Is your team drowning in a sea of files? Do they spend much of their day finding files for other people? A Digital Asset Manager (DAM) can help your team stay organised, share files effectively, and enable everyone to find what they need without effort. Learn from worldwide companies like Paperchase, The National Library or The Courtauld Institute of Art, who are now using DAM to stay ahead of the game. (Sponsored Session at the AMA Digital Marketing Day 2016)

1. Using DAM to improve
your productivity
Chris Stevens

2. The cupboard under the stairs
Storage is cheaper, faster, more accessible, with
more capacity than ever. It’s in your office, in
your pocket, in the cloud.
• Information is everywhere
• It’s easier to get hold of
• It’s easier to create
• It’s more important than ever
• Social media has demonstrated that ‘content’ is
central

3. Digital files - just keep growing!
Your Growing
Assets
Hundreds
Thousands
Hundred Thousands
Millions
Yesterday Today Tomorrow The Future

4. There’s a lot to remember
• Which folder did I save that file to?
• How did I name it?
• What format did I save it as?
• Did I send it to the client?
• When was the deadline?
• How much budget do I have left?

5. The benefits of ‘DAM’
• Which folder did I save that file to?
• Instant Search
• How did I name it?
• Filenaming convention
• What format did I save it as?
• Convert on demand
• Did I send it to the client?
• Metadata tagging
• When was the deadline?
• Time savings
• How much budget do I have left?
• Reduce wastage/costs

6. Instant Search
The rise of search engines has changed
expectations of how to search.
• Searching millions of files
• Filtering
• Predictive/suggestive searching
• Multiple terms
• Phrases
• Instant results
• Across your workflow

7. Filenaming convention
Filename:SVW-C46-1415-0044.JPG
This breaks down as:
• S - the image was shot in South Wales
• VW - the image was shot by Visit Wales
• C46 - the 46th shoot commissioned by Visit
Wales in the given year
• 1415 - the financial year 2014-2015, when the
shot was taken
• 0044 - image number 44 from that shoot

8. Convert on Demand
On-the-fly conversion from a Master
File
• One ‘original’ to manage
• Version confusion
• Repetition
• Fit for purpose
• User knowledge
• Self service

9. Metadata tagging
Content Creator vs. Content User
What is this?
• Hawaiian helmet?
• Spanish saddle?
• Minoan mold?
© National Museum of Ireland

10. Metadata tagging
“Data about data”
• Folders/filenames are not enough
• Machine or human generated
• Informational based
• Index based
• Rights based
• To embed or not

11. Time/cost savings
How to quantify?
• IT costs
• Workflow costs
• Implementation costs
• Software licensing costs
• Training costs

12. DAM in action – Customers

13. DAM in action – Customers
Preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage
• Digital archive for storage and retrieval of
photographic images
• Managed by Photographic Department
• Extends browsing and searching to all Museum
departments
• Control over distribution

14. DAM in action – Customers
Provide a range of core creative services for Visit
Wales and 10 other departments (including Food,
Education, Communications, Business and
CADW)
• Graphic Design
• Photographic commissioning
• Video editing
• Asset handling and processing
• Asset distribution (Crown copyright)

15. DAM in action – Customers
Integration with Collections Management System
• Digitisation of Collections
• Online requirements
• Integrated with internal department needs (e.g.
Curators/CMS)
• Available to all students

16. DAM in action – Customers
Tripled Social Media Engagement with the click of a
Camera
• Real-time upload of high quality Instant access to social
media team
• Post as the action unfolds
• Followers, immediately doubled and has since tripled.
• 45,000 followers on Instagram alone, with 12%
engagement – one of the most followed in the country

17. DAM in action – Customers
Need to be able to obtain client’s approval over the web
• Art directors save one/week due to streamlined
searching
• Creative staff can view images in real-time when
working with clients over the phone
• Handling of high volume of assets
• ISO standards for image usage

18. How does DAM improve your
productivity?
• Find files fast
• Tag automatically
• Convert/repurpose on-the-fly
• Avoid Interruptions
• Avoid Fees and Fines
• No wasted time (and money)

19. Resources
DAM Toolkit
DAM Self-Evaluation Guide
DAM Learning Center
http://www.extensis.com/digital-asset-
management/dam-toolkit/
http://digital-asset-
management.extensis.com/digital-asset-
management-self-evaluation-guide/
http://www.damlearningcenter.com/
Chris Stevens
• cstevens@extensis.com
• (01604) 654275
• @extensis @extensisukchris
• blog.extensis.com