Collection Management Software (CMS) are useful for individual art collector and institutes. These help art collectors in organizing, controlling and managing their collection items by keeping a track of all relevant information related to them.
The CMS is also helpful to users in recording important information. Further, this information includes the item’s location, its provenance, the curatorial details, conservation documents, professional appraisals and history of exhibiting it and other similar data.
Using CMS you can allow the public, volunteers, researchers, and staff a common platform for accessing relevant information of your collections using the internet. Best CMS are adaptive in nature and are useful for all types of collectors, from individual enthusiasts to popular museums and huge institutes of art.
Here is the list of the best collection management software.
1. Vernon
Vernon CMS is an excellent collection information system. It has impressive flexibility to adapt to your growing needs. It focuses on cultural organizations and offers the most trusted and strong software with excellent after-sales support for all-around satisfaction. The system gets an update from regular inputs by users and experts around the world who form the global CMS community. It is one of the most popular CMS solutions that come with reliable international-standard support.
Features
- It is easy entering and extracting information from Vernon CMS. It has a unique streamlined data entry portal that can also help in searching, reporting and in exporting the relevant collection information.
- You can also choose to add/remove any particular field from the data entry side. It allows the user to add and customize fields in the data entry form along with customized data entry screens to suit your preferences.
- This helps users in linking the related images, documents and multimedia files from their digital assets with the relevant information.
- The CMS runs on a modular system and is useful in adapting to your requirements as they change and increase with time. You can also choose the module you wish to import the information for a particular collection.
- There is on-site training provided by the company that helps in training the new user. This training is highly-recommended for collection management staff.
Pricing Details
The Vernon CMS is available from the company for at least $13,000 for the first year. It also has a $1,000 annual license fee.
2. Argus
Argus is the best practical CMS solution for those responsible for managing art collections. This is an incredible web-based designed system for galleries, museums and art collectors. It helps in improving the functions of curators, increasing the reach to access information online and also in enhancing their inter-personal and virtual user-experience. With Argus, you get the most complete and competitive CMS solution. It is flexible, thus allowing it to adapt and grow with your increasing and changing requirements through the years. Also, it helps in providing easy access to exhibits and objects by assigning detailed information in an organized manner. 
Features
- Argus allows museums, galleries, libraries and other places of the art collection to stay relevant and efficient. The different departments within – Collections, faculty, IT, etc – become cohesive in working together for greater efficiency in maintaining the large collection database.
- It allows reaching out in the best way with customers using internet or mobile-based platform. This is an excellent way to put on display the extended collection, apart from the normal 1%-4% which is usually shown to customers.
- The excellent design of the portal provides optimal user-experience. It allows visitors to browse through many artifacts using well-organized and categorized listing.
- Add relevant documents, images, and links to the artifacts and add fresh data to the information provided to customers online.
- This offers an integrated public portal and back-end administration. Also, helps with swift, real-time updates, making data entry easier. Further, it results in a streamlined and organized work-flow that decreases training time for new staff, etc.
- You can also access the portal using your smartphone which makes it a flexible CMS solution. Staff can use the portal to work from anywhere and at any time. This helps in increasing efficiency and smoothing the process of collecting and archiving art pieces.
Pricing Details
Although the company has not disclosed the price plan for Argus CMS it is available on a subscription basis. It is available for a free trial period.
3. TMS Collections
TMS Collections is one of the top Collections Management Software available on the market today. It works to suit the requirements of large and small museums, libraries and art galleries. Also, has many web-based functions which can manage every aspect of managing art collections and books.
Further, it offers uninterrupted connection and integration to web-publishing, digital asset management, and conservation.
TMS Collections software offers a huge selection of advanced and efficiency-enhancing features that make it part of an immense global community of users and experts.
Features
- TMS provides many different modules to store and cross-reference object information throughout the portal. Also capture, catalog and manage all relevant object data and information.
- This is a global CMS solution as it offers support in 24 popular global languages. It’s smooth and sleek UI makes using it easier too with a short learning curve for new users.
- It is excellent to manage and maintain exhibits and even loaned artifacts. The Batch Updating and the Exhibition Flex Fields are excellent to manage complicated work projects with even increased efficiency.
- CMS helps the user in preparing reports and forms. Using the pre-formatted reports, and loan agreements, condition reports, and wall labels, it is easier and effective in increasing the efficiency of the workflow.
Pricing Details
TMS Collections is actually a free upgrade. Gallery Systems provides along TMS Collections with its EmbARK annual maintenance package.
