What is DAM?
Digital Asset Management
An introduction to all things DAM.
A Digital Asset Management (DAM) system functions as the command center for your digital content, where assets are uploaded, categorized and deployed efficiently. Boosted by advanced capabilities in areas like automation and artificial intelligence, DAMs make finding, sharing and accessing your content easier than ever.
Find
- Keep your assets organized and easy to find with folders. Whether it’s for quick access or simple uploads, folders keep things tidy.
- Create metatag taxonomies to add context and value to your assets, making it easy for your team to filter and find exactly what they need, fast.
Share
- Even individuals not on your DAM system can benefit from it through shared links to collections and assets. You can even set expiration dates and password protection for extra security.
- For a more polished brand experience, use Portals to grant access. Choose public or password-protected settings and give your users access that tells your story.
Access
- Group features allow asset managers to pull together individual users and assign bulk access rights, giving entire teams, departments and divisions what they need, all at once.
- Certain roles require certain tools. User levels create tiered rights, identifying the who, what and how of access for each user type.
- Integrations with tools like Adobe Creative Suite allow your team to easily find, version and work with assets right within Adobe Creative Cloud.
What makes something an asset? DAMs offer more than just storage, which is why it’s important to be selective about what you store. Before adding a file to your system, ask yourself, "Does this provide value to my organization?" Controlling what goes in to your DAM ensures that only good comes out.
You need a DAM if you’ve ever heard anyone in your organization say things like:
- “I can’t find the right logo.”
- “These files are too large to send in an email.”
- “Who edited these photos?”
- “Can you send me those videos again? I can’t find them anywhere.”
- “Who deleted my work from the shared drive?”
- “Did everyone review this?”
Before starting the search for solutions, understand what your team needs. It's easy to seek out a universal, one-size-fits-all solution, but it's smarter to consider your specific goals. Prioritize your "must haves” over the “nice-to-haves” and start to consider if you want a hosted solution or an on-premise setup.
Digital asset management can be as simple or complex as the end user needs it to be. The key is knowing what you need (and want), and finding a partner who can plainly walk you through their solution and show you how it meets your requirements.
A cookie-cutter demo isn’t going to answer all your questions. Have a list of things you want to know and lead with your deal-breakers. Dig into the details and ask for a test account so you can put the platform through its paces before you make a decision.
Or just ask us.