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Enterprise content management (ECM) is the process of organizing and managing the files, documents, and records of a business or any entity. These include the creation of such files, called content, and their dissemination, archival, retrieval, and disposal. Examples of business content are employee and customer records, invoices, account records, marketing paraphernalia, and even emails.
For any business enterprise to run efficiently, a proper ECM system will be a huge boost. This ensures all content that the business creates—documents, images, spreadsheets, or presentations—is approved by the right people and stored securely. Access to enterprise content must be managed so that only authorized staff are granted permission. Additionally, an ECM system also ensures that important files that need to be distributed either internally, to external stakeholders, or the general public are disseminated to the proper audiences.
Today, business content comprises both paper files and digital assets. They are vital to a company’s internal and external processes, so a good ECM system will be able to handle both types.
With a global market size estimated to reach $53 billion by 2030, the ECM system market’s growth is hinged on the fact that it is quickly becoming a necessity for many businesses.
Top Enterprise Content Management Systems to Make Work Easier in 2023:
Comparing the Top Enterprise Content Management Systems in 2023
ECM System Deployment Mode Best For Free Trial Laserfiche Cloud and on-premises Small to mid-sized businesses Yes OnBase Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid Mid-sized to large businesses Yes Box Cloud Small to mid-sized businesses 14 days M-Files Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid Small to mid-sized businesses 30 days AODocs Cloud Small to mid-sized businesses 14 days OpenText Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid Mid-sized to large businesses No SharePoint Cloud and on-premises Small to large businesses 1 month, via Office 365 trial Newgen Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid Mid-sized to large businesses Yes IBM Content Services Cloud Large enterprises 30 days Alfresco Cloud and on-premises Small to large enterprises 30 days download, 14 days online
Laserfiche is one the pioneers of digital content management for businesses. They claim to be the first to implement paperless transactions in the office and have continued the tradition of innovation for their solutions. Laserfiche offers businesses a centralized platform where all content is collected, improving workflow and efficiency for the entire organization. You can automate tedious but important processes, increasing productivity. Their ECM system is one of the leading systems around the world and enables you to manage the full records lifecycle more effectively. They offer a robust ECM system with practical functionalities and a user-friendly interface, making it a popular choice for many companies. It includes tools such as Microsoft 365 integration, records management, smart invoice capture, electronic forms, and more. Hyland is one of the leading content service providers in the US. Their flagship product, OnBase, is the ECM system that they developed to help clients work more efficiently. OnBase provides you with a secure, centralized location for managing important business documents and other content. The OnBase platform includes mobile content management, so work is not interrupted even when you’re on the go. Integration with other applications is also supported, as is document capture and electronic signatures for approvals. Process automation enables repetitive business tasks to be automated, saving time and money. Hyland does not publish its pricing publicly. Their solutions are based on low-code development, so each client will have different “versions” of OnBase, tweaked according to their needs. To get a quote, contact them and an expert will ask you about your ECM system needs and come up with a cost estimate. Box offers the Content Cloud, a powerful tool used by their clients to consolidate and manage all business content. According to Box, 67% of Fortune 500 companies trust their brand for ECM. Security and collaboration are at the heart of their service. They aim to provide their clients with a simple platform that would enable collaboration and teamwork at every stage while keeping the security of all files and maintaining data protection at the highest level. It includes easy management systems for the entire document lifecycle, from creation to storage to access to disposal. M-Files is an ECM system platform that aims to connect all your business content, no matter where they are originally archived. With M-Files, document copies and editions are unified in one version. Forget about email attachments that contain several versions of an important document with changes highlighted in a rainbow of colors. M-Files saves the history of changes automatically so you know who did what and when with an option to revert to an earlier version if you need to. M-Files also gives secure yet easy access to content to the right people. The platform uses metadata to organize files and define roles and user rights instead of hierarchies, which is easier for users and administrators to manage. The company utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning to categorize, store, and retrieve all important content. Similar to other ECM system providers, M-Files offers a modular approach for their products, where you list your requirements and the company offers modular solutions for your specific needs. Contact M-Files to request a price quotation. AODocs is best suited for companies and teams who rely mostly on Google tools to create and share content. Designed specifically to work with Google tools, the platform is heavily integrated with Google Drive and Google Workspace. You can also integrate with tons of other applications to help make business processes easier, including Adobe Sign and Salesforce. They offer a low-code content services platform that is designed and created for your company according to your content management needs and processes. Document management functions are built on Google Cloud, essentially transforming Google Workspace into a