Blog

6 things to look out for (and ask) during a DAM demo

12th December 2022

When considering whether or not to invest in new software for your organisation, it's hard to make a good decision if you can't see that software in action. Free trials can be a great way to find out if the platform is a good fit, but sometimes it's hard to get the most out of it without someone showing you the ropes first.

The same is true with Digital Asset Management (DAM).

ResourceSpace is completely free for the first 10GB of content with no usage or time limits, meaning you can work out if it's the right DAM for you without paying a penny - but we always recommend jumping on a demo with a DAM expert who can show you how to get the best out of the software.

To make sure that demo is useful though, you need to know what to look out for - and what to ask.

1. What's the pricing model?

Make sure you're totally clear on how the vendor's pricing model works. You might have to pay per gigabyte of storage, per user, based on features or a combination of all three.

This is really important to find out because, while it might seem like a good price now, it could increase quickly if you need to add users and it's a price-per-user model.

2. Are all the features included as standard?

During the demo you'll be shown a lot of different features: editing images on-the-fly, integrations with other software, metadata functionality and more.

And that's great! The DAM you're being shown can do all the things you need it to - but does that functionality come at an extra cost? If it's not clear during the demo that everything comes as standard, make sure to ask.

3. How does the DAM handle different file types?

The DAM can store millions of digital images, allowing you to edit them on-the-fly, change the format and share them easily with colleagues and external contacts - but how good is it at managing videos, audio files and documents?

Digital Asset Management isn't just about images - it's all of the digital assets your organisation owns. Make sure you're clear on what the DAM platform offers for each file type and that it will be suitable for your Digital Asset Management requirements.

4. How easily can the DAM be scaled up (and down) to meet your organisation's needs?

Over time your library of digital assets could grow or you might need to add extra users, but you might also want to scale down if you need to tighten your belts. Make sure this is easy to do and that you're not 'locked-in' to a specific package.

Of course, all DAM vendors will be more than happy for you to pay extra for storage or extra features, but the question is how flexible is that growth? You don't want to have to pay twice the monthly fee because you need 10% more storage.

5.Can the DAM integrate with your existing tech stack?

Your DAM platform will be the hub of all your digital assets - but they don't stay there. You'll be publishing them on your website, posting them to your social media platforms and editing them in software like the Adobe suite.

This is made a lot easier when that DAM can be integrated with your existing tech stack.

During your demo it's likely you'll be shown some out-of-the-box integrations, but go armed with a list of the software you'd like the system to integrate with and ask about them specifically.

6. What development is planned for the DAM?

During a DAM demo you're shown what the platform does right now, but it's important to know what it might do in the future.

You probably won't be shown this during the demo, but it's important - especially if there's functionality you know you need but that isn't demonstrated.

Interested in seeing ResourceSpace in action? You can book your free demo below - but make sure you remember to get all of these questions answered…