Custom collection management software for museums
Custom collection management software gives museums, archives and heritage institutions full control over their objects, from registration and cataloguing through to digitisation, loan administration and online publication. Off-the-shelf systems rarely suit the complex metadata, specific workflows and varied collection types that heritage institutions work with every day. We build software that matches your registration model, your thesauri and your storage processes, and that grows with your collection and your ambitions.
Why custom collection software?
Museums work with metadata that differs fundamentally from what standard business software can record. An archaeological sherd needs different fields from an oil painting, a textile from an ethnographic collection, or a sound recording from a folk culture archive. Off-the-shelf systems force institutions to adapt their registration to the software, when it should be the other way round.
In addition, workflows in museums and archives are highly specific. Loan administration requires condition reports, facility reports, insurance valuations and transport logistics. Storage management revolves around climate monitoring, location tracking and movement history. Restoration files combine technical photography, material analyses and treatment reports in a single continuous record. These processes are closely interrelated and call for a system that understands those connections.
Many institutions also run into issues of scale. A university museum with five thousand objects has different requirements from a national museum with one and a half million records. Standard software often offers a compromise that falls short in both cases. Custom development, by contrast, is tailored to the exact size, complexity and growth ambitions of your collection.
Custom collection software is aligned with the registration model your institution already uses, whether that is based on CIDOC-CRM, Spectrum, Dublin Core or an in-house schema. You choose which fields, thesauri and relationships are relevant, without the limitations of a one-size-fits-all solution. We also help migrate existing data, so you do not have to start from scratch.
Custom software also grows with your institution. Starting with basic registration? We can later expand with digital image banks, public collection portals or AI-driven tagging. Each module is built when you are ready for it, without migration burden or vendor lock-in.
Another benefit of custom software is ownership. You are not dependent on the roadmap of a software vendor that may set other priorities. Functionality you need, such as an integration with a new heritage network or support for a specific file format, is built when you need it. Get in touch to discuss your situation.
Core collection management modules
Every institution has a different starting point. A small city museum may begin with object registration, while a national museum may need an advanced loans module. That is why we build modularly: you choose the components you need now and expand later. The modules communicate with each other through a shared object database, so information never has to be entered twice.
Object registration and cataloguing
Record objects in a single system with standardised metadata, including controlled vocabularies, which forms the basis for linked data and interoperability. From paintings and sculptures to archival documents and natural history specimens, every object type gets a suitable registration form.
- CIDOC-CRM and Spectrum-compliant field structure
- Thesaurus management with AAT and custom word lists
- Linked data publication for the heritage network
- Multi-collection management from a single interface
- Relationship management: maker, provenance, acquisition
- Object history and provenance chains
Digital image library
Manage photos, scans and 3D captures of your collection in a specialised digital asset management system with support for high resolutions. The DAM system is inseparably linked to your object database, so every image is automatically attached to the correct record.
- IIIF viewer for deep zoom and annotations
- High-resolution storage with automatic derivatives
- Batch import with metadata mapping from EXIF/XMP
- Rights and licence management per image
- 3D object viewer for scanned artefacts
- Automatic watermarking and download management
Loans and condition reporting
Digitise the entire loan process, from request to return, with built-in condition reports, facility reports and status tracking. Every object that leaves or enters your museum receives a complete digital file, including photographs, climate conditions and transport details.
- Workflow engine for incoming and outgoing loans
- Digital condition reports with photo annotation
- Facility reports that meet museum standards
- Insurance valuations and transport logistics
- Status tracking with automatic reminders
- Integration with loan partners via API
Additional modules
Alongside the core modules, we offer specialised extensions that address the day-to-day practice of museums and heritage institutions. Each module can be deployed independently or as part of an integrated platform. The architecture is designed so that new modules connect seamlessly with the existing object database and user permissions, without rebuilding or complex migrations.
RFID and location tracking
Attach RFID tags or barcodes to object records and track movements between storage facilities, restoration rooms and exhibition galleries in real time. The system automatically logs when and where an object has been moved, largely making manual location checks unnecessary. Ideal for institutions with large collections spread across multiple sites. The RFID module integrates with common handheld scanners and fixed antennas, so you can choose the hardware that suits your situation.
Public collection portal
Make your collection available to researchers, students and the wider public through a searchable web portal. Visitors filter by period, material, maker or theme and view objects in high resolution via an IIIF viewer. The portal can be integrated into your existing museum website or set up as a standalone application, with support for educational routes, thematic storylines and curatorial commentary.
Exhibition planning
Plan exhibitions from your collection database: select objects, check availability and loan status, and generate gallery layouts and object lists. The system warns of conflicts, for example when an object is already on loan or under restoration, and keeps a complete log of every exhibition. Exhibition makers can create draft selections that only become final once approved by the collections manager.
