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The 6 most important DAM requirements

16th September 2019

If it feels like your digital assets have grown legs and started a chaotic party across your company's network, it might be time to put a digital asset management (DAM) system in place. You've spent a lot of resources and effort producing your content, and as your catalogue grows, having an efficient archive and retrieval system becomes increasingly important.

But each business is unique, and the various teams within your organisation will interact with your content differently. There aren't many one-size-fits-all DAM providers, but it's essential to select one that meets these key requirements to ensure that you get the full benefit.

Is the DAM system scalable?

Most businesses want to grow, and therefore, so will your asset collection. While you may only require 500GB of space now, you may need a whole extra terabyte next year. If the DAM system you're looking at is capped or restricted, you may be looking at further complications down the line, for example having to move your entire catalogue to a new provider that can provide the space.

To figure out your projected requirements, you may need to do an audit of your current asset volume and at what rate you acquired it. Some businesses, like digital marketing agencies, will have a consistent input of content while a fine art gallery may stock up images at a slower pace. Have a clear idea of your projected growth.

A DAM system must integrate with your existing systems

Many organisations operate different software systems, such as ecommerce platforms, photo and video editing programs, and other technologies that enable your business to function. All of these interfaces will be creating content, and if your DAM system can't speak to them, you're right back where you started: disorganisation.

So, be sure to ask whether the DAM system you're considering will integrate with everything you are currently using.

Is the DAM system customisable?

While we can't speak for other DAM providers, Resource Space gives you full visual control over your interface and supports configuration, ensuring that you enjoy all the benefits of using our software without compromising on your brand's appearance.

We understand that personalisation is an important element of your marketing, so we enable you to change your colours, header image, layout and many other components.

What kind of onboarding and support does the DAM provider offer?

This is a crucial consideration.

Centralising your digital assets is going to require a lot of effort at the start, particularly if they're disorganised across multiple systems. With this in mind, for the implementation to be successful, you need a smooth onboarding process that helps users to skill-up on working with the DAM system and become accustomed to the new tools and features at their disposal.

Any company selling you a DAM service should offer excellent, responsive support to make sure that things run as efficiently as possible so that you get real value out of your purchase.

Remote accessibility

Your DAM system is there to make sharing easy and safe. Check that the DAM service provider has simple to use web portal options that make your content accessible to employees and customers across all devices and locations (with the restrictions and privileges that you encrypt).

Server options that meet your needs

Putting your assets up in the cloud can be scary, especially if you're working with a dubious DAM provider, so check out their server facilities. Are they scalable? Do they have full disaster recovery systems in place? To learn more about where ResourceSpace houses its hosting, click here.

So, we've covered the six critical requirements for a DAM provider. There are, of course, many other considerations to make and you may find that a lot of your questions are answered in a free trial or a web demonstration.

Ask if your prospective service provider offers these and be sure to test things out and get all of your concerns addressed. After all, a DAM system should be a positive transformative experience for your business.