5 things to ask your DAM provider

19th September 2019

You've decided that it's time to centralise your company's digital assets and collate your content in a neat, customisable format. That's great news for your business; things are about to get tidier, more secure and less frustrating for your employees and customers.

However, when you start researching digital asset management (DAM) providers, you may start to feel overwhelmed very quickly. There are so many features, benefits and extras to consider. That's why we've compiled a list of questions you should ask your prospective service provider.

1. Can this DAM system accommodate my expanding business?

Naturally, you hope that your business is going to grow, and with that comes inevitable change. When you're scaling up, you'll start to need more space for your content; your branding may alter, your employee base may increase, and you may introduce new technologies and software products into your daily operations. So, make sure that the DAM provider can support your growth and configure with your future applications.

2. How does the app protect sensitive or proprietary information?

Some of the digital data you share will likely be private or have copyright restrictions. Your DAM provider needs to have a clear method of not only monitoring authentication but also protecting your files from malicious attacks.

You're looking for features such as:

• permission controls;
• single sign-on;
• configuration of multiple user privacy.

3. Can the DAM provider show you case studies on similar businesses to yours?

Of course, your business has its own specifications for cataloguing and accessing data. But to gain reassurance that you are working with someone who is experienced and able to serve your industry, you should ask to see their portfolio, or check whether they have any case studies published online.

You have to first ascertain exactly what kind of data handling you need to make sure that you don't omit anything from your research.

Examples of digital assets you may need support for:

• photographs;
• videos;
• PDFs;
• Word and Excel documents;
• video files;
• audio files.

4. How easy is it to use the DAM system?

Your organisation may be big or small, with numerous departments or just an average-sized team. Regardless of these factors, you don't want onboarding to be an arduous, long-winded task that discourages your employees from using the system.

When selecting your DAM provider, make sure that they offer adequate training and support, ask about maintenance and do a free trial if necessary. That way, you can make sure that you're satisfied with the user experience (UX) and that the application is intuitive and easy to implement.

5. What does the future hold for this DAM system?

Making the investment in a DAM system is exactly that - an investment. The DAM will become an integral part of how your business operates, so you want to make sure that you're in for a long and happy marriage. With this in mind, it's worth exploring what recent changes and updates the company has made to the features of the product as well as what the future roadmap looks like. At ResourceSpace, we openly share our vision for the future.

These are just some of the key questions to add to your list. The best place to start is with a full evaluation of your own business needs. That way you can begin your quest to find the perfect DAM system for your business with a firm idea of what will match your requirements.