place can leave businesses vulnerable to cyber-attacks and put them at risk of data loss. This increases the risk of losing revenue, market share and customers. As a result, organisations run the risk of failing to comply with increasingly stringent data privacy regulations that can result in further fines and legal action.
Why email management matters
Deploying a document and email management solution is critical to taking control of email inboxes and making all corporate data easily discoverable. This means having a better handle on project correspondence, quickly sourcing project details, contracts, and scope changes, and chasing payments more efficiently.
Furthermore, a reliable email management solution helps small firms put measures and processes in place that reduce the threat of cyber-attacks, financial loss and reputational damage. It’s therefore crucial for all employees to effectively manage their email correspondence, file emails and documents in the most appropriate location, and make data easily discoverable in central filing locations.
Big boy email management without the big bucks
But you don’t have to spend big or, indeed, be a big company to reap the benefits of a powerful email management solution. Email management doesn’t require six-figure investments, it can be simple to deploy and doesn’t require any IT expertise.
For example, Mail Manager can be installed without the need for an IT manager. It’s simple to implement and quickly enables businesses of all shapes and sizes to immediately take control of their vital correspondence.
Mail Manager is specifically designed to tackle the email management issues that hinder small businesses. The Outlook plugin automatically files documents and emails to a centralised folder that’s available to all employees who require access.
This approach prevents critical business information from being stored in individual users’ inboxes or desktops. That means inboxes don’t get clogged up with sizeable attachments and messages, which is crucial to avoiding extra data storage costs. Furthermore, this also prevents critical data from being lost or deleted.
Mail Manager uses artificial intelligence (AI) to learn users’ filing habits and store documents and emails in the correct locations. It also uses AI to provide advanced data discovery, which helps any user find any attachment, document or email in a few seconds.
Discover how Mail Manager can help your small business take control of email management with a 15-day free trial of our solution.
