Sometimes, the terms document management system (DMS) and content management system (CMS) are used interchangeably. That’s understandable, because the two solutions have some of the same capabilities. But when you take a closer look, you’ll find that each one tackles different business needs and use cases.
Table of Contents
- What is document management?
- What is content management?
- What’s the difference between document management vs. content management?
- Document management system vs. content management system: Which do you need?
- DMS vs. CMS: Why do many successful companies opt for both?
What is document management?
Document management is about receiving, organizing, tracking, and storing documents so you can find and use them easily. It includes handling both paper and digital files, from the moment they are created or received, through processing, sharing, storing, and eventually archiving or destroying them.
Every day, your company deals with a large volume of paperwork. The typical U.S. employee uses about 10,000 sheets of paper each year. When you consider your whole organization, having an effective way to handle documents is essential for your team’s productivity and efficiency.
A document management system (DMS) transforms the (often overwhelming) process of managing paper by digitizing documents so it can be incorporated into streamlined automated workflows.
What is content management?
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Content management is the process of planning, creating, publishing and maintaining digital content, ensuring it stays relevant and accessible. With the ever-growing volume of digital content, maintaining consistency across channels while keeping content current becomes increasingly challenging if you don't use structured approach.
A content management system (CMS) provides easy-to-use tools to create, edit and publish digital content like web pages, images and multimedia files. Unlike document management, which focuses on internal business documents, a CMS is most often used to build and update websites and share public-facing information. With a CMS, even employees who aren’t tech experts can keep your website fresh and engaging. Commonly used platforms include WordPress, HubSpot, Adobe Experience Manager, Zoho WorkDrive and Drupal.
What’s the difference between document management vs. content management?
Both types of systems help you organize important company information. Because of this, a DMS and CMS share some functions, such as the ability to:
- Securely manage and store digital assets.
- Provide advanced data security.
- Support sharing information that improves collaboration.
- Enable the creation of automated workflows.
Despite these similarities, DMS and CMS platforms address fundamentally different business challenges:
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A DMS is typically used by employees across all departments who need to access, share and collaborate on business documents as part of their daily work. Everyone from accounting and HR to operations and legal teams regularly interact with a DMS.
In contrast, content management systems are primarily used by marketing, communications and web teams to create and publish public-facing content. While a DMS serves as the backbone for internal document processes, a CMS functions as the engine behind your public digital presence.
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Document management system vs. content management system: Which do you need?
When you’re deciding between a document management system vs. content management system, consider your primary business goals and the types of files you work with most often.
Which platform fits your needs?
Use a DMS when you need secure storage, fast document retrieval, workflow automation, robust version control and strong compliance support.Choose a CMS if your priority is easy website updates, coordination of digital marketing campaigns and effective brand managementDMS vs. CMS: Why do many successful companies opt for both?
A DMS and a CMS each play a distinct but equally significant role. For instance, your HR team might use a DMS to securely store confidential employee files, while your marketing team needs a CMS to manage your website and other digital content.
Instead of choosing one, think about how a DMS and CMS could work together to support your business objectives. In many cases, companies find value in adding both solutions to their technology infrastructures.
