Business software solutions are known for running into trouble when they try to “boil the ocean”- trying to do too much too soon with inadequate understanding.
However, just as big an issue are the “unadopted” enterprise solutions that tried to impress and engage their users with a solution that didn’t really solve their issues.
This is what we call the DAM gap- the space between a simple photo library and a system that manages true digital assets across their lifecycle, improving time-to-market, reducing effort, and scaling your content across multiple channels.
Some roadblocks encountered in the gap: security, effective metadata, integration to other systems, business rules, usability, effective search, long-term metadata management (librarian services), workflow automation, format support, and creative tool integration.
We do a lot of system replacements at North Plains, and we can see the walls that these companies have hit. That drives our innovation and our passion for our product. It also drives our customer solution philosophy.
Step 1 for a success DAM selection and implementation? Have overarching business and technical visions built with the help of people who have tackled your style of solution.
Then create a meaningful plan that delivers tangible value to users (the people who use and benefit from the system) and stakeholders (the groups and people who aren’t immediate users but who benefit from the solution- e.g. the CIO and his security goals and the CFO and his asset monetization goals).
We recently did a webinar called The Five Value Areas of DAM. Have a look and see if some of the ideas can help you bridge the gap between the simple DAM and the complete DAM that delivers resounding value.