5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Deploying a DAM: Insights from a DAM Admin

Deploying a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system can transform your organization by creating a comprehensive system for searching and managing all of your digital assets. Additional, DAM tools can help improve workflows, help maintain brand consistency, and enforce digital rights and compliance. However, certain critical aspects of deploying a DAM solution are often overlooked during the planning stages. 

Here are five considerations a DAM manager recently conveyed they wished they would’ve considered before deploying a DAM:

For more insights, join our upcoming webinar, "From Selection to Success: How Ravinia Navigated Choosing and Implementing its Ideal DAM Solution."

1. The  Importance of Governance

Effective DAM deployment hinges on strong governance such as setting clear policies, defining access levels, and ensuring legal compliance. Without proper governance, a DAM system can become chaotic, leading to inefficiencies and legal risks. Effective governance protects brand integrity and reduces risk.

Types of Governance for DAM

• Access Control and Permissions: Define user roles, set permissions, and implement approval workflows.
• Metadata Standards: Establish consistent schemas and guidelines for metadata.
• Asset Lifecycle Management: Set policies for creation, usage, and disposal.
• Compliance and Legal Requirements: Ensure adherence to copyright laws, local and international regulations, as well as internal rights management policies.
• Quality Assurance: Implement standards for asset quality and accuracy.
• Security Measures: Define encryption policies and breach response protocols.
• Training and Support: Provide ongoing training and support for governance policies.
• Change Management: Manage and communicate changes in governance policies.
  
  

2. Your Taxonomy Might Need Refining

Metadata and keyword tagging are crucial for asset searchability. Your existing taxonomy, or first attempt at creating a vocabulary for your DAM platform may not be comprehensive or intuitive for all users. Regularly refine and update keywords based on user feedback and search behavior to enhance asset discoverability and DAM usability. 

How to Refine Taxonomy for DAM

• Leverage AI for Enhanced Tagging Efficiency: AI can automate tagging processes, improve metadata accuracy, and help identify patterns in asset usage, making it easier to refine and standardize your taxonomy.
• Conduct an Asset Audit: Review existing assets and metadata for gaps.
• Engage Stakeholders: Gather input from users and identify common search terms.
• Analyze Search Data: Review search logs to inform taxonomy updates.
• Benchmark Against Best Practices: Research and compare with industry standards for your vertical.
• Simplify and Standardize Terms: Consolidate and standardize keyword definitions.
• Implement Controlled Vocabularies: Use controlled vocabularies for consistency.
• Test and Iterate: Test updated keywords and adjust based on feedback.
• Provide Training and Documentation: Train users and create comprehensive documentation.

3. Time Commitment for Ingesting Assets

Ingesting assets into a DAM can be time-consuming. This process includes uploading files, adding metadata, and organizing assets. Allocate sufficient time and resources for this phase, break it into manageable steps, and prioritize critical assets to maximize early benefits.

Planning and Breaking Up Asset Ingest for DAM

• Pre-Ingest Planning: Inventory and prioritize assets, and set quality standards.
• Phased Ingest Approach: Upload critical first, then move on to high-usage, and finally archival assets.
• Batch Processing: Divide assets into batches for manageable uploads.
• Metadata Assignment: Develop templates and review metadata accuracy.
• Resource Allocation: Allocate dedicated resources to aid in the bulk ingest of large amounts of data.
• Timeline and Milestones: Develop a timeline with milestones and deadlines.
  
  

4. Internal Company Adoption is Not Always Easy

Adopting a DAM system involves more than just technology; it requires changing workflows and habits. A smooth transition is crucial for maximizing your DAM investment.

Strategies for Gaining User Buy-In and Adoption

• Communicate Compliance Benefits Clearly: Emphasize how a DAM system ensures users avoid the headaches of managing rights-cleared materials by providing a centralized solution for tracking and verifying asset usage.
• Involve Key Users Early: Gather input and address concerns.
• Engaging Training Sessions: Use informal sessions, scavenger hunts, and interactive demos.
• Gamification: Implement a points system and leaderboards for user engagement.
• Create a Team of DAM Champions: Train and empower enthusiastic users.
• Regular Check-Ins and Feedback: Collect feedback and make necessary improvements.
• Offer Ongoing Support: Provide support channels and knowledge base.
• Celebrate Successes: Recognize milestones and share success stories.
• Tailor Training to Different User Groups: Customize training to departmental needs.
• Pilot Programs and Phased Rollout: Start with a pilot and roll out in phases.
  
  

5. Defining What You Really Need to Keep and Upload

Not all digital files should be kept or uploaded to your DAM. By curating assets carefully, you avoid clutter and ensure your DAM remains an efficient resource.

Defining What Constitutes an Asset for Your Organization

• Identify Core Business Needs: Focus on assets supporting key processes.
• Evaluate Relevance and Usage Frequency: Prioritize frequently used assets.
• Consider Legal and Compliance Requirements: Retain assets for legal purposes.
• Assess Quality and Completeness: Discard or update low-quality files.
• Determine Asset Lifespan: Implement policies for archiving or deletion.

Conclusion: What Else Haven't You Thought Of?

If you haven’t considered these factors, there might be other critical elements you're missing. Join our upcoming webinar, "From Selection to Success: How Ravinia Navigated Choosing and Implementing its Ideal DAM Solution," to explore further. Gain insights and ensure a successful DAM deployment for your organization.

Register for the webinar here and take the next step in optimizing your digital asset management strategy.