5 Must-Have Features in a retaining dam

5 Must-Have Capabilities of a Modern DAM

Most companies have to deal with huge volumes of digital assets, daily. Managing them correctly can be the difference between stagnation or phenomenal growth.The right digital asset management system, or DAM, for your company provides an instant power-up to your martech stack. OrganizingManaging thousands of digital assets becomes smoother and routine marketing tasks become easier.

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But choosing the right DAM isn’t always easy. Some features are a given; robust search capabilities and permissions management, for example. Nearly all the DAM SaaS solutions on the market claim to meet those requirements. But many also tout extras, such as interface customisation or commenting. How do you decide which features are truly crucial?

When choosing, keep one thing in mind: you’re looking for a DAM that meets all of your needs now and in the future. The following list of capabilities will help you sort out which DAM solutions are temporary fixes, and which ones are in it for the long haul.

Capability #1: Graph Database

Graph Databases are sometimes referred to as ‘semantic graph database’
or ‘RDF Triplestore’.

Does the DAM use a graph, or semantic, database on the back-end? Graph databases are particularly well-suited for modeling complex, interconnected data. That makes them ideal for cases where relationships between entities in the database are as important as the entities themselves. This is the case in services such as recommendation engines (i.e. Amazon’s ‘Customers also bought’) or for fraud detection.

When applied to a cutting-edge DAM, graph databases provide the ability to manage assets (the entities in the graph) while also seeing how those assets relate to each other. Graph databases are designed to scale horizontally, adding information via nodes without adding more layers to wade through. This allows graph databases to handle large amounts of data and high query loads.

Capability #2: Automations

Can workflows be automated within the DAM, and to what degree? DAM systems offer many ways to simplify both complex and manual tasks with an overall goal of streamlining and reusing assets whenever possible. Automations include:

• AI for metadata
• Push button publishing
• Workflow automation
• Archiving
• Asset renditions
• Print production

How much of an impact can DAM automation have? One company used censhare’s DAM to pre-template 70% of its magazine pages, allowing employees to focus on the quality of the end product.

Capability #3: Scalable Architecture

Does your DAM scale? It’s suitable for your organization’s needs now - but what about in five years?

A good DAM solution costs too much to constantly rely on upgrades in order to scale. Companies value continuity and systems that don’t need to be changed out regularly, so it’s crucial that your DAM can grow along with you. Scalability can relate to the database itself (which is why a graph database is so important), and also to the assets within the database. For example, US clothing retailer, Land’s End, is rapidly expanding its asset database to support an ambitious digital transformation strategy.

Does the DAM have an asset limit? Are files limited by size or type? Can DAM performance scale with increased use? Answering those questions will give you insight into real-world issues like how the DAM will handle peak time loads, loads that will only increase as your organization grows. Many DAMs have an 8GB storage limit per asset, limiting the length and resolution of video, for example. Censhare, on the other hand, has unlimited storage meaning high resolution images and video can be found quickly.

Capability #4: API Maturity

Not all APIs are created equal, and not all DAM solutions handle them the same way. What maturity level does the DAM operate on? To find that out, you may need to dig into current API documentation, so how established is that documentation?

And once again, there’s the scalability issue. Can the DAM handle additional APIs with different programming languages, such as Java or REST? Censhare DAM user, Kwikee, distributes data to 7,000 users of its online channel as well as to hundreds of retailers via an API gateway.

Capability #5: Open Architecture

Open architecture builds on scalability, allowing the DAM to grow without compromising existing assets. Companies need to consider whether or not they can change their DAM, for example with an upgrade, without the risk of losing information. A DAM that can be upgraded only at the expense of information currently stored on it is hardly suitable for an organization with thousands of assets and rapidly-shifting needs.

Bonus: Integrations

If a DAM handles integrations well, consider that a much-needed bonus. Integrating a DAM with a PIM (Product Information Management) solution, or with another aspect of your martech stack, tends to boost performance across the board.

A DAM with good native integrations is likely to be more open in its architecture, and therefore more scalable. That in turn increases the chances for automated workflows that draw in resources from all available solutions.

For example, people working across integrated systems automatically see continuous workflows. People can transfer assets from PIM to DAM and back again without having to download or . These integrations open the door for a truly omnichannel content management system.

Looking for a modern, forward-looking DAM solution?

Look for something with a graph database, automations, scalable architecture, API maturity, and an open architecture. Or in the meantime, look for censhare, a truly modern DAM.

