The Problems with Traditional Digital Asset Management Solutions

Digital asset management is an essential system and process for any organization. As the business world has evolved in its digital security and remote capability, the digital asset management solutions that support it have evolved, too. Many organizations, however, have not made the switch to a more modern DAM system to accommodate their evolving business needs. Let's explore the issues with traditional digital asset management systems, the organizational benefits of modernized DAM solutions, and how you can alleviate the pain points of your old system.

Traditional Digital Management Systems

Previously, digital asset management tools were virtually used as a digital filing cabinet — just a place to store and access assets from one place. Little more than an empty space to fill, traditional DAMs have been riddled with issues for the modern business, including:

• No structure: Businesses using outdated DAMs are responsible for setting up the entire organizational structure of the platform without any baseline filing system.
• Limited permission flexibility: Older digital asset management technology offers very little in the way of variable permissions, meaning files can either be accessed by anyone or no one. This can frustrate your own team and your clients, with no barrier as to what customers can and cannot see.
• Unsafe file-sharing features: Earlier DAMs have limited security when it comes to file-sharing features. Without the ability to hide or encrypt certain files, differentiate access for different users, or be notified at the risk of a security breach, all company and client data can be at risk of damage or theft.
• Asset updating issues: Traditional DAMs are riddled with file updating problems, resulting in the use of outdated materials or overwriting accurate materials without the ability to see older versions.
• Limited search functionality: Without the ability to easily use keywords to search the entirety of the asset catalog in your digital asset management platform, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to find the asset you're looking for.
• Lack of system integration: Traditional digital asset management solutions are not designed to integrate with your other systems. Using different platforms that don't talk to each other can make performing tasks more time-consuming and result in more user errors.
• Device-based system: Outdated DAMs tend to be device-based rather than cloud-based, restricting how files can be accessed and shared throughout an organization and with customers. This format also significantly limits the amount of storage space available, increasing costs for external storage of high volumes of large files.

Modern Digital Asset Management Systems

Along with technological advancements such as the emergence of the cloud and remote capabilities, the kinds and sizes of digital assets have also transformed. Today, businesses are storing and creating an extensive range of file types in increasingly high volumes, and the modern digital asset management solution has had to adapt. Now, many new systems alleviate the pain points that were experienced with traditional DAMs.

• Advanced search: Modernized digital asset management tools are equipped with advanced search functionality based on updated metadata schemas and AI keywords to help find assets quickly. New category-based search eliminates irrelevant criteria to narrow down accurate search results.
• Built-in structure: Modern DAMs come with an out-of-the-box organizational structure that your team does not have to build, as well as filing that can be customized to meet your team's needs.
• Variable permissions: Extensive variable permission capabilities in your digital asset management solution means that everyone has access to what they need and is not able to access the materials they don't need.
• Enhanced security: Today's DAMs are built with enhanced security protocols with encrypted file-sharing features to ensure the safety of your company and client data.
• Asset versions: Asset version histories ensure that teams can always see the most recent version of a file without overwriting an important history of changes that a document has undergone.
  
• System integrations: Advanced DAMs are designed to integrate seamlessly with the other platforms your teams use. This empowers much more streamlined workflows and greater productivity.
• Cloud-based: Hosting your DAM in the cloud enhances the ease with which files are accessed and shared across the globe. A cloud-based system eliminates any physical storage issues and even allows for real-time updates to documents, which is particularly useful for collaborative work from remote locations.

How to Move Forward with a Modern DAM

The most important step in moving forward with a modernized digital asset management solution is to understand the right DAM for your organization's needs. There is a wide range of DAMs available, each with different nuances that could hurt or help your operational processes.

When starting out, include your Information Technology team in the process to understand technical needs and integrations your DAM should offer. In addition, identify business requirements by working with each team to understand their processes within the ideal DAM solution. This list should include any other system integrations the DAM should be able to accommodate, preferred onboarding and setting up processes, and any security compliance protocols your organization is required to meet. To help with this process, work with technology experts, like the team at IO Integration, to help determine the best digital asset management platform for your company.

Get Started

If the pain points above describe what you experience with your current digital asset management system, it's time to make the switch to a modernized DAM solution for your organization. Working with the experts at IO Integration, we'll help identify your business requirements and determine the best DAM tool for your organization. Speak to a consultant at IO Integration to get started.