It’s not unusual for businesses to have important documents scattered across servers like GoogleDrive, DropBox and even the good old filing cabinet.  

While these platforms do a sound job at hosting files, when it comes to intelligent storage, quick access and simple distribution, that’s a different story.  

With these clunky asset storage systems in place, roughly 51% of employees waste time and money re-producing lost or forgotten assets.  

The solution? DAM and DMS – two systems designed to centralise and simplify document storage and retrieval. 

Here we’ll look at what these acronyms actually mean, how they differ and which is more beneficial for your business.

What Is A DMS System?

A Document Management System (or DMS) is essentially a modern solution to the filing cabinet. 

It’s software specially designed to simplify the storage, management and sharing of business documents like contracts, reports, policies and PDFs. 

Consolidating all company files in one software, with a DMS you can say goodbye to documents spread across countless physical and digital locations.  

Quick tip: Examples of popular DMS’ include Sharepoint, Adobe Document Cloud and Docuware.

How Can DMS Benefit My Organisation? 

Securely storing digital files in the cloud, DMS’ reduce the need to store copious amounts of physical documents. A welcome relief for businesses that deal with high volumes of text-based files like law firms and insurance agencies.  

With everything in one central, easily accessible location, users have the freedom to access files from anywhere, at any time. Employees work remotely with ease and no longer wait days to gain access to a file.  

Even better, with built in features like automated deletion, multifactor authentication and version control, DMS’ safeguard your assets from misuse, data breaches and cyber threats. 

What Is A DAM System?

A Digital Asset Management (or DAM) system is a centralised ecosystem for storing, managing and sharing digital assets. Unlike DMS’, DAM hosts files of all sizes and formats, from images and videos to certificates, raw files, contracts – you name it.  

Either on-site or cloud-based, DAM acts as a single source of truth for a business’s entire library of digital assets, their usage rights, copyright information and expiry dates.  

How Can DAM Benefit My Organisation? 

DAM creates intrinsic value by helping businesses get the most out of their digital content.  

How? 

Intelligently organising your files using AI tagging, DAM allows users to easily find, reuse and repurpose assets. Search is possible through custom tags like colour, object recognition and audio transcripts, so you can say goodbye to wasting time and money on losing, forgetting or duplicating assets. 

Even better, Collaboro builds its DAM software from scratch, creating an entirely bespoke platform perfectly tailored to your business. The result is seamless integration with your existing workflows, software applications and language functions.  

Now that’s value. 

To find out more about why DAM is important and the benefits it brings to businesses of any size, see our article here. 

Quick tip: DAM is not only a solution for unorganised assets, it adds value to a business and its employees by improving productivity and enhancing the lifecycle of existing assets.

So, Which System Is Best For Me?

Both DMS and DAM systems are purpose-built to make employees’ lives easier. They both offer impressive security and a single, central online library for your valuable content. 

It all comes down to the type of assets you want to store.  

For businesses that work exclusively with text-based documents, like accounting firms and auditing agencies, a DMS may be the best option for you.  

For businesses that utilise text-based documents and creative assets, like marketing agencies, real estate, educational and eCommerce organisations, DAM software is the ideal fit. Easily adaptable to new software and file types, the flexible and scalable nature of a DAM system makes it a perfect storage choice for growing businesses.  

Don’t Forget To Think Beyond Features

To ensure the long term success of your software, you’ll need to think beyond flashy features.  

For businesses that do not want, or simply don’t have time to manage software admin themselves, you’ll want to look for a vendor that takes the burden of these tasks off your shoulders. 

Without support, you’ll likely end up with an unorderly, untagged mess.  

Collaboro takes on the brunt of ongoing DAM admin, training and troubleshooting, giving your employees more time to focus on what’s important. They’ll even provide you with your own dedicated account manager to reach out to when you need assistance. 

For organisations, having a reachable contact that speaks your business’s language is indispensable.