EDMS or PLM?
In the industrial world, every piece of data counts, and operational efficiency becomes a competitive advantage. To structure information and control processes, two approaches dominate: EDMS, focused on document management, and PLM, designed to oversee the entire product lifecycle. These two tools overlap, complement each other, but do not serve the same purpose. In this article, Aletiq clarifies their roles, their respective strengths, and the situations where one, the other, or both will truly improve efficiency, quality, and control. So, if you are wondering which software to choose between EDMS or PLM, you’ll find the answer here!
EDMS Software
An EDMS software is an application designed to organize and manage information in the form of electronic documents. This software allows you to digitize, store, classify, and easily retrieve all types of documents while ensuring their security and traceability.
The objective is to have a single, structured document repository, accessible to authorized employees, to facilitate information sharing and improve operational efficiency.
PLM Software
PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software is a tool designed to orchestrate all data and processes related to a product throughout its lifecycle.
A PLM system tracks the evolution of a product from its initial design to its manufacturing, through to its operation, maintenance, and eventual end-of-life disposal. It is therefore a much more “product-oriented” vision that goes beyond simple document management to include the management of technical data and complex business processes.
So, which should you choose between EDMS and PLM software? Let’s break it down.
Comparing EDMS and PLM Solutions in the Industrial Context
To guide your choice and help you decide between an EDMS software and a PLM software, nothing beats a side-by-side comparison! Although EDMS and PLM software are two distinct tools, they are complementary and address different needs within an industrial company.
Purpose and Scope
The primary purpose of EDMS software is to manage company documents, regardless of their nature, and to facilitate document-related work in a broad sense. Its scope covers all departments and all types of document-based content.
By contrast, PLM is specifically oriented toward managing the product lifecycle. Its scope centers on technical product data and related processes, which goes beyond traditional document management.
In other words, PLM integrates a much deeper “product” dimension, while EDMS software remains more generic.
Compared Features
There are functional overlaps between EDMS and PLM, but also notable differences. Both systems generally provide a centralized database, version and access control, as well as an audit trail to track who did what. These elements ensure traceability and a “single source of truth” for information.
However, the nature of the data managed differs: EDMS software manages files (documents, PDFs, images…) with their metadata, while PLM also manages structured technical objects (parts, assemblies, requirements…) and their relationships (for example, the hierarchy of a product via its bill of materials). In addition, PLM includes specialized features absent from a generic EDMS, such as product bill of materials management.
EDMS software, for its part, excels in document management.On some points, PLM and EDMS software converge: both aim to eliminate information silos and improve document compliance, but PLM stands out with its far broader, product-focused approach.
Users and Use Cases
In industrial practice, EDMS software is used by a wider audience within the company, while PLM targets a more specialized group. If EDMS software is often seen as a necessary tool for information sharing, in certain contexts such as industry and when project complexity increases, this solution alone shows its limitations.
That’s where PLM comes in: it becomes indispensable for teams to control the exact configuration of a complex product and ensure real-time collaboration around technical data. PLM software manages thousands of components and associated technical documents, ensuring traceability of changes and the strict regulatory compliance required by the sector.
To summarize all this information, here is a comparison table:
In an industrial company, PLM stands out as the go-to tool for product teams that need a 360° view of each development’s lifecycle. EDMS, on the other hand, proves valuable for optimizing the management of all company documentation (including outside the technical scope), boosting administrative productivity, and preserving organizational memory.
Ultimately, your choice depends on your setup and your priorities. But in many cases, the complementarity of both approaches brings the most sustainable gains in efficiency, quality, and control. That’s precisely what Aletiq offers: a solution that combines PLM and EDMS to deliver the best of both worlds.
