3 Things to Consider

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When is it in a company’s best interest to work with a consultant on Digital Asset Management (DAM) projects? Being a former consultant myself, I’m in a unique position to provide some insight to help you decide. Many DAM projects are successfully implemented without a consultant, especially those involving only a handful of users. However, no matter how large the project or the number of people involved, here are 3 simple things to consider:

#1 The Digital Asset Management (DAM) Technology is 1/3 of a Solution

DAM projects involve people, processes, and technology. Good DAM consultants are experts in all three. Somebody needs to map out who will work with the system and how they will work with it. Otherwise, you might be left with an expensive digital paperweight. Good DAM consultants are skilled at enabling collaboration among stakeholders, defining workflow processes, understanding language, working with different types of metadata, and managing technology needs to deliver a comprehensive solution.

#2 The Testing Illusion

Licensing a software solution is not the same as configuring it. Don’t be fooled into thinking that DAM is a ‘silver bullet’ that will solve problems as soon as you add your first test file. Somebody needs to translate what users need, how they ideally want to work with the DAM, and take a holistic view of the DAM’s features and functionality.

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This is where having an expert on workflows, schemas, taxonomies, and graphic file management comes in handy. If you’re not already an expert, you could spend time studying documentation and reading internet resources, or find yourself getting sidetracked by cool features that don’t solve your own particular challenges.

#3 Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

With a DAM implementation, you may be tempted to experiment, try some things out, and see what sticks. Experienced consultants have “been there, done that” hundreds of times before. They already know the undocumented tips that work and those that don’t. They may have already worked with someone in a similar situation with similar problems and can offer tried-and-trusted solutions. Instead of spending time on figuring out what works, you can skip straight to the finish line. Learning from someone else’s experience (and mistakes) can save time, money and frustration.

Summary

One organization I worked with had excellent IT resources, but little experience with DAM workflows. I was brought in after the software had been installed for over a year, but was not being used. Although the right stakeholders were involved during the initial implementation, processes were not well defined, and people were unsure of their roles. While we were able to get everything sorted out, the project had to be restarted, resulting in wasted time and money.

For most people, hiring a consultant is all about driving efficiency and delivering value by getting everything right the first time. For others, it’s about just getting something done that otherwise would never be completed. Good consultants know what to do and how to do it, so projects get completed on schedule and correctly. This means benefiting from the DAM sooner rather than later and freeing up time and resources for other projects and work.

Of course, professional services and consultants are not free.  Professional services can save time and money, and the time and money saved are often worth much more than the cost of the services.

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