In spite of the practice of Digital Asset Management lending itself to achieving big wins across the wider business with the more ubiquitous process of file management, DAM is seen as a niche and often misunderstood part of a business.
This post explores why we believe DAM teams are uniquely positioned to own File Management in addition to the DAM to enhance organizational efficiency and asset usage company-wide.
File Management ownership: Taking the DAM Team from ‘niche’ to ‘mainstream’?
In organizations that run a Digital Asset Management platform, the upstream process of file management often gets overlooked. In this scenario, it is apparent that an amalgamation of outdated and orphaned tools has created a ton of challenges for DAM, Creative, Marketing, Brand, and Content teams alike that we think are avoidable with the right ownership AND the skills of the Digital Asset Management community.
At recent industry events including Henry Stewart DAM LA and HS Creative Operations London, it became clear that teams are struggling with the ad hoc use of platforms like Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive, especially concerning file management with external partners and work-in-progress files internally.
So who should own file management within an organization?
Ownership of File Management within an organization seems unclear. According to survey results 43% claimed that nobody owns it, while others attribute ownership to I.T., Department Leaders, and occasionally the DAM team.
We are struggling to understand why this is the case – and are sure you are too! File management is a fundamental part of any successful business, so why wouldn’t there be a standard for owning this ubiquitous tool, especially when we know that well-organized files improve ROI on content and asset creation, enhance collaboration, and reduce duplicative work?
This all begs the question: Is owning File Management an opportunity for the DAM community?
The role of Digital Asset Management teams in company wide File Management
While the champions for better File Management often emerge from departments like creative, marketing, communications, and media, this isn’t where the ownership resides. These departments recognize the importance of streamlined processes in File Management and the impact it has on overall efficiency and productivity, but the question can easily be raised as to whether the knowledge of things like security and the art of how files should move through (and around) a company exists amongst these teams.
This is where we believe the Digital Asset Management team can come in. By nature, Digital Asset Managers are the arbiters of information, and if anyone in an organization can get files, content, media, and assets organized at every point of the business – it’s this team. But having ownership of the DAM residing with this team is not just a benefit to the business, we think it’s of benefit to the DAM team too because by getting things organized upstream it’s easier to keep your DAM clean, reduces the costs of running your DAM, and enhances productivity across the organization.
Bridging the gap between Digital Asset Management and File Management.
Stockpress is an innovative solution designed to bridge the gap between upstream file management and Digital Asset Management and even act as the perfect complement to a DAM in many cases. With Stockpress, DAM, Creative, Marketing, Brand, and Content teams gain greater end-to-end ownership of their organization’s digital assets.
Why can Stockpress do this when Dropbox, Box and Google Drive can’t?
- Removes user license fees, preventing collaboration silos.
- Offers custom roles and permissions to ensure that each team member has the right level of access.
- Features a tagging structure that mirrors a DAM’s, ensuring efficient organization.
- Supports unlimited user and team collaboration, enhancing internal and external partnerships.
- Provides cost-effective pricing, starting at $59 per month, with quick implementation (hours and days, not months or years)
Why teams are growing frustrated with Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive.
- Per-user licensing creates silos and fragmented workflows, hindering the collaborative potential essential in effective Digital Asset Management and File Management.
- Limited collaboration features restrict the efficiency and productivity that a streamlined File Management system should offer, impacting the overall synergy with DAM initiatives.
- Configuration limitations mean these platforms may not align well with the specific File Management needs of an organization, often leading to a misalignment with DAM objectives.
- Issues around data security and compliance have led to the integrity of file security being compromised.
What happens when File Management doesn’t align with your DAM?
- Without proper file management, valuable assets may be lost or recreated unnecessarily, leading to a loss of ROI.
- Chaotic file management can jeopardize the integrity of company information and data.
- Duplicative efforts result in wasted time and resources, impacting overall efficiency and productivity throughout the organization.
The risk of organizations not having an owner for file management:
Aside from a clear vision and strategy for the platform, without a product owner for file management, file security is jeopardized causing the confidentiality and integrity of company data to be compromised. It also leads to fragmented efforts, duplicative work, a lack of transparency around what assets exist in an organization, inefficient onboarding of new teams and external partners, and finally – teams that spend more time searching, and less time finding the files they need to do their work.
Conclusion: Owning file management has the ability to elevate the Digital Asset Management team to be the organizational champions they are!
If you find yourself nodding along, if upstream asset disorganization is causing you a headache, or if you see better file management as an opportunity to elevate your role as a DAM manager – let’s connect. Together, we can ensure that file management and DAM work hand in hand to streamline your organization’s digital supply chain from start to finish.
Stockpress – your partner in conquering the chaos upstream of the DAM.
Get started with Stockpress your next event, project, or campaign today! Try Stockpress for FREE or book a demo at Stockpress Demo.
