1. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
DAM Guru Program Member Webinar Series
DAM Workflows
From Content Creation to
Long-Term Storage

2. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
About the presenter
Corey Chimko manages over half a million digital assets
for Cornell University Photography, part of the university's
Marketing Group. Corey specializes in large-volume,
high-speed, high-accuracy asset processing and
marketing workflows for Higher Education. Corey has
evolved Cornell's DAM into the go-to content hub for a
variety of audiences, including marketing and
communications staff, design firms, and external media.

3. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Basic DAM Workflow

4. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Outline of a Basic
DAM Workflow,
from content
creation through
long-term storage.
Content
Creation
Initial /
Offline
Backup
Processing Editing
Delivery Metadata
Verification
Upload to
DAM
Metadata
Application
Repurposing
/ Versioning
Long-Term
Storage
Weeding

5. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Content Creation and Initial /
Offline Backup

6. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Content creators
work locally and
backup at intervals
or work directly on
the server.
Off-site backup
can be
automatically
configured.
On-Site, Offline Storage
e.g. RAID Array w UPS
Photographers
(Photos)
Videographers
(Video)
Writers
(Documents)
Designers
(Graphics, Layouts)
Off-Site Storage Backup
e.g. RAID Array w UPS

7. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Editing and Processing

8. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Considerations:
- Audience: Internal
vs. External
- “Final” vs. In-
Progress Assets
- Nature of client, e.g.
designer vs. printer
PROCESSING
The preparation of files for
ingestion into the DAM.
Photography examples:
- file renaming
- cropping
- batch resizing
- Photoshop work
EDITING
The selection process for
determining which assets
will be ingested into the
DAM.
Photography examples:
- all vs. a selection of assets
- individual vs. collective editing
- Cornell 3-tier selection process

9. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Metadata Application

10. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Who will do it?
DAM Admin
vs.
Collaborative
Metadata
Application
DAM Administrator Approach:
• Requires a full-time position with full-time responsibility and pay;
• Consistency and adherence to established standards and best
practices is much more likely;
• Single point of contact/knowledge;
• Accumulation and application of institutional knowledge increases
with time.
Collaborative Approach:
• Does not require a full-time position;
• Less responsibility on a single person;
• Requires strict taxonomy and vocabulary control;
• Requires ongoing training for new users;
• Adherence to standards and practices is less likely.

11. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
How will you do it?
Embedded
vs.
System-
Applied
Metadata
Embedded Metadata Approach:
• Metadata travels with the asset, online or offline (embed in RAW);
• Depending on internet speeds, application can be faster offline;
• Standard (e.g. IPTC) fields can be mapped to DAM fields, allowing
auto-population for the DAM.
• Requires use of 3rd party tools, e.g. Adobe Bridge;
• Requires higher level of technical expertise to create Bridge
templates, map fields, standardize vocabulary entry, etc.
System-Applied Metadata:
• No 3rd party tools required;
• Metadata can be applied online from anywhere;
• Users can use controlled vocabulary fields (e.g. dropdowns, buttons,
etc.) with no previous knowledge of field values.
• More time consuming, dependent on internet speeds and access;
• Metadata may not travel with the asset.

12. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Ingestion
(Uploading to the DAM)

13. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Ingestion
Approaches
and
Considerations
• Large batch vs. controlled ingestion (e.g. during an
initial implementation);
• In-DAM drop-box or holding folder vs. integrated
ingestion;
• Integrations with cloud storage accounts (Box,
DropBox, Google Drive, etc.);
• DAM Tools: Drag and drop, upload wizards, monitored
folders.
Assets without metadata
just take up space!

14. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Metadata Verification
and Delivery

15. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Verify metadata
before delivering
images to the
client.
END OF INITIAL
WORKFLOW
• Check uploaded assets for proper
mapping, errors, or missing values that
need to be added to fields, especially
after system changes or upgrades.
• Once metadata is verified, delivery to
the client can occur.

16. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Repurposing and Versioning

17. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Repurposing can
be a cornerstone
of DAM ROI.
Different DAMs
handle versioning
in different ways.
Repurposed assets can be added as versions of
an existing asset or as an entirely new asset.
• Most DAMs will apply existing system metadata
to new versions, but may not allow viewing of
versions side-by-side.
• Adding as a new asset allows viewing of
versions side by side, but may not copy
metadata.
Repurposed versions should be copied back to
offline storage.

18. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Asset Lifecycle (Weeding)

19. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Avoid system
stagnation and
clutter with
periodic weeding
procedures and a
lifecycle policy that
accords with your
mission.
Why weed?
• Keep it fresh > Older assets lose
marketability;
• Redundant content (e.g. outtakes);
• Too many assets for users to search through
efficiently;
• Storage concerns.

20. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Sample asset
lifecycle policy.
1. All uploaded assets shall remain in the DAM system for a
period of 5 years;
2. After the 5 year period, non-selected outtakes shall be
removed from the system, though Cornell University
Photography will retain access to the images offline.
Selected images will remain in the system for another 5
years (total 10 years from date of shoot);
3. All assets 10 years or older shall be removed from the
system on a yearly basis and transferred to the University
Archives.

21. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Long Term/Deep Storage

22. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
If applying metadata
online, make sure
archived assets have
associated metadata.
(e.g. embed on
export, or at least
export metadata to a
.csv file and archive
with assets).
Off-line long-term storage
(e.g. RAID array);
Online ‘deep’ storage
(e.g. Amazon Glacier);
Transfer to an archive
(e.g. University Archives)

23. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Sample Workflow w Approvals

24. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
DAM
as
HUB
DON’T
CIRCUMVENT
THE DAM!
Approver Approver
DAM
Processor
Designer
Client
or
Printer
Content
Producer
or DAM
Manager
Approver

25. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
Questions for
Email
Twitter: @CoreyChimko
Webinar recording at
DAMGuru.com/webinars
Corey Chimko

26. DAM Workflows: From Content Creation to Long-Term Storage By Corey Chimko
DAM Guru Program
Member Webinar Series
http://DAMGuru.com/webinars