AVP

Your DAM system needs governance.

Proper governance of your DAM system can enable long-term effectiveness and sustainability. How so? The Governance portion of your DAM operational model includes your policies and standards that ensure data quality, create an effective user experience, and mitigate risks. Essentially, it’s a systematic way to maintain the integrity of your DAM system.

The first part of this is establishing policies.

Policies help maintain system health. You should outline your system policies into at least a few categories:

Collection policies: What assets are and aren’t in scope for the DAM? What formats and variations are accepted? What metadata is required upon submission?

Curation policies: Are all assets given equal treatment in terms of processing and metadata? What metadata is required prior to making assets accessible to end users?

Lifecycle management policy: How long are assets retained in the DAM system? What happens to the asset after it’s removed from the system?

Once you have this established, you're on your way to creating a functional system.

Have you ever had trouble getting a budget for your DAM initiatives? You’re not alone.

Securing a budget, as with most projects, starts with trying to understand the people (stakeholders) you’re pitching to. Remember, DAM doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is a service that delivers value to the organization and furthers its strategic aims. Therefore, to make a compelling case you need to look out, not in. Be able to tell leaders what’s in it for them, while empathizing with the prioritization decisions they have to make.

Start by asking the very basic question: how does the DAM advance my stakeholders’ goals (and what are those things)?

This simple exercise is going to help you consider how the DAM brings value to the people you’re pitching to. Remember, you’re trying to inspire and motivate leaders to support your vision for DAM. To do it, start by understanding theirs.

Look to existing resources to understand the priorities of your organization, division, and/or business unit.

Okay, you’ve chosen the wrong digital asset management system but what’s the worst that could happen?

Here’s why a wrong choice can be costly:

1. Unwanted Expenses: Imagine realizing too late that your chosen DAM doesn't fit your needs. You're already deep into software implementation, including configuration and content migration. If you decide to switch systems, not only will you face the direct costs of ending the current contract, but you'll also encounter substantial staffing expenses to start all over again.

2. Broken Trust: A DAM that fails to meet expectations can damage the trust between you and your stakeholders. Once trust is lost, it's tough to rebuild. Stakeholders feeling frustrated may disengage, impacting system adoption and jeopardizing the project's success.

3. Lost Opportunity: The wrong DAM delays your time to value, prolonging the period before you can realize the benefits you sought from the investment. Meanwhile, the issues you aimed to solve—like workflow inefficiencies and content chaos—only worsen, potentially leading to the permanent loss of archival materials.

4. Project Viability: A poor DAM choice can undermine the entire project, affecting careers and leaving a challenging legacy. This risk is especially significant if the DAM implementation is part of a broader technology strategy backed by executive leadership.

Invest wisely in your DAM system—it’s not just about technology, it’s about safeguarding your investment, maintaining stakeholder trust, and enhancing operational efficiency.