A content management system publishes things for other people to read, such as a website. A document management system stores the files your business has to keep, such as contracts and invoices. The names sound alike and vendors blur them, but they solve different problems.
Content management systems
Content management systems let non-developers edit and publish web pages. Content management systems examples include WordPress, Drupal and Joomla, all open source, along with hosted website builders where the provider runs the site for you. WordPress is the most widely used. Choose by who will edit the site, how much customisation you need and who will handle updates and security: self-hosted systems need regular updates, whereas a hosted builder looks after them for you.
Document management systems
Document management systems store, index, version and control access to documents. They add what a shared drive lacks: search by content or details, approval workflows, audit trails, retention rules, and check-out so two people don't overwrite each other. Document management systems open source options include Paperless-ngx for scanned paperwork, Mayan EDMS and OpenKM. They carry no licence fee but need someone to install, secure and maintain them. Commercial systems add support and integrations.
A shared drive with sensible folders and permissions is enough for many small businesses. Consider a document management system when you have to prove who changed what, when you handle high volumes of paper or contracts, or when you need to enforce retention schedules.
Retention rules to build in
- HMRC expects limited companies to keep company tax records for at least six years
- Self-employed people should keep records for at least five years after the 31 January online submission deadline for the tax year
- UK GDPR says personal data shouldn't be kept longer than necessary, so set deletion dates for employee and customer files
Choosing
- Decide whether the need is publishing or storing.
- For storage, list your retention periods and who must approve what.
- Trial with 100 real documents, including scans.
- Check the export formats so you aren't locked in.
For where the files sit day to day, see our guide to cloud storage for business in the UK.