18 September 2023

The main differences between DAM and SharePoint

Joska Fleerackers

Marketeer bij Catena Company

While modern DAM specialises in managing digital assets and creative content, SharePoint was developed for content management, collaboration and business processes. Both can be valuable tools for organisations, depending on what their specific needs and objectives are. Yet, the two are often mixed up. Not sure which platform suits you best? Let’s see what the main differences are.

Integration options

DAM:

Modern DAM offers integrations with commonly used creative tools such as Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. This allows graphic designers to easily place assets within their project.
It can be integrated with content management systems (CMS) to publish digital assets directly on websites. This improves your SEO and accelerates website loading speeds.
Integration with e-commerce platforms is also an option, which makes it easier to manage and publish product images.

SharePoint:

SharePoint has integrations with other Microsoft products such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook and Microsoft Access. This makes it a good choice for organisations which are already using the full Microsoft toolset.
Custom integrations are possible, allowing you to develop specific workflows and automations.

Derivatives

DAM features automatic derivatives which allow you to, for example, automatically generate thumbnails or custom image formats based on the original assets. These can be defined when implementing your DAM system and will save you quite some time! Authorised users can set custom focus points for important parts of images, ensuring that the most important part is always in focus.

Creating derivatives on SharePoint is feasible, but usually requires more custom development. For example, you can build custom workflows to generate derivatives based on specific requirements, but this does require the necessary technical expertise.

Search functions within your assets

DAM:

DAM has an intuitive interface which allows users to easily search for digital assets based on keywords, metadata and taxonomy.
It provides advanced search filters and options, including filtering by date, file type and more.
You can search for a specific word in a search bar. Based on metadata and taxonomy, all related assets will appear.
Modern DAM technology uses automatic tagging and categorisation of assets based on metadata and artificial intelligence (AI), which helps to find relevant assets.

SharePoint:

SharePoint also has powerful search capabilities, with a search bar at the top of the page that allows users to quickly search for documents, pages and other content.
Like a modern DAM, SharePoint has extensive search filters and options, allowing users to refine searches based on various criteria, such as file type, author and date.
SharePoint uses Microsoft Search, which enhances the search experience by providing contextual insights and personalised search results based on user activity.
It can be integrated with Microsoft Graph to provide deeper insights into content and user behaviour, making the search experience even more powerful.

Consistent use of house style

DAM:

Digital templates on DAM are suitable to manage digital assets, including brand elements such as logos, images and templates. This makes it easy for users to access these materials in one central location.
A DAM system has several features to set brand guidelines, which ensures that all content created consistently uses the house style.
A DAM platform offers templates and automation for marketing materials, which speeds up the creation of brand-compliant content.
A modern DAM supports approval workflows to ensure that brand material and marketing content can only be published after approval, which additionally secures use of the corporate identity.
A DAM platform makes it easier to share brand assets with internal and external stakeholders, and provides control over who has access to which assets.
The platform provides advanced version management for brand elements such as logos and fonts, ensuring they are always up to date. Users are notified of updates, ensuring a consistent brand experience.

SharePoint:

SharePoint can be configured to store brand elements, but it is more like a broader platform for content management.
There is some flexibility when setting brand guidelines, but custom configuration and development is required to achieve similar automation and guidance as DAM.
SharePoint supports custom templates and automation, but it often requires more development to achieve similar out-of-the-box capabilities as DAM.
Approval workflows can also be found in SharePoint, but their configuration is more complex than in DAM.
SharePoint can provide content sharing, but this choice varies based on the organisation’s specific configuration and security settings.
SharePoint facilitates version control for documents and files, but places less emphasis on strict version control for brand elements. Organisations should take this into account when ensuring their brand consistency.

User-friendliness

DAM:

Bynder is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Small visual thumbnails appear that you can easily overlay. Searching on a modern DAM can be compared to online shopping.
The platform is specifically designed for managing digital assets and creative content. This means that the interface and functionalities are tailored to these specific tasks, often making the user experience easier for those involved in marketing and design.
Modern DAM technology consists of advanced search and filtering capabilities optimised for quick retrieval of digital assets.
Templates are provided for brand-related material, which simplifies the process of creating brand-compliant content.
Statistics can help identify assets that are no longer in use, which allows users to archive them or revoke their rights and notify those who have downloaded it.
DAM features comprehensive support with a dedicated customer service team, training options, regular maintenance and update cycles, and a vibrant online community and knowledge base.

SharePoint:

SharePoint is a more versatile platform with a wide range of functionalities, including document management, collaboration tools and business processes. This means the interface can sometimes be more complex, especially for new users unfamiliar with SharePoint.
SharePoint can be highly customised to an organisation’s needs, but this often requires more technical expertise and configuration. The level of usability varies according to the configuration and customisation within SharePoint.
There are powerful search features within SharePoint, but the user experience varies based on the search configuration and the complexity of the content being managed.
SharePoint is supported through the Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft support, extensive documentation and training options, regular upgrades and security updates, and the availability of Microsoft partners for additional support and services.

Choose DAM

If managing digital assets, such as images, videos and marketing materials, is a key focus for your organisation.
If you often work with Adobe Creative Cloud tools.
If brand consistency is key within your organisation.
If your team needs to get the hang of a new platform quickly.

Choose SharePoint

If your organisation’s focus is more on document management, collaboration tools and process automation.
If your organisation already relies on Microsoft products such as Office 365, Teams and Outlook.
If you have the necessary technical expertise to configure and develop it yourself.

In some cases, it makes sense to use both platforms. Bynder for specialised DAM management and SharePoint for broader content management and collaboration needs. The most important thing is to carefully evaluate your specific needs and goals before deciding between DAM and SharePoint.