Digital Asset Management: A Strategy for Success

Autumn 2004

VISIT US AT: WWW.NONLINEAR.CA

n o n ~ l i n e a r c r e a t i o n s

OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

If this is the solution, what’s the problem?

non~linear creations inc. Digital Asset Management

http://www.nonlinear.ca/

Saturday, April 8, 2023



OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

The Talk

» Introductions» Definitions

• Ecosystem and Evolution

» Key Functions» Who Benefits?» Best Practices for Implementation

• An Approach• The Question of Taxonomy• Search and Retrieval• Barriers to Success

» More information




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Who Am I?

» Randy Woods

» Co-founder, EVP of non-linear creations inc.

» Been providing internet-driven IT solutions for government since 1995

» Established an enterprise content management area of practice in 1999

» Leading integrator of mid-tier web content management in Canada

» My job? Understanding how the pieces fit together – and the value each piece can deliver to our clients




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Who Are You?

» A few quick questions - by show of hands:» Job descriptions:

• Who creates digital content?• Who approves approve digital content?• Who manages the IT infrastructure?• Other jobs?

» Who has a document management solution in place today?• Who intends to have a document management solution in place

someday?• Who knows what a digital asset management solution is?

» Who objects if I use the acronym DAM rather than saying document asset management every time?




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

What is Digital Asset Management?

» “Digital asset management is an IT-based practise for the systematic reuse and re-expression of pre-existing digital objects that, when successfully done, accelerates business processes and time to market deliverables.” – Michael Moon, GISTICS

» “Systems and processes for fine-grained management and control over rich digital media assets, notably high-resolution images, audio, video, animation and other kinds of multimedia” - Gilbane

» “Digital asset management is just a tool for organizing digital files for storage and retrieval”- Marketingpilot




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Maybe a more useful approach

What pains can DAM alleviate?» Images get published without proper approvals» Digital content is released online without appropriate alternative

language capabilities» Digital assets are stored insecurely» Personnel constantly re-create similar content because they don’t

know it exists» Personnel know the content they need has been

produced/created/developed but have no way of finding it» Personnel can find the content they need but it is the wrong

size/format/application type» External organizations – other ministries, departments, partners –

require digital assets frequently. Access is painful or inefficient.




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

What is a Digital Asset?

» “Any kind of digital object that you can show that you have reused for a period of greater than 18 months; have captured the development expenses associated with that particular object; and can directly link the reuse of that object to a discrete sale for a revenue event or a discrete cost savings; and have taken prudent measures to protect this asset, then generally accepted accounting practices will support you recognizing that as a financial asset….” – Michael Moon, GISTICS

» Definition only an accountant can love.

» “A digital file with reuse lifespan and associated meta data” - Gilbane




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

What is a Digital Asset?

» Of course, everything stored in a computer is a digital asset.

» For our purposes, digital assets include:• Digital Audio• Digital Video• Multimedia (Flash, Shockwave)• Presentations• Images (in some cases)

• Anything that can’t be easily found using a Google-type search engine.




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Key Features of DAM

MAJOR ELEMENTS

» Metadata / Taxonomy application» Workflow and audit trails» Storage (Digital Asset Repository)

• Check in/check out• Compliance

» Access authorization» Search and retrieval

• Thumbnails• Meta-data search

» Transformation services

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

» Delivery services• Broadcast to web• Make available to print firms

» Digital rights management » Collaboration services» Contract management tools




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

The DAM Ecosystem

Document Management

Document Management

Microsoft WordMicrosoft ExcelAdobe PD

Records Management

Records Management

RecordsReportseMail archives

Web ContentManagement

Web ContentManagement

HTMLXMLXHTMLWeb-graphics

Digital Asset Management

Digital Asset Management

AudioVideoMultimediaPresentations

Workflow

Search and Retrieval

Collaboration

Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management

GISGIS

Enterprise Content Management




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Who Benefits from DAM

DAM can make a difference to:

» Archives, collections, museums

» Public relations and communications

» Research and collaboration

» Public outreach / social marketing activities

» Internal e-learning

» GIS integration

The Benefits:

1. Increase in reuse of digital assets

2. Tighter control of approval processes

3. Audit capabilities

4. Ease of delivery to multiple channels

5. Security over access / centralized backup procedures

6. Enforcement of standards




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Best Practices for Implementation

» Two approaches• Top down – executive sponsorship drives adoption• Bottom up – real-world pain drives adoption

» Step One: Map existing creative and production workflows• Involve key stakeholders• Include workflow, approvals

» Step Two: Map a better world• Streamline processes• Formalize processes




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Best Practices for Implementation

» Step Three: Implementation approaches:• All or nothing• Incremental

» Step Four: Content migration• Resource intensive, rarely budgeted• Endless if content is not already digital• 80:20 rule applies – focus on most reusable assets

» Step Five: internal marketing and adoption• Make heros of early adopters• Have first movers drive adoption




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Taxonomy

» Taxonomy – meta data – is critical» You have no fall back – search spiders won’t do the job

» What taxonomy?» CLF defines mandatory meta information» Dublin core’s 15 standard elements apply

» Digital Assets have specific requirements:• permissions• usage conditions • rights • owner(s), etc.

» PRISM provides an alternative




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Taxonomy – PRISM

» www.prismstandard.org» Industry standard meta-data for publishing» Based on Dublin Core

» Allows for fine-grained specification of rights for reuse, alteration» Adequate information to support discovery

dc:rights Container element for specific rights dataprism:copyright A copyright statement for this resource.prism:expirationTime Time at which the right to reuse expires.prism:releasetime Time as which the right to reuse a resource begins, and the resource maybe published.prism:rightsAgent Name, and possibly contact information, for the agency9 to contact todetermine reuse conditions if none specified in the description areapplicable.prl:geography Specifies geographic restrictions.prl:industry Specifies restrictions on the industry in which the resource may be reused.prl:usage Specifies ways that the resource may be reused.




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Search and Retrieval

» Most DAM products ship with a reasonable search system:• Interwoven MediaBin Inktomi

» Several have specific image search solutions:• Interwoven MediaBin Newly patented tech allows search by shape, texture,

color, or resemblance to another image

» Vast majority of users will select a category and use thumbnails to preview

» Consider adding a faceted search technology:• Breaks content down by different dimensions of a hierarchy• Allows users to browse to the image they require• Example – user might click:

• Energy Climate Change Energy Efficiency R2000 photo of insulation

» Endeca is leading faceted search technology (www.endeca.com)




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Barriers to Success

» Two structural challenges with DAM:• Network effect – it becomes more valuable the more users it has• Time value effect – it becomes increasingly valuable over time

» Together these mean that the value of process changes required are not always immediately apparent.




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

Barriers to Success

» Involve stakeholders• Creative groups tend to work independent of institutional guidelines. And they like

it.• For example, often the sole bastion of Macintosh computers in a department• Solve their problem – don’t proclaim from on high

» Match your reach to your grasp• Don’t let it become a death march• Pick a small but real pain and solve it. Quickly.• Leverage success into higher profile implementations

» Plan for tomorrow• Know that incremental roll out is a stage in much grander strategy• Ensure system selected plays well with others - it must support new webservices

standards




OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997OTTAWA: 613.241.2067 TORONTO: 416.203.2997

More information

» No shortage of online resources:• GISTICS.com – analyst group• Major analysts cover DAM:

• Gartner• Forrester

• Gilbane.com• Whitepaper• Reports

• www.econtentmag.com

» You can always reach me:• [email protected]

Digital Asset Management: A Strategy for Success

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