secure, compliant, and controlled content management platform. AODocs might be your best bet if your company is already adept at Google technologies for a quicker transition and lower learning curve. Contact them for a customized quote that best fits your needs. With 90% of Fortune 100 companies using OpenText products and solutions, the company is certainly one of the top ECM systems in 2023. Founded in 1991 at Canada’s University of Waterloo, OpenText began as a spin-off of the first online Oxford English Dictionary. From the start, OpenText has been at the forefront of information management. The OpenText Content Services Platform consists of several elements that form a robust ECM solution for companies. The OpenText Extended ECM is the main ECM system, integrating business content and processes together. OpenText Documentum for secure, high-volume content management, and OpenText Core for quick deployment in a secure cloud. OpenText offers specialized ECM systems for different sectors, such as banking, life sciences, legal, and more. They don’t post pricing on their website; you’ll need to talk to them to determine your requirements and implementation scope so they can give you an appropriate price quote. For Microsoft aficionados, ECM with SharePoint is the perfect solution for your content management needs. It is intranet-based, allowing team members to collaborate and share files easily within the company. SharePoint Online is cloud-based, but there is also an on-premises option. Because it is already a Microsoft product, SharePoint is easily used by companies utilizing their other products in content creation and distribution. Basic functionalities are included like file management and document collaboration, but to truly optimize SharePoint, you’ll need to customize some tools. SharePoint Add-Ins extend the functionality of this ECM system. Newgen’s pride is its low-code platform they describe as a comprehensive “digital transformation platform.” This unified, cloud-based platform can manage business content efficiently as well as automate business processes. Even if each of your departments has different processes, NewgenONE can handle them. Process automations are low code, digitizing end-to-end processes for both clients and employees to increase productivity. The platform is recognized globally for its robustness and ability to handle complex information and processes. With offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia, Newgen can be found practically across the globe. As with most other content services providers, Newgen does not publish its prices publicly. ECM systems are not a one-size-fits-all product, so it is recommended to contact the provider directly to assess your needs for a quote. IBM is already an industry leader, so it’s no wonder its ECM system is also a top-of-the-line product. IBM’s goal is to fast-track content management and governance processes for a smoother and more efficient workflow. IBM Content Services is a product that is pre-configured to provide access to ECM functionalities from IBM. It’s cloud-based, delivered on AWS, and provides secure access to all content. Other IBM products to maximize the Content Services package are the IBM FileNet Content Manager to manage, share, and collaborate on business documents, the IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation which uses AI to automate end-to-end processes, and IBM Datacap that identifies, classifies, and extracts content from different paper documents. Alfresco was acquired in 2020 by Hyland, the company behind OnBase. The Alfresco platform is built on cloud-native architecture, making it flexible and easily scalable for your business needs. It can also integrate seamlessly with other applications you use since it is built on an open-source core supporting open standards and APIs. Pre-built integrations are also available for Alfresco users from their partner communities, including SAP and AutoCAD. Alfresco’s ECM capabilities include document management, document scanning and capture, enterprise collaboration, information governance, and intelligence and analytics. The Alfresco Digital Business Platform comprises several components. Companies can select the modules they need, so pricing is not provided on their website (similar to other Hyland products). They do have what they call “editions” of their various services, ranging from Starter Edition to the mid-level Business Edition and the top-tier package, the Enterprise Edition.
1. Laserfiche
2. OnBase by Hyland
3. Box
4. M-Files
5. AODocs
6. OpenText
7. Microsoft SharePoint
8. Newgen
9. IBM Content Services
10. Alfresco by Hyland
Key Features to Look For in an ECM System
In exploring your options among the top ECM systems, you’ll notice many similarities. There are functionalities of an effective ECM system that are a must-have, whether or not you’re a small company or a multinational corporation.
- Compliance and security
Data compliance is a must for ECM systems. Companies must strictly adhere to the regulations that govern data protection, even if the content is only used internally. ECM systems must be able to maintain security, and access to content should only be granted to the right people.
- Data capture
We still operate with a lot of paper documents. ECM systems should have the capacity to convert these paper documents into digital data, identifying key information and translating them into digital files.
- Search capability
Users should be able to search for a file fairly easily using full-text searches and filters.
- Collaboration and versioning
Very rarely does a document only go through one person. Collaboration features are a must-have for an ECM system, allowing multiple users to work on the same content. At the same time, the tool must be able to recognize and organize changes that have been made. You may also want a feature that allows you to revert to a previous version.
- Automation
AI-powered automation can fast-track business processes and content.
- Integration
Businesses use more than one tool or software, such as CRM. A good ECM system can integrate with a company’s existing applications seamlessly.
- Multiple deployment options
Cloud-based ECM systems have a lot of advantages, but many larger companies may choose to have on-premises or hybrid deployment for security purposes.
