While many people compare digital asset management (DAM) to the likes of DropBox and Google Drive, the system is actually much different. Rather than simply being a storage facility, DAM can help transform the way your business organises, retrieves and handles files. How can you tell the difference? That’s where the 10 core characteristics of DAM come in.
The 10 core characteristics outline what a true DAM looks and feels like, what it does, and how it’s distinguished from simple storage platforms. In turn, these can also help find the right DAM when you’re comparing providers.
It goes without saying that a DAM platform is primarily used to store files. With various systems offering a range of storage capabilities, it’s important to know what you’re looking for before installing a DAM. You need to know how many files you have, of what size, and the predicted growth rate of your company.
All DAM systems will have some level of security built in. You wouldn’t buy a car you couldn’t lock, right? So why buy a storage system that isn’t secure? Security in a DAM is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing your system. You need something that can protect your files, preferably on the cloud.
In order to use a DAM platform, you must be able to download files onto the system. Choose one with a multi-file option to allow for a number of assets to be uploaded in one go to save time.
The right DAM system will not only store and protect your files, it will enhance and enrich them at the same time. With the right metadata and metrics, you can add to and change files over time, meaning you don’t have to remake the same assets time and time again.
DAM systems can create an easy-to-follow, structured process to allow access wherever, whenever and to whoever requires it. Simply log into your DAM to locate and change files from outside of the workplace, the DAM system will do the rest to allow various people to work on files simultaneously.
Most DAM systems will have an in-built preview system to view the file before exporting it or downloading it onto your device, making it more efficient when it comes to accessing files.
As with storage and security, being able to retrieve files easily is one of the most important aspects of a DAM. With metadata tags and impressive storage features, you are able to locate files with ease.
If you need a file in a different size or format, your DAM will be able to transform it quickly and easily, saving it as a separate file to avoid losing any work.
You can relate assets to one another on your DAM and track the relationships between one file and another, clearly viewing old and new versions. This makes it much easier to track variants to see the latest version.
Finally, your DAM is able to publish files easily, whether it’s sending it to colleagues, employees or clients. You can even grant access to close clients to allow them to login to the system themselves to view files.
If you’re looking for an advanced, feature-rich DAM platform to take care of all your storage and organisation needs, look no further than iBase. Get in touch today to find out more about what our powerful platform can do for your business.