Restoration and conservation
Manage restoration files with treatment reports, technical photography (UV, IR, X-ray), material analyses and climate data in one continuous file per object. Restorers work directly in the system, so their findings are automatically linked to the object record and visible to collection managers. Each restoration file contains a timeline of all interventions, so future restorers can fully review an object's treatment history.
Integrations with existing systems and standards
Many museums already use registration systems holding years of data. Replacing an existing system doesn't have to mean losing your data or ending up in isolation. We build middleware and integrations that let your new custom software work seamlessly with existing platforms and international standards. Where needed, old and new systems run in parallel for a time, so the switch happens without data loss.
Collection systems
- Adlib / Axiell Collections
- TMS (Gallery Systems / CollectionsSpace)
- CollectiveAccess
- Memorix Maior (Picturae)
- MuseumPlus (Zetcom)
Metadata standards
- LIDO (Lightweight Information Describing Objects)
- Dublin Core (DC)
- CIDOC-CRM (conceptual reference model)
- Spectrum (UK museum standard)
- Schema.org / Linked Open Data
Heritage networks
- Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed (NDE)
- Europeana publication channel
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History
- Geheugen van Nederland (aggregator)
Technical integrations
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- OAI-PMH harvesting
- IIIF Image and Presentation API
- SPARQL endpoints for linked data
User experience and accessibility
Collection management software is used daily by registrars, conservators, exhibition makers and volunteers, people with widely varying technical skills. That is why we design interfaces that are powerful enough for specialists yet intuitive enough for occasional users. Read more about our approach to software development and design. The difference between software that is used and software that is worked around often lies in the details: fast search results, logical form layouts and contextual help texts that explain exactly what a field expects.
WCAG 2.2 compliant
The management interface and the public collection portal meet WCAG 2.2 level AA. This means sufficient colour contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader access and clear error messages, so the software is usable by everyone, including staff and visitors with visual or motor impairments. Accessibility is not an optional extra but an integral part of our design process.
Responsive management interface
Registrars work on large screens in the office, conservators take photographs and notes on a tablet in the storage area, and volunteers enter data on their own laptops. The interface adapts to the device without sacrificing functionality. Forms, search overviews and detail views are optimised for desktop, tablet and mobile. Offline capabilities ensure registration also works in storage facilities with limited internet connectivity.
Bulk import and data migration
When moving from an existing system, we migrate your complete dataset: object records, thesauri, images and relationships. We also provide bulk import functions for CSV, XML and LIDO, so large batches of objects can be loaded in one go with automatic validation and deduplication. We guide migration projects from start to finish, including quality control of the migrated data.
AI-assisted tagging
Speed up cataloguing with AI models that automatically recognise objects, classify materials and suggest thesaurus terms. The registrar always has the final say: AI provides draft suggestions that are confirmed or amended by hand, ensuring the quality of your metadata is safeguarded. This saves hours when processing donations, acquisitions or newly digitised sub-collections.
Compliance and standards
Museums and heritage institutions operate within a framework of public accountability, grant conditions and international partnerships. The software we build is therefore designed from the ground up with compliance as a starting point, not an afterthought. From data protection to digital accessibility, every component of the system is built to meet the applicable laws and regulations in the heritage sector.
GDPR and privacy protection
Personal data relating to loan partners, donors, researchers and visitors is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation. The system offers role-based access control, automatic data minimisation and audit trails for every action on personal records. Processing agreements and retention periods can be configured per data category.
European Accessibility Act
From 2025 onwards, the digital services of public institutions must comply with the European Accessibility Act. Our software is designed with WCAG 2.2 AA as the minimum standard, so your institution meets this legal obligation, both in the management portal and in the public collection portal. We test with screen readers, keyboard navigation and contrast checkers as part of the development process.
Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed guidelines
Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed promotes making the collection data of Dutch heritage institutions findable, usable and connected. We implement persistent identifiers, controlled vocabularies and linked data publication in line with NDE guidelines, so your collection becomes part of the national heritage network. This not only increases the discoverability of your objects, but also opens doors to collaborations with other institutions.
FAIR data principles
Your collection data is stored and published in accordance with the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. This is not only a guideline but also a requirement for many grant providers and research collaborations. The system generates machine-readable metadata, supports open standards for data exchange and offers export functions to common formats such as LIDO-XML and JSON-LD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to make your collection digitally accessible?
Tell us about your collection, your current registration processes and your requirements. We will put together a concrete proposal with a prioritised module roadmap. Explore our services, find out more about our solutions for cultural institutions, or see how we build visitor apps and ticketing systems.