What’s the difference between ECM, PIM, DAM and DMS?

Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

An ECM solution helps organizations store, manage and distribute unstructured business-critical documents, such as invoices and account statements.

ECM use cases

• Helicopter manufacturer. A world-leading helicopter manufacturer needed to consolidate and format large documents and easily generate their 800-page helicopter maintenance logbook. With data being stored in almost 400 different instances and systems, logging and compiling information into a single document seemed impossible until they used an ECM solution.

• Telephone utility company. A phone company wanted to improve their customers’ experience with their telephone bill. They used an ECM solution to consolidate and layout information such as usage (SMS and phone calls), profile (personal details), marketing (loyalty points) and legal information. With an ECM, the phone company was able to customize the information they send to customers, effectively creating a platform for them to introduce or promote their products while providing much-needed insight into the customers’ consumption habits.

Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM)

A PIM solution allows organizations to centralize, manage and efficiently distribute all product-related information across all channels.

Organizations typically have volumes of technical and marketing-related product data that are in different formats and stored on multiple repositories. Through the PIM solution’s data modeling capability, all product data can be standardized, and its characteristics and composition organized and categorized. Product data can then be consolidated into a single central repository, allowing for the distribution of accurate product data inside and outside the organization.

PIM use case

• The food industry. The highly regulated food industry has complex product information requirements, wherein brands are required to declare the item’s chemistry, composition and ingredients. They must also be made available to international or local markets. Through the PIM’s data modeling capability, brands can create classifications and categories, while ensuring product information accuracy and relevance. If they’re present in several countries, brands can automatically translate and localize content to meet customer expectations.

A DAM solution, on the other hand, enables brands to centralize the storage and management of digital resources such as images, video, etc., making it easy for creative/marketing teams to securely search, enrich and distribute digital assets.

The central repository helps improve processes and accelerate creative collaboration on advertising campaigns and other marketing activities.

PIM and DAM are complementary solutions that are often used together. All the product information that brands manage and enrich in the PIM can be easily associated with the digital content in the DAM.

Document Management System (DMS)

DMS enables organizations to store, manage and track electronic documents and images. It’s a solution that fast-tracks document digitization effectively ending archaic processes and ensuring legal compliance. it’s a timely solution for Europe, as governments require consultancy-type organizations to send legal and sensitive documents (e.g. contracts, payslips, etc.) via a DMS solution for security purposes. A DMS is often associated with electronic signatures or certifications.

DMS use case

• Digital security. Today, emails are considered as intangible evidence. However, emails can be altered or falsified. A DMS can solve this issue through secured exchanges and document version management. As for payslips, they can be de-materialized and stored electronically.

• Tax systems. The French tax system allows companies to de-materialize documents as long as they meet numerous constraints such as archiving in specific places. DMS enables companies to digitize documents and solve legal constraints through compliance.

Where the four solutions converge

ECM deals with transactional data, PIM and DAM take care of product data and DMS digitizes and secures documents. All of them promote single repositories, offering to centralize, manage, protect and distribute data. They can help organizations increase productivity, efficiency and data quality, resulting in accelerated time-to-market. They also help reduce costs and lead times, as well as simplify compliance with certifications and regulations.