The 6 Best Enterprise Content Management Systems

1. What is Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?
2. What exactly does an ECM system do and what functions does it know?
3. What is the difference between ECM and DMS?
4. What are the advantages of Enterprise Content Management?
5. These are the top 6 ECM systems on OMR Reviews
6. 1. Storyblok
7. 2. Magnolia
8. 3. Contentful
9. 4. Contentstack
10. 5. SAP ECM
11. 6. ELO ECM Suite

If you're familiar with the following scenario, you should seriously consider installing an ECM system in your company - if it hasn't happened yet: Employee A creates an Excel spreadsheet with important information about a customer project. Storage name: "Infos_Customer A". Employee B needs information about the same customer and starts searching in your company's digital network. Time passes. At some point, Employee B finds the file from Employee A. The table is supplemented and saved as "Info_Customer A_edited". Now multiply these few work steps by the number of your employees, internal files and information in circulation and your customers. A whole chaos quickly develops, even though you might have thought that it would be directly organized to store everything digitally - including analogue documents. Unfortunately, it's not that simple!

With an ECM system, you take it all to a higher level. How exactly such a system works, what the difference between ECM and DCM is, and what functions an ECM system offers, we will reveal to you in this article. On top, you will get an overview of the 6 best ECM systems.

What is Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?

We start the list of questions with the most basic question: What is ECM actually? Enterprise Content Management (ECM) refers to various methods of capturing, managing, storing, retaining and delivering documents. The content can consist of personnel files, invoices, customer documents or even analogue documents. A distinction is made between structured, weakly structured and unstructured content. But every content can have relevance for your business, which is why a system makes sense. From the outside, an ECM becomes an essential part of your corporate structure. An ECM system is not defined by a single tool, but arises from the network of several.

What exactly does an ECM system do and what functions does it know?

With the help of ECM software, you can build a strategy that determines how documents are generally captured, edited, managed and stored. Part of this, however, are also other softwares like CMS or DMS. An ECM system applies throughout the company, to every department and every employee. The workflows can be manually recorded, but also automated to make processes more efficient. A typical process within an ECM system could look like this:

1. Document is captured (scanned or taken over in digital form).
2. The document is assigned to the appropriate employees and units for which it is relevant (e.g., invoices only for accounting).
3. The ECM software ensures that it remains a single file and prevents double editing.
4. The document can now be found by any authorized person using the search feature - regardless of the title of the document. What counts is the content.
5. Processes are automated by eliminating work steps that concern a document, but were previously time-consuming. All paths between authorized employees are taken digitally.
6. The document can also find its way into external programs, as an ECM system is not closed. At the same time, external users have access to the system. But the document does not leave the system, it receives a password-protected link, which can be forwarded.
7. Attributes can be assigned to the document at the beginning, which decide when it should be deleted or permanently archived.

What is the difference between ECM and DMS?

From the definition, you could think that an Enterprise Content Management System (ECM) is similar to the Document Management System (DMS). But the opposite is true. While an ECM system is established company-wide to capture, manage, edit, archive and digitize all information, a DMS is part of this system. A DMS is autonomous software which takes care of the management of documents.

What are the advantages of Enterprise Content Management?

Why should you use an ECM system in your company? Quite simply for the following reasons:

• Use of working hours and infrastructure more efficiently
• Easy access to relevant documents
• Monetary savings (especially looking at your IT infrastructure)
• Location-independent access to all your company's documents
• Structured collection of all internal documents
• Access via password-protected links for external partners
• A check-in is required before each editing, which prevents multiple versioned documents
• When a document enters, the ECM tool automatically decides, based on specifications, to which unit and which employees it should be assigned
• The search is based on the content of a document, not on the title

These are the top 6 ECM systems on OMR Reviews

Before we show you the 6 best ECM systems, we would like to emphatically point out that implementing such a system in a company is a big deal. While an accounting software can be filtered out and used in the company, choosing the right ECM system is just the first step. The actual work is to install the ECM solution, including structure, and organize the onboarding. So take enough time.

Now you can take step one and first choose the right ECM software. To help you do this, we have listed the six best ones you can find on OMR Reviews among others:

• Storyblok
• Magnolia
• Contentful
• Contentstack
• SAP ECM
• ELO ECM Suite

1. Storyblok

Storyblok on OMR Reviews

Storyblok is a headless Content Management System that has many ECM features. These include activity dashboards, version control, full-text search, mobile access, and workflow management. Big names like Adidas, Oatly, Pizza Hut, and Marley Spoon already use Storyblok's software. In addition, the Austrian company, founded only in 2017, puts a strong emphasis on support.

