Document Management Systems (DMS)

In brief: Document management systems (DMS) store and manage documents such as contracts, invoices, manuals and certificates, with features such as version control, approval workflows, full-text search and audit-proof archiving. They manage files, not structured product attributes.

DMS and PIM: the difference

A DMS treats each document as a whole: who changed it and when, which version is current, and how long must it be retained? A PIM system, by contrast, breaks product information down into individual, structured attributes so it can be reassembled for each channel. You cannot filter by product attributes in a data sheet stored in a DMS, but you can in a PIM system.

How they work together in practice

Many product documents belong in both systems: declarations of conformity, safety data sheets and assembly instructions are maintained and approved in the DMS, linked to the relevant products in the PIM system and distributed to the online shop and retailers. Alternatively, a DAM system or the PIM system’s media module can fulfil this role.

DMS, CMS, DAM and PIM are all areas of Enterprise Content Management.

See also

• Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
• Digital Asset Management (DAM)
• Media / Media Assets
• Content Management System (CMS)
• PIM