For a long time, the emphasis in software was on discrete systems that performed one task very well. But the trouble with that method is an organization can end up with dozens of platforms, systems, and software that are disconnected. So if you’re looking to cut back on the bloat, here are a few systems that you can blend into your integrated DAM platform.
Digital rights management software helps you protect your brand’s intellectual property. And given the value of that intellectual property, it’s not surprising organizations spend so much to protect it.
According to Capterra, “Digital Rights Management software helps prevent unauthorized redistribution and copying of digital property.” Which is something a good DAM can do as well. For instance, in an enterprise DAM you can handle:
So if you’re looking to limit the number of programs needed to manage your assets, this is one system you can eliminate with your DAM.
Digital asset management started out as a solution for images, which meant that other media asset management systems evolved to manage more complicated audio and video files. However, a separate MAM system keeps your video and audio files isolated from the rest of your digital assets.
Today many DAMs have upped their media capabilities. And while there are separate tools focused entirely on audiovisual assets, they’re not really necessary. Just look for a DAM that also offers the following features:
Ultimately, a MAM and a DAM do similar things, so if your DAM can handle video and audio, why not let it take over as your MAM, too?
Say you’ve got an enterprise with a few (or more than a few) branch offices. And each branch needs marketing materials customized with local information. While there is template software that will let you create and customize content variants for those local branches, that type of system is usually a stand-alone affair.
The downside to most systems that let you create automated templates for users is that the system is separated from the tools users rely on to do design work and organize their assets. As a result, changes to logos, artwork, or the templates themselves involve lots of back and forth.
You can also have self-service templates within your DAM. Here’s how it works:
Every part of the process is centered on your DAM, ensuring you keep assets, templates, and users’ final documents all in one place — and letting you say farewell to unnecessary and expensive templating software.
When it comes to digital preservation tools, traditionally there are two options — an open source software that demands internal development resources or paid and “freemium” services.
Major international enterprises and institutions use digital asset management systems that double as preservation tools. In large part that’s because some modern DAMs offer many of the same tools as a dedicated preservation system, with the added flexibility of a digital asset management platform. Look for a DAM that offers:
When you use a DAM system that offers all of the above, you can avoid the disconnect between your preservation system and your DAM.
Culling photos or managing talent approvals can be a logistical pain in the neck. Most photo culling tools are completely cut off from the other systems you use. That means before you can access the shot you need for your next campaign, you have to upload entire photo shoots to an isolated approvals system, communicate with everyone who needs to review the images, and then download the winning shots to a DAM.
The workflow is a lot simpler from an integrated system.
In other words, it works the same as the tools you might use to cull photos or manage image approvals, but faster, since everything is happening within one tool — your digital asset management system.
There are a lot of ways to share your brand guidelines. Some companies simply create a shared document that they add to over time, though this can cause problems when looking to share a brand guide with users who ought to have different levels of access—the public, the press, staff, and so on.
Other organizations use branding software to keep track of it all. But that software requires vigilance if it’s disconnected from your DAM — updates that would be automatic in a digital asset management system (a rebrand, for example) would need a manual update in a separate system.
Your DAM can help you both keep your brand guidelines safe and up to date. If you want to operate a brand guide from your DAM, check to make sure your DAM system can:
Your brand assets already live in your DAM, so connecting those assets straight to your brand guide saves time and lets you effortlessly keep all your brand assets up to date.
By now you’re noticing a pattern — your assets are in one place; the software tracking what you do with those assets is somewhere else. Once again, you’re bouncing between different systems, spending extra money and creating inefficiencies.
Imagine if you could assign tasks and keep the assets needed for those tasks in the same place. Though you probably haven’t heard much about it yet, there are DAMs with project management functions that include:
Ultimately, combining project management and DAM lets you simplify workflows. It also makes it easier to track how much time and effort goes into each asset — something you can’t get from traditional project management software.
There are quite a few ways to store your intellectual property. You can store it in a PIM (Product Information Management system), though it really doesn’t belong there. You can invest in an enterprise archiving system, but that’s yet another system to keep track of.
Or…. you can probably guess where this is going.
DAMs can easily handle a library of your intellectual property, giving your marketing, legal, and archiving teams a simple way to access and utilize product photos, videos, and other content. From your DAM you can:
In short, your DAM can do more than just store your assets. A digital asset management platform can be a content hub that replaces unnecessary systems and saves time and money.
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