9/24/2019 Document Management vs. Content Management: What's the Difference?

By: Himanshu Singh on September 23rd, 2019

Document Management vs. Content

Management: What's the Difference?
ENTERPRISE CONTENT MANAGEMENT (ECM) | DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

In this digital era, organizations are looking for ways to streamline their business processes.
Companies are adopting di erent management solutions driven by AI-based software or apps
to automate it. There are so many solutions to choose from, but the process gets quite tricky
when the boundaries between the solutions are not de ned properly.

For instance, businesses are looking for cost-e ective methods to capture, organize, share,
and document digital data. However, people often get confused between document
management software and content management software when it comes to business
information management. Most of the time, these terms are used interchangeably — some
vendors call their solutions ‘document management' systems, while others claim it as 'content
management’ system.

There are quite a few similarities between the two, but there are certain factors that set them
apart.

What Is Document Management Software

(DMS)?
Document management software is a system that helps capture, store, and analyze a vast
amount of information in a single platform. The solution streamlines these processes that help
in managing les digitally. Moreover, the system acts as a centralized database, which makes
document and information easy to nd.

What Is Content Management Software (CMS)?

Content management software is all about creating and managing digital content. It o ers a
set of tools that allows for easy collaboration in the workplace by integrating document
management with digital asset management.

As stated earlier, there are both similarities and di erences between the two. To better
d d h di l ' l k h h l h h
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understand the di erences, let's rst look at how they overlap each other.

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enterprise.

How DMS and CMS Are Similar

A document management solution and content management solution have a few things in
common.

Both Are SaaS-Based Technology

Saas-based technology, also known as software as a service technology, is a method of

software delivery that is hosted on third-party servers and makes them available to users over
the internet.

Both DMS and CMS can be hosted on a third-party server whereby all the data are safely
stored in the cloud. The data can be accessed from any device having a secure internet
connection.

Acts as a Centralized Data Storage

In terms of similarities, both o er a centralized database whereby all the information about
your sta , business, and other con dential information are stored. These documents are
easily accessible, and the plus point is that you can restrict the access of the database to
individual roles and actions.

Enables you to Easily Manage, Store, and Retrieve Information

Both DMS and CMS are capable of systematically collecting and storing data. You can index the
documents so that you can e ortlessly search the les you need. The information doesn't get
lost in the piles of les stored in the system. One core bene t is that both the system allows
you to search and retrieve the information needed without any hassle.

High-Level Security

Another similarity between the two is that both o er high security to preserve and safeguard
your con dential business data. It prevents the system from any unauthorized access.
Moreover, in case you delete your les accidentally, you can also retrieve them back. The
cloud-based technology creates an automatic back up of your data.

Difference between DMS and CMS

I know what you are thinking. Both document management software and content
management software have such common functionalities, so how do they di er exactly?

Well, the main di erence lies in the structure of data. Let me explain. Structured and
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9/24/2019 Document Management vs. Content Management: What's the Difference?
Unstructured Data

Document management software is designed to handle data that are contained in structured
documents and les, such as PDF, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and other popular formats. Their
primary purpose is to digitize these les and track and manage new documents throughout
their lifecycle, meaning keeping a record of the les as they are written and re-written.

In fact, document management software also includes advanced imaging and scanning
capabilities, which can't be found in many content management software. For example, a
document management solution o ers optical mark recognition, optical character recognition,
and handprint character recognition for scanning of hard copies.

Whereas, a content management software has the ability to manage various types of
structured and unstructured electronic information. In addition to the kinds of les that are
managed by document management applications, it manages a broader range of digital
assets. Some of the examples are video, audio, web content, multimedia les, Flash, and also
raw data collected from various third-party internet sources.

Key Purpose
The main purpose of document management software is to control the lifecycle of documents
and maintain regulatory compliance. It acts as a digital ling cabinet, that's why it is sometimes
also called an e-cabinet ling system. At its core functionalities, it focuses on managing entities
as a whole. Some of its standard features are work ow, indexing, versioning, and auditing.

Content management software, on the other hand, is more than just storing and managing
organizations' les and documents. It also includes tools, processes, and strategies that are
used to capture, store, retain, and manage content.

It is safe to say that a document management system is technically a sub-category of content

management software. Without the ability of DMS to manage documents, content
management software can't function properly. Some of the standard features of content
management software are digital asset management, business process management, email
management, downloading web content, and more.

Conclusion: Which Is the Right Solution for you?

Although these two solutions complement each other, they have clear functionality
distinctions which are quite useful for your business when used correctly.

One noteworthy thing is that the functionality of DMS and CMS looks too similar at the small-
business level. This is because small businesses usually don't have complex content and
document management needs.

However, at the enterprise level, content management software is the best solution as it tends
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to organize and manage a more massive amount of structured and unstructured data.
Otherwise, both the solution contributes toward minimizing operational costs by going
paperless and encouraging streamlined internal procedures.

So while choosing the right solution for your business, consider these di erences. It will help
you conclude as to which one ts right into your requirements.

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