Document management
SharePoint as a document management system: when do you need a separate DMS?
SharePoint or a separate DMS? Compare document approval, access rights, version control and the set-up required for the same workflow.
SharePoint offers more than file storage, including version control and content approval. A separate DMS can still be interesting if you need a lot of set-up for your document processes. Compare both options with the same approval route and management agreements.
SharePoint can already do more than store files
Microsoft describes document management in SharePoint with libraries, metadata, versions and access rights. Those are also components of a DMS. The question is therefore which set-up your document process needs and who manages it.
SharePoint also supports content approval and settings for the visibility of drafts. So you do not automatically have to build custom solutions or separate libraries for every approval. More complex routing, reminders and organisational agreements do call for a suitable set-up.
Run the same work instruction through both systems
Use a fictitious machine maintenance instruction as a trial. The author changes two steps, a subject-matter owner reviews the change and staff must be able to find the valid version. This is a demonstration scenario, not a certification test.
- Make version 1 available to readers.
- Create a draft with the two changes. Check what an ordinary reader sees and what an editor sees.
- Reject the first change with an explanation and restore it.
- Approve the new version. Then check the version that opens via search and old links.
- Withdraw the instruction later and record the instruction that replaces it.
Carry this out in SharePoint with the chosen library, versioning and approval settings. Carry out the same steps in the specialised DMS. Look at the management required, the number of actions and the information you can retrieve afterwards. A predefined workflow can be handy, but it must match your own way of working.
If you need read receipts, add them explicitly to the trial. Check what a confirmation means: opening a document, a manual statement by the employee or a completed instruction. Those are different kinds of evidence.
Compare capabilities and set-up
| Question | SharePoint | Specialised DMS |
|---|---|---|
| Which version does a reader see? | Check versioning, approval and draft visibility | Check how valid, draft and withdrawn are distinguished |
| How does approval work? | Start with built-in approval; investigate an extra workflow if needed | Have routing, replacement and rejection demonstrated |
| What data belongs with a document? | Set up metadata columns and views | Check which fields and classifications can be customised |
| How do you show who did what? | Check history and logging within your licences and set-up | Check which actions are logged and how long they are kept |
| Who maintains the process? | Include internal management and any additional tools | Include configuration, updates and supplier assistance |
Search and AI: can the answer be traced back to a source?
A search trial must do more than find a document with the right name. Ask about a topic that appears in several versions. Check which version the system uses and whether a user with limited rights gets the same results.
Zenya documents AI Search as a paid add-on with a DOC licence and answers with source references. That makes Zenya a candidate if searching within managed documents is important. In the demo, show what happens with a withdrawn document and a question for which no source is available.
For both routes: a clearly worded AI answer does not prove that the source is up to date or should be accessible to this user. Open the source and check the date, status and rights.
Describe your requirements before you choose software
Make agreements per document type on owner, review, publication, withdrawal and retention. Have the person responsible for quality or information management decide which requirements apply to your organisation. A package name or the mention of a standard is not proof that the set-up complies with it.
Own fictitious profile: document Maintenance work instruction, owner head of technical services, target group team B, internal review after twelve months. In this example those twelve months are an organisational agreement and not a universal standard term.
When switching, ask for a trial export of files, metadata and relevant history. Can you still establish outside the package which version was valid on a given date? Include that portability in your decision.
When do you stay with SharePoint?
Start with SharePoint if it is already available, your management team can maintain the necessary set-up and the trial shows that the document process works well. Do count any extra licences and management time needed. An existing licence does not make further set-up free.
Compare Metaware or Zenya if you are looking for predefined processes and additional support. Have them show the same work instruction; do not go by a presentation with other examples alone.
Via the overview of document management systems you can compare the candidates. The best choice is the set-up your team can use and keep managing, with demonstrably the control your documents require.
