While Enterprise Social Software and Document Management Software seem to be world apart, both these software solutions are seen crossing each other’s territory lately.

One of the key influencers behind adopting document management software is collaboration as it comes with a suite of collaboration features over and above the standard features like document management, workflow management, records retention, and document security.

The main area for Enterprise Social Software was collaboration but it too is venturing into document management; however, the development is still at an infantile stage. In this post, we will do a step-by-step comparison of both systems based on the parameters that influence the decision to adopt the software.

ess vs dms comparison

One of the leading ESS, which claims to have document management covered, lacks even basic document management features like Version Control and audit trail!

Enterprise Social Software (ESS) Document Management Software (DMS)
Size The most important determinant in adopting software is the size of industry. Many medium and large businesses looking for an easy quick-fix solution for internal communication go for ESS. Large enterprises looking for an all-encompassing technology that can cover paper, people and productivity and performance often decide for something more sophisticated like DMS.
Industry Almost all industries as today every organization needs a platform where employees can discuss, share and collaborate on a project. While almost all large enterprises need document management software, the need for a simple DMS system has been noted in small-scale businesses too.
Solutions  
  • Business intelligence
  • Employee motivation
  • Improved communication
  • Increased productivity
  • Mobility
  • Private social network
  • Task management
  • Better information control
  • Business intelligence
  • Disaster recovery
  • Easy and fast retrieval
  • Enhanced security
  • Improved collaboration
  • Increase productivity
  • Mobility and round-the-clock access
  • Private social network
  • Reduce costs
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Task management
Security and Control All top-notch ESS comes with standard security protocols Since DMS has to ensure compliance with the latest regulations, security is one of the strongest points
Advanced tools
  • Microblogging
  • File Sharing
  • Task Management
  • Synchronization
  • Knowledge Management
  • People Directory
  • Customer and Supplier Extranet
  • Instant Messaging
  • Collaborative Work
  • Capture & Scanning
  • Quick Search
  • Electronic Workflow
  • Version Control
  • Audit Trail
  • Records Retention
  • Personal Workspace
  • Email Notifications
  • Document Share Links
  • Digital Signatures
  • Auto-emailing
  • Report Generation
  • 3rd Party Software Integration
  • External Database Collection
Compliance “Concerns around data governance and compliance of these quick-moving social collaboration tools are now coming into the spotlight” No software can guarantee compliance. However certain features like data security, processing, retention, document life cycle are important for complying with most regulations.

This quick comparison of Enterprise Social Software and Document Management Software can help some of your dilemma over which software to opt for. Next up is a comparison on Records Management Software V/s Document Management Software.