Mar 2025|Vick Lalwani

Is Your Enterprise CMS Bleeding Budget?

Enterprise brands invest hundreds of thousands - sometimes millions - each year in enterprise level Content Management System (CMS) license fees, maintenance and upgrades. Whether driven by a well-intentioned investment in digital capabilities or a tendency to follow industry norms, one thing is clear: the actual value unlocked from these platforms is often a fraction of their cost.

That’s not to say these enterprise-level platforms are at fault. Over the years, they have evolved into sophisticated, all-in-one solutions, bringing together best-in-class technology, seamless integrations and well-crafted user experiences. They offer powerful capabilities for content management, digital marketing, CRM, Gen AI and more - designed to meet the complex needs of large and complex organisations. The real question is: how much of that functionality is your business actually using?

From experience, most enterprises rely on a mix of best-of-breed platforms for critical functions. We've worked with clients who use dedicated systems for CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Digital Asset Management (DAM), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and more - yet continue to maintain an enterprise-grade CMS that remains vastly underutilised.

So, if you're in a similar position, how can you unlock more value from your CMS?

Two paths to maximise your CMS ROI

There are two approaches:

Harness the Full Power (All-in-One CMS) – If your CMS truly has the capability to “do it all,” auditing your tech stack can reveal opportunities for consolidation, reducing redundancy and streamlining operations.
Strip It Back (Best-of-Breed Software) – Sometimes, less is more. If your CMS is overloaded with features you don’t use, consider refining it to focus solely on content management while leveraging specialised software for other functions.

Before we dive into the specifics of each approach, let’s take a closer look at how they differ.

Choosing and implementing the right path

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to optimising your CMS. Every organisation has its own set of needs, systems and digital priorities, which makes the right approach highly dependent on factors such as your overall strategy, specific requirements, team capabilities and budget. While some businesses benefit from an all-in-one CMS that streamlines operations, others find more value in a best-of-breed setup that offers greater flexibility.

Now that you’ve identified the approach that best aligns with your organisation’s goals, let’s explore how to implement it effectively. Both strategies come with their own advantages and challenges, but with a structured, well-planned approach, you can maximise the potential of your CMS and drive greater value.

Step 1. Audit your current CMS and tech stack

Before making a decision, conduct a thorough assessment of your existing CMS and broader technology ecosystem:

Evaluate usage: Which CMS features are actively used and which ones remain unused and are likely to stay that way? Seek feedback from internal staff on how they use existing systems, or if they lean on other platforms that are not accounted for in your audit.
Identify redundancies: Are there overlapping tools that perform similar functions?
Assess costs: Evaluate current expenses, including licensing, hosting, maintenance and operational costs of your CMS and other tools.
Understand dependencies: Map out how your CMS integrates with other critical business systems.

Step 2. 'Harness the full power' or 'Strip it back'

There are two options for step 2. This first approach aims to leverage the full capabilities of your existing all-in-one CMS by identifying redundancies and consolidating your tech stack.

Rationalise your tech stack: Identify third-party tools that can be retired as CMS capabilities expand.
Migrate data and workflows: Transition content, user data and automation processes into the CMS where feasible.
Invest in training: Equip teams with the skills to fully leverage the CMS’s capabilities.
Optimise user experience: Ensure internal teams and end users benefit from a more streamlined, integrated experience.

Or, instead of trying to make your CMS handle everything, this approach focuses on using it strictly for what it does best - content management - by reducing your CMS’s responsibilities and integrating it with other specialised best-of-breed platforms.

Select the right CMS: Look for flexible, headless, or lower-cost CMS options that integrate well with your chosen best-of-breed tools. Avoid the trap of shortlisting CMS solutions with all the bells and whistles that you’re unlikely to use.
Conduct a net present value (NPV) analysis: Compare the total cost of ownership over a five-year period to justify the switch.
Ensure seamless integrations: Leverage APIs and middleware to connect the CMS with CRM, PIM, ERP and other key platforms.
Map out a transition plan: Prioritise which functionalities shift first to avoid disruptions.

Step 3. Ongoing optimisation and governance

Regardless of the approach you take, long-term success depends on continuous improvement.

Measure adoption and ROI: Regularly assess usage metrics to track improvements and identify further optimisation opportunities.
Monitor and iterate: Continually refine workflows and integrations to ensure a seamless digital ecosystem.
Stay ahead of technology trends: Keep an eye on industry developments to ensure your CMS remains future-proof.
Enforce governance policies: Establish clear roles, permissions and processes to maintain system integrity and security.

Rethinking Your CMS and Technology Ecosystem

Optimising your CMS is not just about maximising ROI - it’s a broader strategic approach to managing your entire technology ecosystem more effectively.

As organisations grow, technology stacks often expand unchecked, leading to inefficiencies, redundancies and escalating costs. Despite this, many enterprises continue investing in outdated or over-engineered systems due to complexity, perceived risks, or the sunk cost fallacy.

Rather than maintaining a fragmented or inefficient ecosystem, it may be time to reassess and refine your approach. Through our work with leading Australian and global enterprise brands, we have found that a structured framework built on three key pillars enables organisations to extract maximum value from their technology investments:

Needs audit – Aligning technology capabilities with business objectives and user requirements.

Cost assessment – Identifying opportunities for efficiency, consolidation and total cost optimisation.

Change management – Ensuring a structured transition that minimises disruption and maximises adoption.

For organisations looking to unlock hidden value within their existing tech stack and optimise it for both customer experience and operational efficiency, we offer strategic guidance and assessment tools: