Another DAM Podcast

Audio about Digital Asset Management

Tag Archives: 2011


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Another DAM Podcast interview with David Barron on Digital Asset Management

Here are the questions asked:

  • How are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
  • Why does a organization focused on sporting goods use Digital Asset Management?
  • What is the big idea behind using master images in a DAM workflow?
  • What advice would you like to share with DAM Professionals and people aspiring to become DAM Professionals?

Transcript:

Henrik de Gyor: [0:02] This is Another DAM Podcast about Digital Asset
Management. I’m Henrik de Gyor. Today I’m speaking with David Barron. David,
how are you?

David Barron: [0:10] Hey, Henrik. I’m doing great.

Henrik: [0:13] David, how are you involved with Digital Asset Management?

David: [0:16] I’ve been in production most of my career, since I got out of college
in 1989. I managed a service bureau for about three years in the early ‘90s,
which gave me most of my troubleshooting capabilities. Then I worked in advertising
and marketing throughout the rest of that 20 years, where I worked at
places like CAPS Digital and Leo Burnett. I worked at a HBO startup company.
[0:46] I worked at The Marketing Store, the Integer Group and SM Marketing,
and several other places that I started to do a little consulting with. I was a production
artist who also did photo retouching and design. But always doing tech
support, too. Probably because, as a Macintosh user, the IT departments don’t
always fully support the Macintosh platform. So there was always a lot of technical
stuff that had to go on.
[1:21] I started thinking about Digital Asset Management while I was working
at The Marketing Store and trying to get a system in there that would help
us to manage our digital assets. That’s where I fell in love with Digital Asset
Management, and all the capabilities that you can have with Digital Asset
Management. Although I was a production artist at that time, I had to assume
the role of a Digital Asset Manager and technologist.
[1:55] I started here at Wilson Sporting Goods, two years ago, as a Digital Asset
Management Consultant, for their Xinet system that they put in. I had purchased
the exact same system at The Marketing Store, five years prior. I started to
consult on that system because I had known it really well. After about a year of
being here, they hired me full time, where I administered the asset management
system. I can still consult the designers on best practices as I continue to oversee
things from the front end, all the way to the back end of the system.

Henrik: [2:42] Why does an organization focused on sporting goods use Digital
Asset Management?

David: [2:47] I would argue that every company that creates digital artwork and
videos needs some level of Digital Asset Management. Once you have one file,
you have the need for Digital Asset Management, and you have some level of
managing that. So much is being created digitally. At Wilson Sporting Goods,
they create a dizzying amount of graphics per year. Small, 20 some creative
services, employees crank out work like crazy, every day.

[3:22] We have our own staff photographer who’s been working tirelessly here for 27 years. Just taking product shots. There’s terabytes of data, images and tons of people who need them. So wrangling these assets for internal use alone could be considered valuable.
But there’s offices worldwide, partners and dealers that all want to have an
image of “The Duke”, or whatever product they’re trying to sell for their website,
for their own catalogs.

[4:02] Trying to find these assets and getting them the correct one, the one
that’s retouched and outlined or whatever, is a big challenge. So Digital Asset
Management is key here.

Henrik: [4:17] What is the big idea behind using master images in a
DAM workflow?

David: [4:24] The master image paradigm is one that I’ve been percolating in
my brain for several years now. While working at marketing agencies, the workflow
as always to see each job as a closed loop, a single entity. All the art created
for that one job remained in a links folder, in a job folder. Even if you were
working on several pieces with the same images, you’d often duplicate those
images into the links folder of the new job, in order to keep a collection of files
current for that single entity. [4:58] If a product or image changed at the 11th
hour, which never happens, I understand. You were up late replicating those
changes to all those separate folders and all those separate files, and derivatives.
The thought came, “Couldn’t we just keep an image library to link to,
instead of all this duplication?”

[5:19] It was always work that nobody wanted to do or had time to work on.
Even though, in the end, it would have saved time. So this master image idea
was born out of this frustration in production. The temptation to collect all
the images into a job folder is pretty strong, but when the files are linked to a
master image in the master image library, the benefits are pretty fierce.

[5:44] That image is what I heard called, at Henry Stuart New York this year, “The
single version of the truth.” The high resolution images come in or are shot,
and they’re tagged with metadata. They get outlined, retouched, and they go
into the master image library, nested into several folders of hierarchy. You might
have a football folder and inside of that, NFL footballs and leather footballs.
They get nested into this library, like digital shelves.

[6:19] So everybody knows where they are. We keep two of them, one for in
progress images and one for published images or files that are ready to go
to the general public. But there’s only one file that is current. So that changes
to that one file, happened on that one file. Any of the work that’s being used,
that’s all they have to do, update the image in that layout.

[6:47] That way, there is no migration at the end of the job, where we take all
those images and then file them accordingly, so that people can see the images
and grab the images from the latest catalog. They’re already there. There’s no
wondering whether or not, “Was it this image, or this one next to it that looks
similar, that was used in this catalog?”

[7:14] Because they’re linked, and the DAM system shows that link. The files are
tagged with the name in that catalog. It’s really been revolutionary when it’s
done properly. The one thing that really makes it work, because a lot of people
have said, “What if I have a Photoshop file that’s got several images composited
in there? I’ve got to make a new file. How do I track what files are being put in
that Photoshop file?”

[7:50] It’s really difficult. You can put it into metadata. I’m really encouraging
people, now with WCS platform, you can do a lot of compositing effects in
InDesign and Illustrator, for that matter. Although I’m sort of against doing any
page layout or major Photoshop compositing in Illustrator. But to do your compositing
within InDesign, it just makes everything so much easier.

[8:28] Because of the transparency effects that you can do, you don’t have to
be afraid of transparency. You just have to work a little bit differently, because
you’re not working with pixels in InDesign, but if you can do your composites in
InDesign, you still maintain that link to the master image. If you need to move
things around, it’s a lot easier to move things around in one program than it is to
have to go back into Photoshop, make those changes, and move it in.

[8:57] Then resizing, if you’re doing a banner for one person and an ad that has
to look the same, your resizes are a lot easier. You don’t have to worry about
making multiple file images. That’s been a challenge to get that through, but
when it’s done, and I’ve seen it done really well, with all kinds of things, like
reflections and drop shadows and set down shadows, color and vignettes, and
everything, all done in InDesign. The time savings alone are worth it. Just in
terms of versatility.

Henrik: [9:33] What advice would you like to share with DAM professionals and
people aspiring to become DAM professionals?

David: [9:39] I would say that if you’re aspiring to be in Digital Asset
Management, some people say that you need to be a student of library sciences.
Sadly, I don’t have that expertise. From my perspective, you really have
to know your users, more than the assets themselves. How they work, and the
needs and the skills of those users who are using the system more than library
sciences.

[10:12] Because you can easily put more than you need to into the
DAM system, or more than what the users need. That’s where your concentration
should be, is do your homework on who’s contributing to the workflow or
to the image library, and who needs to get the stuff out. Then you’ll have all the
answers you need.

Henrik: [10:40] Putting people first. That’s a great idea.

David: [10:41] Thanks.

Henrik: [10:43] Thanks, David.

David: [10:44] Henrik, it’s been a pleasure.

Henrik: [10:46] For more on Digital Asset Management, log onto
AnotherDAMblog.com. Another DAM Podcast is available on Audioboom,
Blubrry, iTunes and the Tech Podcast Network. Thanks again.

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Another DAM Podcast interview with Julie Everett on Digital Asset Management

Julie Everett discusses Digital Asset Management

Here are the questions asked:

  • How are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
  • How does an auto insurance use Digital Asset Management?
  • You recently upgraded the DAM at your organization. Why was it important to upgrade and what was the most complex part you had to do in the upgrade process?
  • What advice would you like to share with DAM professionals and people aspiring to become DAM professionals?

Transcript:

Henrik de Gyor: [0:01] This is as Another DAM Podcast about Digital Asset
Management. I’m Henrik de Gyor. Today, I’m speaking with Julie Everett. Julie,
how are you?
Julie Everett: [0:10] I’m good. Thanks.
Henrik: [0:12] Julie, how are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
Julie: [0:14] I am the Digital Asset Manager for the fourth largest auto insurance
company in the US. Just a little bit of background. In 2002, Progressive installed
our Digital Asset Management system in order to create a repository of assets
to share. Very unfortunately, user adoption at that point failed, because we did
not have a DAM, Digital Asset Manager, no one really overseeing and having
responsibility for the adoption of use. [0:39] In 2010, they hired me for the newly
created role of Digital Asset Manager. I came into this role with 23 years of
experience at Progressive Insurance, most of my experience being in private
management and marketing. I’m a photographer as well. This job at this point in
my career was like a perfect storm.
[0:59] I’ve spent the last year negotiating contracts with vendors, creating metadata
schemas, and doing company-wide inventory of assets, doing interviewing
of end-users and creating guidelines, interviewing stack houses, reviewing contracts.
The list goes on and on. In May of this year in 2011, we just installed our
new software and we have been very busy testing the system and are beginning
to ingest assets.
Henrik: [1:26] How does an auto insurance company use Digital Asset
Management?
Julie: [1:31] We use our DAM to build a repository of assets, like Flow. Flow’s
pretty well-known in commercials and print ads. We use our assets on the web,
in print, in training materials, customer communications, Internet, social media.
The list goes on and on. We also use it as a source to keep an inventory of our
marketing materials, like our commercials, our print ads, and radio spots. So we
use it for a multitude of things.
Henrik: [1:58] Great. You recently upgraded your DAM at your organization.
Why was it important to upgrade, and what was the most complex part of what
you had to do in that upgrade process?
Julie: [2:09] It was important for us to upgrade our old system. It was almost 10
years old at this point. Unfortunately because there was nobody in charge of
DAM, it never went through an upgrade. It was very outdated, and the assets
unfortunately were very outdated as well. Over the past several years, because
user adoption failed, everyone had gone off and created their own mini DAMs
on a variety of servers over the years. [2:35] We ended up having about 94,000
assets across the company on many different servers that we had to reign in.
[2:44] I think the most difficult part has been…I’ve been involved in the selection
of the vendor leading the IT portion of the project designing security, folders
and permissions, around security, metadata schemas, keyboarding guidelines,
the enterprise usage guidelines, copyright management and discovery, centralizing
the procurement of assets going forward. I had to wear many hats. At
times it could be very challenging.
[3:09] I think the most complex part, however, has been getting the inventory
organized, and doing the copyright discovery and then metadata attachment.
We had nothing tagged. We have a lot of assets that have little or no metadata
that we are in the process, now, of attaching metadata to as we’re adjusting and
getting things organized in the new DAM.
Henrik: [3:33] What advice would you like to give to DAM professionals and
people aspiring to become DAM professionals?
Julie: [3:38] I think having a passion for this is really important. I think those who
are, maybe, just starting off in their career, should consider degrees in library
science, or information science technology. I would also advise folks to join
LinkedIn, and other organizations and groups that share information on DAM.
[3:54] Introduce yourself to other Digital Asset Managers. Attend conferences,
like Henry Stewart and Createasphere, and other places where you can network
with folks in the industry. I spend a considerable amount of time talking to other
DAM professionals across the United States. We help each other with a variety
of issues. We meet regularly to discuss challenges and offer advice and solutions
to one another.
[4:16] I think in this type of role, there is a huge amount of satisfaction that you
can get when you make someone much more productive by delivering assets
quickly, so they can move on and finish the task that they need to complete. A
smooth running DAM will impact our productivity, immeasurably. It will save a
company a lot of money in the long run.
[4:35] I think it’s a great profession. I love what I do. I would highly recommend it
for those that may have an interest in it.
Henrik: [4:45] Thanks Julie.
Julie: [4:46] You’re welcome. It’s been a pleasure.
Henrik: [4:49] For more on Digital Asset Management, log onto
anotherdamblog.com. Another DAM Podcast is available on Audioboom,
Blubrry, iTunes and the Tech Podcast Network. Thanks, again.

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Another DAM Podcast interview with Ulla de Stricker on Digital Asset Management

Ulla de Stricker discusses Digital Asset Management

Here are the questions asked:

  • How are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
  • You recently co-authored a book titled “The Information and Knowledge Professional’s Career Handbook” along with co-author Jill Hurst-Wahl. I believe Digital Asset Management could be categorized under the umbrella of Information Management. What inspired you to write this book?
  • What is so different about careers in the field of Information and Knowledge Professionals than any other?
  • Is this book just for beginners entering this career path?
  • What advice would you like to share with DAM professionals and people aspiring to become DAM professionals?

Transcript:

Henrik de Gyor: [0:01] This is Another DAM Podcast about Digital Asset
Management (DAM). I’m Henrik de Gyor. Today I’m speaking with Ulla de
Stricker. Ulla, how are you?
Ulla de Stricker: [0:11] Fine. Thank you very much.
Henrik: [0:13] Ulla, how are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
Ulla: [0:16] As a consultant I’m involved in everything my clients care about
when it comes to information and knowledge management broadly defined.
Information objects of all kinds, including DAMs of course, are an element in any organization strategy for support to knowledge workers, and I strive to point my clients to the options available and to advise them about the ramifications of those options.
Henrik: [0:40] You recently coauthored a book titled “The Information and
Knowledge Professional’s Career Handbook” along with coauthor Jill Hurst-
Wahl, which I interviewed in the past. I believe Digital Asset Management could be categorized under the umbrella of information management. What inspired you to write this book?
Ulla: [0:58] Jill and I are what you might call “natural mentors.” We’ve always ended up in situations where we discuss career matters with our colleagues and our students in particular. So without being able to pinpoint the exact moment, we did get to a point where we arrived at this collective insight, “Why don’t we just write it all down?” So we set about distilling our answers to the many questions we’ve heard over the years.

[1:26] Our intention was to capture general advice in one place so that potentially our individual conversations with readers could be more personal and focused. But primarily, however, we wanted to give
our colleagues and particularly new entrants to the profession a heads up about all the things you need to think about in your career but never had a chance to focus on in graduate school.
[1:53] Speaking for myself, I certainly discovered that technical skills are only one part of the tool kit we need. I learned the hard way about organizational politics, about being the boss, about interpersonal dynamics, and so on and so on. So you might say the book actually addresses practitioners in a lot of professions. We felt comfortable though speaking to colleagues in those fields where we have personally built our reputations.
[2:21] We’d love to see the book become a graduation gift and a bible for
younger colleagues. That way our suggestions can travel a lot further afield than through personal interactions in meetings and workshops.
Henrik: [2:35] Excellent. So what is so different about careers in the field of
information management professionals than any other?
Ulla: [2:45] I’m so glad you asked it. First, I want to stress how exciting it is to see all the many new opportunities out there for graduates of iSchools. I think we’re still only scratching the surface, and there’s a lot of outreach still to do to orient managers about how the skills of iSchool graduates apply across a vast spectrum of organizational functions. [3:08] But I always encourage those looking for a career to check out the information profession. You and I, Henrik, know it isn’t true, contrary to widespread opinion, that the Internet has reduced the need for professionals who know their way around information management. That said, I need to be honest about what I call the opacity of our profession.
[3:31] You can’t imagine the number of times I’ve heard my colleagues comment on the surprising amount of explaining they found themselves having to do. Sometimes we commiserate among ourselves that perhaps we ought to have considered pharmacy or some other field where clients understand immediately what we do without any further explanation.
[3:51] As an illustration, nobody with a sick pet is in any doubt about the need for or value of a veterinarian, and no one with a leaky roof questions the need for and value of a roofer. Yes, police officers, transport truck drivers, the road repair crews, etc, etc, do not have to explain why they should exist. But we information professionals do.
[4:19] A major factor is the conundrum I’ll never solve that we deal largely in intangibles. We can’t prove that we are adding dollars to the bottom line or that we’re saving lives. So our costs could look like reasonable candidates for cuts when managers are under pressure to slash their budgets. We can convince those managers it’s prudent to equip knowledge workers with authoritative information, and it’s prudent to safeguard corporate memory and so on.
[4:50] But we cannot get away from the fact that information services are, by  their nature, labor intensive and expensive. Before the first customer can find an answer to a question or find an information object, there’s content to pay for, staff to pay for, IT infrastructure to put in place, and so on. It’s understandable to me when a senior executive asks bluntly, “What am I getting for that six or seven-figure line item called the Corporate Information Center?”
[5:21] I’m sure your DAM colleagues recognize the challenge. The bottom line for this nurse is that in our professions practitioners must always be ready to justify their worth. It’s for that reason that one of the chapters in the book deals with crafting business cases.
Henrik: [5:39] So, is this book just for beginners entering this career path?
Ulla: [5:43] Certainly, Jill and I did intend the book for graduate students and recent graduates, but we speak equally to mid-career professionals who may be asking themselves, “What’s next?” We advocate an attitude of personal control.
Oh, yes. It’s true. A new graduate may take that first job because the bills have to be paid. But throughout our working lives every one of us are making choices and plans for the future. [6:10] So that’s why we emphasize in one chapter the need for every single professional to ascertain what’s a group cultural fit and, then to orchestrate choices and activities toward that fit. By “fit,” I mean that, as one example, some of us are naturally happy in environments where others might not be so happy. Just consider the difference between hospitals, law firms, schools, nonprofits, and private sector companies in terms of how it feels to work there.
[6:40] As another example. We’re all unique in terms of the degree of structure and control we like to have at work, the pace we’re comfortable with, whether we like to deal with people, or whether we prefer to work independently, and so on. So, other chapters deal with universal topics, such as developing a professional brand, getting paid what we’re worth, coping with stress, mentoring others. So indeed the book is meant for our colleagues at any stage of their careers.
Henrik: [7:12] What advice would you like to share with DAM professional and people aspiring to become DAM professionals?
Ulla: [7:17] Let me stress again the positive news that in the future, information professionals including the DAMs will be evermore necessary to managing the explosions of digital content. The opportunities keep growing, and I’ll just throw in here, that in the last couple of weeks alone a major consulting firm in Toronto announced several new knowledge management decisions. [7:43] One little challenge does exist. It’s that in the past, we may not have focused sufficiently on marketing our skills, so we do have some competition from IT professionals as an example. So my advice focuses on marketing. My advice is that a successful career depends on developing a solid conviction about our own value and on perfecting the delivery of the explanation of it.
[8:09] I say become a walking business case. Get good at linking your activity to corporate outcomes. Estimate, for example, how much time you save other employees through your work, and then calculate the value to the organization from freeing up that time. Never mind about risk reduction and other intangible benefits. Speak about how you contribute to the overall performance of the organization you work for and use the language stakeholders understand.
[8:39] In other words become a career long advocate for good information practices.
Does that make sense, Henrik?
Henrik: [8:46] Definitely. Well, thanks Ulla. Thanks to also your publisher,
Chandos, who is giving us a complimentary copy. For the first time on this
podcast series we’re able to give away a copy of the book. The book is again
“The Information and Knowledge Professionals Career Handbook” by Jill Hurst-Wahl and Ulla de Stricker. [9:08] The contest between the date of the release of this podcast through the month of August 2011, if you subscribed to Another DAM Blog, that’s AnotherDAMblog.com and AnotherDAMpodcast.com, you
will be entered in the contest immediately. If you are drawn at the end of the month, the winner from that will get a free copy of the new book. Thank you so much, Ulla.
Ulla: [9:36] Well, thank you. It is indeed generous of the publisher to work with us in this way, and I can’t wait to virtually shake the hand of the winner.
Henrik: [9:45] If you would like more information about Digital Asset
Management, log onto AnotherDAMblog.com.

Another DAM Podcast is available on Audioboom, Blubrry, iTunes, and the Tech Podcast Network.
Thanks again.

Announcing the first book drawing for this podcast series…

The one winner of this drawing will receive one free copy of “The Information and Knowledge Professional’s Career Handbook” co-authored by Jill Hurst-Wahl and Ulla de Stricker. To enter the book drawing, simply subscribe to both Another DAM podcast and Another DAM blog by email on each of these websites between August 4, 2011 and August 31, 2011. The winner will be picked from the pool of email subscribers of both Another DAM podcast and Another DAM blog together. The drawing will occur on the first week of September 2011 with a third party drawing the name of the winner. The winner will be announced on Another DAM podcast and Another DAM blog. If you are already an email subscriber to both Another DAM podcast and Another DAM blog, you are automatically entered in this book drawing. The winner will be contacted directly by email for their contact details to ship the book. The book will be shipped directly from the publisher. Good luck to all.

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Another DAM Podcast interview with Philip Guiliano on Digital Asset Management

Here are the questions asked:

  • How are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
  • How do you use Digital Asset Management when it comes to Brand Change and Brand Management?
  • What advice would you like to share with DAM Professionals and people aspiring to become DAM Professionals?

Transcript:

Henrik de Gyor: [0:02] This is Another DAM Podcast about Digital Asset
Management. I’m Henrik de Gyor. Today I’m speaking with Philip Guiliano.
Philip [0:10] , how are you?
Philip Guiliano: [0:12] I’m very good, thank you.
Henrik: [0:14] Philip, how are you involved with Digital Asset Management?
Philip: [0:16] BrandActive is a brand implementation and management company.
This means that we get involved in large scale mergers, acquisitions, large
scale rebranding programs, and managements of brands that currently exist in
the market. [0:31] Our role is to be involved in the transition and management
of every single asset that a company has, from signage to vehicles to branded
environments, retail locations, documents, forms, uniforms, IT systems anything
that you can think of that is a physical or digital asset that carries the name,
logo, colors, any identity element of a brand.
[0:52] Our role is not to create the brand strategy or design. We don’t do any
of that creative development work. Our role is truly the implementation and
management.
[1:01] What that means is, through our process of scoping out the brand change,
through doing a detailed inventory of what are all of these assets around the
globe that the company controls. How do they manage that transition? What
are they going to do with each individual asset? What’s the project organization
look like, and how do you manage that process?
[1:22] Through that process, we gather tons of pictures, tons of examples, tons
of video, all of their current assets, as they exist today templates, files, all of
that. We gather a lot of robust data around the inventory, the cost elements, all
of that stuff that is related to those assets how they’re produced, how they’re
designed, how they’re procured.
[1:46] We put that into database systems. We then work with our clients to create
the workflows, drive those workflows through implementation and on through
brand management.
[1:59] As an organization, when it comes down to the system side, we use systems
internally, for ourselves. We also use systems that are client facing. We do
what we call a “brand implementation and brand management platform” that
drives the implementation of the brand across all these assets.
[2:19] So that’s location rollouts, things of that nature, all of their template refinements
around the globe empowering their employees with templates and processes
that they can use to rebrand their assets as well, or manage their brand
assets as they exist. We get involved in the creation of platforms like that.
[2:38] We also offer a Software as a Service Digital Asset Management platform,
built on the ADAM platform for small-scale and medium-scale clients that want
to get experience and exposure with how Digital Asset Management works,
what it’s capable of, what’s the value in it. We do a pilot test.
[2:55] That platform’s also available for large clients. Some of our larger clients
that are more global will use that platform to do a pilot program for a certain division
within the company or a certain department within the company. From a
systems basis, we do the brand implementation platforms and we do Softwareas-
a-Service DAM.
[3:17] We also do vendor agnostic consulting services, where we will go into a
company and define their requirements, look for a business case for systemization,
lead vendor selection programs, and project manage their implementation.
That’s how BrandActive’s involved.
Henrik: [3:35] How you use Digital Asset Management when it comes to brand
change and brand management.
Philip: [3:40] The way in which we use it is to empower our clients and empower
their employees with managing the very complex assortment of digital
and physical assets that they have. [3:55] I’ll use an example. When we’re going
through a brand implementation with a client that, say, has 60 manufacturing
facilities, 1,000 retail locations, and corporate offices and sales facilities around
the globe, there are lot of different assets that have to be transitioned. There
are all the locations, all the signage, all the vinyl graphics, all the millwork, all of
the documents, forms, everything.
[4:21] What we will do is collect all of this information, we will put it into a system,
and then we will create the workflows for those clients that will drive the transition
of those assets through to completion, so that they actually hit their target
dates. They have full cost visibility and full cost control, vendor management
control, again, across physical and digital asset creation.
[4:43] Their employees have the tools and the templates that they need to take
what is a final created asset and localize that, customize that, change language,
anything that they need to do. From a multilingual, from an asset integration,
from a data integration, across multiple systems anything they need to do in
that area to manage the creation of their digital and their physical assets.
Henrik: [5:10] What advice would you like to share with DAM professionals and
people aspiring to become DAM professionals?
Philip: [5:13] Take your time. [laughs] That’s probably the best [indecipherable
05:16] . Honestly, I see so many programs and so many clients and prospects
that we’re dealing with that understand that they need a DAM solution or a
MRM solution, a MAM solution. [5:31] They understand what they’re doing
currently without tracking, without reporting, without metrics, without visibility
into how they can get operational improvement, without visibility into how
they’re spending their money, and how they could potentially save that money
by systemization.
[5:50] They understand that they need to change that, and they look into a
solution without truly defining their requirements. By that I mean, “What are the
business drivers? What problems are they trying to solve? What are the political
and cultural issues that are going to impede the program acceptance? What
solutions are really going to address their needs?”
[6:10] There are a lot of people that I’ve seen that have evaluated DAM and
MRM based on what seems like excellent functionality, and it is. It’s fantastic
functionality for companies that need that functionality. But the truth of the
matter is that that functionality would never get implemented at their company.
[6:26] They end up picking a vendor that is not actually going to live up to what
they really need. They may be a client that needs amazing customization across
their user interface and across their workflows. They need workflow automation
or they’re not going to live their business case. They end up picking the solution
that doesn’t allow them to be as flexible as they need to be in that area.
[6:47] Taking time to really define a business case for change, really understanding
the business drivers, the metrics, how you’re going to measure success in
the end program, and what you can measure currently to illustrate that success.
Really define your requirements that’s business, technical, functional, every
requirement that you can nail down so that you know what it is you’re evaluating
a vendor based off of, and that you are actually evaluating them based on
your needs.
[7:14] Engaging internal resources is a big one, throughout the process. As
we take people through business case development, and as we take people
through requirements development, we’re engaging resources across every area
of the organization.
[7:28] I definitely recommend doing that because these are the users of your
platform. These are the people that are really going to drive the success of the
platform. The earlier you engage them, the better the program’s going to be.
[7:38] I guess that brings up considering the cultural dynamics, as well. It’s very
similar for us and our brand implementation program. Really understanding the
culture dynamics, knowing what a solution is going to mean to the various users
within the organization, and what is going to stop them from using it.
[7:59] Having a solution alone definitely does not mean that people are going to
use it. Having the solution that isn’t built around the way people work within the
organization is absolutely going to assure they won’t use it.
[8:08] The engagement, training, and customization to the way people work,
understanding the workflows, and how you want to automate them. Definitely
including tracking and reporting, that’s going to be very key not only for acceptance
of the system at a user level but also executive level acceptance, and your
ability to continue to grow the program within the organization, beyond your
initial deployment.
Henrik: [8:33] Great. Thanks, Philip.
Philip: [8:34] Thank you very much. I appreciate the call and definitely appreciate
the time.
Henrik: [8:39] For more on Digital Asset Management, log onto
AnotherDAMblog.com. Another DAM Podcast is available on Audioboom,
Blubrry, iTunes, and the Tech Podcast Network. Thanks again.

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