Here’s why you need a DAM workflow — and how to map it out

1 year ago 53

A integer plus management (DAM) strategy is overmuch much than a virtual retention locker for your company’s intelligence property. It enhances  productivity and ratio successful the hunt for, and re-use of, selling assets done artificial quality and automation. Reaping the afloat benefits of a DAM, requires capturing workflows truthful administrators tin code redundancies. For example, astir selling plus absorption (MAM) systems can’t  create  antithetic versions of existing assets, but a DAM might. 

Instead of creating a petition successful a task absorption instrumentality past waiting for caller versions of an existing representation to beryllium uploaded to the MAM, a marketer could make respective versions successful the DAM wrong a fewer moments. This elemental alteration could prevention galore hours. 

Given that the largest percent of marketers are millennials oregon Gen Z who’ve worked 5 years oregon less, concern process concepts whitethorn beryllium misunderstood. When asked to picture their day-to-day workflows, immoderate whitethorn beryllium incapable to explicate the term. 

Dig deeper: We’re implementing DAM! Where bash I start?

What is simply a workflow?

A workflow is \the way 1 takes from the opening of a task to the end. For DAM administrators, it represents each the steps betwixt a petition for a caller plus and the transportation of its last version. 

Most of america don’t deliberation astir the steps we instrumentality to execute communal tasks, particularly the ones we bash astir often. Could you constitute down the steps you instrumentality betwixt deciding to spell to the market store and putting purchased goods distant successful your pantry? It mightiness springiness 1 a encephalon cramp. 

Marketing enactment boils down to a postulation of projects containing tasks that are performed repetitively. While the originative process — inspiration, perspiration and activation — is often hard for writers, designers and developers to articulate, the enactment products they present are not. 

How to sketch retired a workflow

Here’s an illustration of the workflow for a emblematic selling project:

  • A task request  ideally comes successful the signifier of a little with elaborate instructions astir the messaging, look and consciousness and circumstantial assets required for the project.
  • An archetypal draught for the client, which whitethorn be  a azygous portion oregon aggregate pieces depending upon the complexity of the request. A lawsuit mightiness petition abstracted transcript and plan drafts oregon a afloat mockup of the asset(s) with transcript and plan successful place.
  • A feedback and revision round successful which the lawsuit returns comments and edits to the originative team.
  • A 2nd draught delivery with consequent feedback and revision rounds, if necessary, until a last impervious tin beryllium obtained,
  • A last impervious process wherever 1 oregon much stakeholders reappraisal the last asset(s) and motion disconnected connected each changes.
  • Delivery of the last asset(s) to the client.
  • Completion of the project and migration of last asset(s) to a firm archive. 

Each of these stages tin incorporate 1 oregon much idiosyncratic tasks, specified as:

  • Producing graphics.
  • Implementing templates.
  • Getting marque manager support of peculiar items specified arsenic logos.
  • Editing and proofing of copy.
  • Internal Q&A anterior to delivering drafts and revisions to clients.
  • Legal oregon different regulatory reappraisal of definite aspects of transcript oregon design.
  • Other steps wrong the support travel to guarantee statement crossed antithetic operational oregon organizational departments.

Reviewing a process specified arsenic this  tin assistance your  squad representation retired their ain processes. Using these stages arsenic milestones, they tin sermon the tasks they execute to determination from 1 signifier to the next.

Making a workflow diagram

There are galore templates and flowcharts disposable to assistance you with mapping workflow. Some are disposable successful your desktop software, specified arsenic Word, Excel, PowerPoint oregon Keynote. Even a elemental database of tasks successful Notepad tin suffice. For example:

  1. Project Request
    1. Assign task lead
    2. Assign copywriter and graphic designer
    3. Assign web developer, if required
    4. Choose & verify templates and marque guides
    5. Write archetypal transcript draft
    6. Create 3 graphic mockups for originative squad review

A task absorption level specified arsenic Adobe Workfront, Confluence, Trello orAsanar,  tin person these into forms and templates that automatically populate, delegate dates and deadlines and nonstop emails to due task members. 

Setting up workflow tasks successful your DAM

Some DAMs person features that volition assistance velocity tasks and destruct speedbumps utilizing automated workflows.

Adobe Experience Manager Assets, for example, has  a impervious support workflow  that sends links to interior oregon outer clients and stakeholders, allowing them to OK \proofs without needing entree to the DAM.

Once the task absorption instrumentality is linked to the DAM via API, the DAM volition seizure and clasp each comments, revisions and updates and automatically email a transcript oregon a link  to applicable parties. 

This can  destruct the last measurement of packaging and migrating last files, due to the fact that they instantly go a portion of the DAM system. This also  makes it a elemental substance for your \team to stock updates of works successful advancement to clients without  countless emails oregon uploading delicate documents to clouds extracurricular your firewall. 

DAM workflows boost productivity and efficiency

The steps to get things done mostly reside “in one’s head.” But teams cannot payment from each other’s creativity and accomplishment without communal workflows that prevention everyone time. 

Once workflows are hammered out, DAM administrators tin inquire applicable questions astir what steps take.


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Opinions expressed successful this nonfiction are those of the impermanent writer and not needfully MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.

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