Definition: Document management software

It ensures compliance
Businesses have an obligation to protect their employee, supplier, client and customer data. Failure to do so could result in damage to legal reprisals, security issues, and damage to brand reputation. Legal document management software helps ensure data is protected and that the business can track and monitor document access and usage.

It improves workflows
The best software for document management enables brands to find, edit, collaborate, give feedback, and share a variety of digital documents from any location. This improves version control, mitigates error, saves time and resources, and improves internal and external working workflows.

It reduces your carbon footprint
Printers use a huge amount of paper and ink. Document management software reduces the need to use printers and alongside the important environmental benefits, it saves you money and storage space too.

It makes it easier to share and distribute files
Sharing a file via a secure document management system software is far quicker and easier than sending it by mail or by courier. It is also a lot cheaper. Many important business documents require several signatures or iterations. This can impact your budgets, business efficiencies, and work processes.

You can access files remotely
Even before work from home and hybrid working became commonplace, businesses benefited significantly from document management systems. Remote workers or colleagues working in different sites having the ability to access and work on documents from anywhere in the world meant smoother workflows, fewer delays, better communication, and happier, more productive colleagues.

While both document management software (DMS) and digital asset management (DAM) deal with organizing and managing files, they serve different purposes and cater to distinct types of content within a business.

Document management software primarily focuses on text-based documents, such as contracts, HR documents, and internal communications. It provides features like version control, access control, and collaboration tools to streamline document workflows and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

On the other hand, digital asset management software helps teams manage text-based documents as well as media-rich files. It includes advanced features for managing and optimizing images, videos, and other creative assets. DAM solutions often provide functionalities like metadata tagging, search and retrieval, rights management, and integrations with virtually all other martech solutions to create a connected digital ecosystem.

Since digital asset management platforms can perform many of the same tasks as document management systems, it is worth comparing various DAM solutions to determine the best choice for your organization. Read on to identify the features and capabilities that align with your specific requirements, enabling you to make an informed decision.

Choosing the best DAM for your business is an important decision and will depend on the specific needs of your organization and its people. Here is a guide to a few of the top DAM platforms on the market right now.

Bynder

Bynder is a comprehensive DAM platform that enables you to store and organize your creative files from a secure, centralized location. Its cloud-based solution comes with a modern, user-friendly interface that helps you create, manage and distribute digital assets while ensuring brand consistency across all channels. Moreover, the Digital Asset Transformation (DAT) module seamlessly integrates with your current tech stack and allows you to manipulate assets with features such as resizing, focus, cropping, and removing asset backgrounds.

Bynder’s digital asset management platform comes equipped with many add-on modules that complement its functionality, including Brand Guidelines, Asset Workflow, Bynder Analytics, Content Workflow, and Studio.

Bynder has several standout features and integrations. For instance, it provides a centralized location to store all brand and campaign assets, making it easier to access them from anywhere globally. Additionally, its intuitive file-searching feature helps you quickly locate the assets you need. Bynder also offers built-in security controls such as two-factor authentication, user rights, and access settings to protect your content. The dynamic asset transformation feature enables you to modify your assets as needed.

Bynder is highly integrated and works seamlessly with a wide variety of software and integrations. These include Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore, Sitefinity, BloomReach, Drupal 7, Drupal 8, WordPress, Okta, Google, Hootsuite, Microsoft Active Directory, Collect.io, Shutterstock, SDL Tridion, Templafy, TYPO3, and many more.

Adobe Experience Manager Assets

Adobe Experience Manager Assets is a digital asset management tool that automates tasks and speeds up workflows for managing your assets. It supports a wide range of file types, including 3D, AR, VR, and panoramic photos. You can also gain insights into your digital asset performance and manage assets in multiple languages.

While some of its advanced features may require technical expertise, Adobe Experience Manager Assets streamlines collaboration between DAM users and creative teams, eliminating email-dependent workflows and allowing for easy creation, connection, and collaboration among teams.

Widen Collective (Acquia DAM)

Widen (now an Acquia company) is one of the longest-running DAM vendors out there, offering a cloud-based, full-service digital asset management suite that particularly appeals to mid-to-large-sized businesses. In their own words, Widen “helps marketing, sales, and e-commerce teams find what they need, coordinate workflows, and publish content.”

Widen’s ‘Portals’ capabilities allow teams to create multiple DAM environments within one solution. However, as Widen is not SaaS-native, the UI and UX aren’t always the most intuitive for customers.