Today, managed data software is available to streamline processes and workflows, helping your business to operate more efficiently and boost profits. Document Management and Content Management software are common tools for businesses to manage their data – but which one is right for your business? Read on to learn more:
Document Management (DMS), or Content Management (CMS), Which is Right for You?
Consider these two solutions. While they sound similar, they deliver different outcomes depending on your business needs and how you implement them. Here are simple definitions to help you understand their similarities… and differences!
- Document Management – A document management system (DMS) can help you create, track, collaborate on, and store digitized documents. A DMS retains, classifies, and protects electronic information. A DMS also supports functions like versioning, collaboration, and streamlines workflows – both manual and automated processes.
- Content Management – Content management systems (CMS) are used to create and manage digital content and more traditional documents. A CMS is used with PDFs, Excel, or Word and it can also be used to manage images, web pages, records, and flash files.
Both solutions have additional similarities. These include managing documents, centralized data storage, and high-level security, to name just a few. But, there are also several key differences as well.
How DMS and CMS Are Different
The primary purpose of a DMS is managing workflows and maintaining regulatory compliance. A CMS is mainly used for storage, publishing, and retrieving content. Another notable difference is that a DMS manages structured data like documents created in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.
A CMS can manage structured and unstructured data like digital assets and web content. A DMS application includes advanced image and scanning features. These include optical character and mark recognition. CMS tools often don’t support more advanced functionality.
Both provide similar outcomes for small businesses if they do not have complex content and document needs. Where the differences become apparent, is at the enterprise level. It’s here where content and document needs tend to be more complex.
A CMS plays a broader role than a DMS, however, a content management system will share some features with a DMS, because documents are a major digital component that a CMS handles.
Want to learn more? Call us today and let us help you make the right decision for your business!
