Top 10 Mistakes When Implementing a DAM Solution
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The document outlines the top ten mistakes companies make when implementing Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions, emphasizing the importance of a solid business plan and understanding of DAM's complexities. Key mistakes include ignoring metadata, failing to involve IT departments, and lack of leadership buy-in. It concludes with lessons learned that advocate for proper planning, resource allocation, and choosing the right vendor to ensure successful DAM implementation.
Top 10 Mistakes When Implementing a DAM Solution
- 1. TOP 10 MISTAKES WHEN IMPLEMENTING A DAM SOLUTION BY RICKY PATTEN DIRECTOR DATABASICS
- 2. DataBasics provides business consultancy with software solutions and services that improve productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in digital asset and media management
- 3. WHAT IS DAM? Digital Asset Management (DAM) is all about managing digital media better. DAM helps you find the right files, distribute them and ensure their security. A good digital asset management initiative pairs customised DAM software with an organisation’s business processes to make the enterprise run smoothly.
- 4. DAM IMPLEMENTATION MISTAKES DAM is prone to implementation mistakes that can make your project seem like a complete and utter waste of money. BUT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. This is a report of some of the most common DAM project mistakes, sourced from phone interviews with 32 companies that had implemented DAM in the last 5 years.
- 5. TOP 10 MISTAKES 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Started without a complete business plan Didn't understand what DAM is Ignored metadata Partnering with IT department failed No dedicated project manager Didn't understand DAM benefits Lack of leadership buy-in Built DAM solution from scratch Picked the wrong vendor Did not accept DAM as an operational cost
- 6. MISTAKE #1 STARTED WITHOUT A COMPLETE BUSINESS PLAN
- 7. STARTED WITHOUT A COMPLETE BUSINESS PLAN No plan Not adhering to the plan Project scope too big Lack of success criteria No thorough analysis of what is needed No focus No asset contributors involved in planning Workflow does not match business processes
- 8. MISTAKE #2 DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT DAM IS (AND WHAT IT IS NOT)
- 9. NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT DAM IS (AND WHAT IT IS NOT) Didn’t understand what DAM is and how it is going to be used Underestimated the complexity Overestimated skill sets available No-one in organisation with prior DAM experience
- 11. IGNORING METADATA Underestimated the complexity involved in collecting metadata Not collecting the right metadata No management of metadata entry Ineffective metadata No metadata structuring or standardisation Benefits of metadata unclear
- 12. MISTAKE #4 PARTNERING WITH IT DEPARTMENT FAILED
- 13. PARTNERING WITH IT DEPARTMENT FAILED IT department not involved in the project Underestimating technical resources needed Trying to fit business to system No customisation, no integration with business processes Underestimated storage requirements Gap between IT and users
- 14. MISTAKE #5 NO DEDICATED PROJECT MANAGER
- 15. NO DEDICATED PROJECT MANAGER No dedicated DAM/ archival person No one in charge of metadata entry and cataloguing
- 16. MISTAKE #6 DIDN'T UNDERSTAND DAM BENEFITS
- 17. NOT UNDERSTANDING DAM BENEFITS DAM benefits not explained False expectations about benefits Underestimating the value of assets Believe DAM is too expensive
- 18. MISTAKE #7 LACK OF LEADERSHIP BUY-IN
- 19. LACK OF LEADERSHIP BUY-IN No support from executive team Poor leadership No ownership of the project Power struggle between users and IT
- 20. MISTAKE #8 BUILT DAM SOLUTION FROM SCRATCH
- 21. BUILT DAM SOLUTION FROM SCRATCH Tried to build system themselves Too much customisation
- 22. MISTAKE #9 PICKED THE WRONG VENDOR
- 23. PICKED THE WRONG VENDOR Selected the cheapest quote No local support and training services provided No prior experience
- 24. MISTAKE #10 DID NOT ACCEPT DAM AS AN OPERATIONAL COST
- 25. DID NOT ACCEPT DAM AS AN OPERATIONAL COST Expected ROI before making investment Expected customers to pay for the solution Focused on non-core issues Lack of internal support and resources Chose hosted solution when internal solution was needed
- 26. LESSONS LEARNED: Have a business plan Learn what DAM is all about Don’t ignore the metadata! Get your IT department involved Assign a permanent DAM person Realise the value of your assets Get your executive team on board Customise an off-the-shelf solution to fit your needs Choose a vendor with experience and expertise Accept DAM as an operational cost
- 27. HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN A formal business plan outlines what the DAM system will accomplish – its value to the organisation – quantifies it, and then justifies the investment. The starting point is documenting the way things are done now and what it costs in terms of time, effort, and resources.
- 28. LEARN WHAT DAM IS ALL ABOUT DAM is not a project, a temporary assignment to IT or Marketing to make their lives easier. DAM is more than that. It is a product that enables your marketing and sales team, partners and customers to quickly, easily and securely access and distribute the digital assets they need to be successful.
- 29. DON’T IGNORE THE METADATA! Do you know what assets you have and how to identify, organise, and describe them? This is critical to the entire DAM operation. Metadata is your greatest “asset”. It provides structure and information needed to make your assets more meaningful and valuable.
- 30. GET YOUR IT DEPARTMENT INVOLVED A well-managed DAM implementation typically involves three main groups – business, IT, and user community. This ensures that all of them are in lock step agreement on what is being built and can also resolve issues as they surface.
- 31. ASSIGN A PERMANENT DAM PERSON A Digital Asset Manager role is important in ensuring the assets are being ingested and tagged properly. This role is important to the implementation and ongoing success of the project.
- 32. REALISE THE VALUE OF YOUR ASSETS Your images, PDFs, design files, videos, etc. become valuable assets if you can find them and use them. DAM creates value for your organisation by transforming these files into assets for inclusion in projects, for distribution, or licensing them to third parties.
- 33. GET YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM ON BOARD Successful projects require leadership buy-in and an executive sponsor. This is key to getting the project up and running and to sustain future investment in maintaining a viable and effective DAM solution.
- 34. CUSTOMISE AN OFF-THE- SHELF SOLUTION TO FIT YOUR NEEDS Building a DAM solution is a complex art and involves many strategic and technical decisions to ensure the solution meets the needs of the organisation. The purchase of a solution generally includes an ongoing support and upgrade agreement with the vendor. An off-the-shelf solution can be customised to meet the organisation’s needs.
- 35. CHOOSE A VENDOR WITH EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE Select a vendor with extensive experience designing, implementing, and deploying their products. For example, DataBasics professional services team has performed a wide range of DAM implementations for more than 20 years and has extensive experience working with a large variety of companies and customers.
- 36. ACCEPT DAM AS AN OPERATIONAL COST Digital asset management requires support structure and training. Establishing and maintaining your DAM system is an important cost. It is critical to success of DAM and often the area that companies fail to fund, killing the digital asset management efforts.
- 37. NO ONE STATED THEY HAVE STOPPED USING THEIR DAM SYSTEM! www.databasics.com.au