The proliferation of rich content types and new marketing touchpoints is driving demand for a scalable yet efficient way to store, manage and share a plethora of digital assets. For marketers aiming to capitalize on their content more effectively, digital asset management (DAM) software is a great way to regain control and visibility over company assets.

Whether you’re a global enterprise or a homegrown startup, content is key to delivering successful product and marketing campaigns. DAM places digital assets at the heart of an organization’s digital supply chain, connecting content across the organization and becoming a single source of truth to foster collaboration, brand consistency and workflow efficiency.

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What are the core features a leading DAM system should have?

A next-generation DAM system goes beyond securing and storing digital assets — it redefines how teams engage with digital content throughout the creative content lifecycle, building more agile, responsive processes for increased market share and ROI.

> Read more | What is digital asset management (DAM)?

Here are 15 features to look out for while choosing a DAM solution:

1. A centralized asset library

Gone are the days of spending hours searching different servers to locate assets scattered across the enterprise. DAM systems consolidate all digital assets in a centralized repository, allowing users to seamlessly manage and access rich media files from a single, cloud-based platform.

Having an organized asset library not only prevents content duplication, but also helps teams extract further value from their existing content by repurposing it for other projects and even regional adaptations. DAM ensures your brand messaging is communicated consistently and accurately across all marketing campaigns to bolster customer trust and loyalty.

2. Advanced search and filters

Navigate vast digital repositories easily with DAM’s AI-driven federated search capabilities. Advanced functions like keyword tagging, asset taxonomy and attribute filtering make finding the right assets a quick and efficient experience, mitigating process bottlenecks and keeping workflows moving smoothly.

3. Simplified downloads and format conversion

Leading DAM systems are designed to accommodate a wide range of large digital assets at scale, including images, videos, documents, 3D models and even design files in their native formats. Users can also easily convert digital assets into their desired formats to support diverse business requirements, all without affecting output quality and file compatibility. Bulk upload and download should also be supported through multiple methods.

This robust functionality is paramount for effectively managing a successful omnichannel marketing strategy, as it optimizes assets for greater accessibility across different devices and platforms.

4. Version control and history tracking

Creatives understand how multiple file versions can quickly become a disorganized nightmare without standardized versioning controls in place.

DAM takes the guesswork out of identifying which file to use with a versioning system, allowing users to effortlessly track and manage all asset iterations from a central platform. Having a detailed audit trail of a file’s entire version history helps teams collaborating throughout the enterprise be on the same page by aligning on the changes and understanding why and how the file has evolved.

Leveraging version control also ensures your teams are working with the most updated version of an asset for cohesive branding in all marketing collaterals.

5. Sharing and collaboration tools

Whether your organization has adopted remote, hybrid or fully on-site working models, deploying a DAM platform empowers your team to deliver its best by enhancing cross-functional collaboration and communication.

With features like online galleries, real-time file editing and lightboxes, DAM makes it easy for stakeholders to view and retrieve files when and as needed for improved productivity and workflow efficiencies. To further support asynchronous working environments, some DAM platforms even have mobile-optimized interfaces or applications to allow users to seamlessly manage files while on the go.

6. Secure asset storage and access controls

Not only does DAM house your most business-critical digital assets, but it also keeps them secure with robust security measures, including file encryption and granular access controls.

Implementing role-based permissions allows platform administrations to assign different access levels for both internal and external stakeholders, preventing unauthorized access or the misuse of proprietary assets.

7. Metadata management with AI

Incorporating metadata is critical to an effective content management strategy, but manually updating metadata fields is a cumbersome, time-consuming process. Modern DAM platforms like Hyland’s Nuxeo Platform for DAM leverage AI-powered smart tagging and automated metadata management to input metadata, which enhances content searchability and compliance.

As metadata contextualizes your assets and details information on how they are utilized and shared, it provides a better understanding of the content and how it can be harnessed to bring products to market faster and better.

> Explore further | Reduce image hide-and-seek with AI

8. Asset analytics

With thousands, if not millions, of assets stored in a single DAM system, it can be challenging to discern which assets are performing well (or are being utilized at all).

With a modern DAM, users can track and report individual asset performance in real time with configurable data dashboards. This grants a clearer picture of what resonates and what doesn’t for their brand or customers. These data-driven insights can also be used to identify trends to guide future content production and drive hyper-personalized customer experiences.

9. Prebuilt workflows and integrations

Most DAM systems provide an out-of-box experience that includes configurable, prebuilt data models and workflows like creative reviews to accelerate adoption without disrupting existing operations.

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