Storyblok Costs

Storyblok offers its software in three sizes and thus at three different prices. The cheapest version, "Entry", starts at 90 euros per month for up to 5 users. The "Teams" version is more comprehensive and costs 411 euros per month for up to 10 users. In both cases, each additional user costs 9 euros per month. The "Enterprise" version costs 2,999 euros but includes all functions.

Find more information on Storyblok's prices along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

Storyblok Alternatives

You can find an overview of Storyblok's alternatives on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.

2. Magnolia

Magnolia on OMR Reviews

The beautifully named software Magnolia is a content platform that allows companies to manage all content. Magnolia uses the capabilities of a CMS based on headless architecture, a Digital Asset Management and other areas like E-Commerce and Digital Experience. Because Magnolia is so comprehensive in terms of content management, it can help launch an ECM system in your company.

Magnolia Costs

The tool, which is highly rated on OMR Reviews, doesn't fit into any price category. Therefore, you can request a demo from Magnolia's website and negotiate the payment for what you need.

Find more information on Magnolia's prices along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

Magnolia Alternatives

You can find an overview of Magnolia alternatives on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.

3. Contentful

Contentful on OMR Reviews

The tool Contentful is an API-first Content Management Platform and thus an ideal basis for an ECM system. Contentful is used by more than 2,200 customers worldwide, according to their information. This speaks to the provider's experience and expertise in content management. At the same time, the handling of the software solution is comparatively simple, which makes it ideal for companies that have few IT-savvy people in their ranks.

Contentful Costs

The developer behind Contentful offers its software in three different packages. The first package, "Community", is free and is aimed at IT people. The second package, "Team", includes all functions and costs $489 per month. The third package is named "Enterprise" and is relevant for those who are looking for a basis for an ECM system. It is scalable to your company, so you will need to negotiate the price with the Contentful team.

Find more information on Contentful prices along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

Contentful Alternatives

You can find an overview of Contentful alternatives on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.

4. Contentstack

Contentstack on OMR Reviews

The second Enterprise-Content-Management provider with a fittingly content-based name is Contentstack. It is also an API-first content management system. The tool already supports Riot Games, Icelandair, Berlitz, McDonald's and other prominent brands. With Contentstack, it's possible for you to capture, manage and edit content according to an ECM system.

Contentstack Costs

You can purchase Contentstack under three different conditions. The "Start" package is available for 995 euros and the "Grow" package for 4500 euros. Both prices are per month. In the third package it is scalable, so you need to negotiate an individual price in this case.

Find more information on Contentstack prices along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

Contentstack Alternatives

You can find an overview of Contentstack alternatives on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.

5. SAP ECM

SAP Extended Enterprise Content Management von OpenText on OMR Reviews

Together with the largest Canadian software company OpenText, SAP has also made its way into the ECM market. With the SAP ECM you can digitize all business processes, manage real-time information and store documents as an On-Premise ECM system prescribes. This means that documents and files can be captured, edited and archived. The focus of the SAP ECM is process-oriented collaboration and more efficient workflows.

SAP ECM Costs

SAP has not attached a uniform price tag to its ECM. You can test the SAP Extended Enterprise Content Management by OpenText and negotiate an individual pricing model with the developer. This way, you only pay for what you need.

Find more information on Prices of SAP ECM along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

SAP ECM Alternatives

You can find an overview of SAP ECM alternatives on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.

6. ELO ECM Suite

ELO ECM Suite on OMR Reviews

The ELO Enterprise Content Management enables you to digitize operational business processes. For this, the software developer provides you with a comprehensive ECM that can be used anywhere, and it's supposed to be able to seamlessly integrate into your IT infrastructure and provide a secure place for all your company data. The ELO ECM Suite thus includes multiple tools in one software: document management, mobile working, automation of workflows and intelligent search. In addition, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP and DATEV software can be integrated.

ELO ECM Suite Costs

The ELO ECM Suite is not available for a fixed price. However, a call to the developer will answer your questions in this regard.

Find more information on Prices of the ELO ECM Suite Suite along with pricing-related user reviews on OMR Reviews.

ELO ECM Alternatives

You can find an overview of Alternatives to the ELO ECM Suite on OMR Reviews and can decide for the most suitable ECM system for you using verified user experiences and ratings.