A short guide to enterprise content management
What is enterprise content management?
To put it simply, ECM is the overarching content management strategy employed mostly by large enterprises, but also SMB-sized organizations.
ECM is not only concerned with digital asset management, but also other forms of content management, including marketing resources and media assets. So ECMs really need to be multifaceted to cope with the demands of a large enterprise.
How do DAM and enterprise content management differ?
The key difference between ECM and DAM is that DAM has a more specialized focus, and is primarily used to manage rich media assets such as video, audio, brand images, etc.
An ECM system is more all-encompassing and focuses on file management more generally. It is typically used to store more basic file formats such as MS Office files and PDFs. As a result, ECM systems may struggle to offer the same level of rich media file organization capability as DAM systems.
Overview: differences between DAM and enterprise content management
DAM systems are geared towards the storage of rich media assets
Many modern digital asset management systems have a number of features that are geared towards the storage of rich media assets such as:
- AI-powered tagging that scans the contents of an image upon upload and automatically creates tags, which help to easily locate the image at a later date
- An option to preview video files within the DAM environment so you can play the video without needing to download the file
- Editing functionalities such as cropping and image resizing for use on social media platforms
Bolt extra modules onto your DAM
Many digital asset management systems will offer extra “bolt-on” modules, which are usually related to the creation or maintenance of rich media. For example, Bynder offers:
- The Asset Workflow module, which helps teams collaborate effectively in the creation of rich media assets
- The Brand Guidelines module, which allows organizations to centralize their brand guidelines to aid compliance
- The Brand Templates module, which allows team members to edit branded content without compromising brand style
ECM systems are less equipped to deal with rich media
As mentioned, users of an ECM system are more likely to work with more basic files such as office documents. Consequently, ECM systems are usually designed with a 'jack of all trades' approach in mind, trying to manage large volumes of content more generally. As a result, they may be less inclined to focus on features that primarily serve the creative fields of an organization (such as image cropping or video preview capabilities).
Increase in interest for DAM systems in comparison to ECM
File management is an industry that is constantly developing to meet industry needs, so one can only guess how the relationship between enterprise content management and DAM may develop in the future. In this increasingly technological world, more and more organizations are investing heavily in content marketing. This has led to a growing demand for DAM—particularly SaaS DAM. So much so that DAM providers continually need to improve their solutions to meet the demands of organizations that are having to work with rich media files more and more. As demand for DAM continues to increase, it will be interesting to see how DAM solutions develop in order to meet this demand. Likewise, will ECM providers recognize this trend and place more focus towards rich media file management in order to stay competitive?
Enterprise content management FAQs
Will the relationship between DAM and ECM change in the future?
Digital asset management has typically functioned within an enterprise content management system, rather than as a separate solution. But as the use of rich media content is becoming more and more common for marketing purposes, DAM is starting to shift away from its enterprise content management pigeonhole. It is no longer a bit-part piece of a broader file management system anymore, but is establishing itself as an independent—and essential—software solution for organizations of all sizes.
How much does a DAM cost in comparison to an ECM?
Click for a Bynder DAM quote request. We will get back to you within the same business day.
Can I see the differences between a ECM and DAM for myself?
Click to sign up for a Bynder demo, and one of our consultants will demonstrate the differences between an ECM and a DAM.
How does ECM compare with content services and business object management?
Check out our blog post here on the differences between ECM and content services/business object management.
Sign up for a free Bynder DAM trial
To find out how digital asset management could help improve the organization of your content, sign up for a free, no-obligation Bynder trial.