What to know before your DAM migration

We’ve talked at length about the benefits of digital asset management and the ways organisations can use DAM platforms to protect and maximise their digital assets.

But how do you actually go about migrating to your new DAM platform? Every organisation is different, of course — different assets, different use cases, different workflows. Large projects with complex requirements (which may need platform adaptations) always get the full attention of our technical and customer success teams.

So whilst no two migrations are the same, there are a few practical steps you can take to make onboarding your new (or first!) DAM platform easier.

Here are three things to consider before your DAM migration.

1. Give your assets a thorough audit

Not only is this step a satisfying “spring clean” of outdated, irrelevant, or old versions of your assets — it also makes the migration process a lot easier.

Decide which assets you’ll be taking with you, and which can be left behind. This will look different depending on how you’re using your DAM.

If you’re a heritage organisation using the platform to showcase a digital collection, you’ll want to collate the relevant assets for that topic. If you’re an enterprise, decide which assets are most crucial to your team and therefore must be prioritised during the migration.

Consider your overarching goal for the platform, then determine which assets support that goal for the initial upload. Your DAM will keep growing as new assets are created, but you need a starting point for launch.

2. Determine your taxonomy and metadata structure

When your assets are ready to go, you need to decide how they’ll be classified. The Aetopia team can help with this, but it’s always a good idea to start thinking about it beforehand.

You’ll want to decide how you use metadata within your platform, and the taxonomy of your digital assets. Chances are you’re already familiar with these terms — if not, here’s a recap.

Metadata is essentially “data about data”. It’s information about the attributes and provenance of individual assets: the date published or created, the creator, file size, category, licence information, and much more.

Taxonomy is all about classification. In DAM, taxonomy refers to the labels used to classify and categorise digital assets into related groups that users can navigate. This lets you establish a hierarchical structure you can then use to arrange, organise, and distribute content easily. It’s all about making your DAM intuitive to navigate for whoever uses it — so think about which categories of information matter most to your end users.

Thoroughly defining your taxonomy protects you from hiccups during and after migration because it gives you flexibility. If the hierarchy is well defined, files will be easy to locate and amend during the move to your new platform.

Your metadata should also be extensive enough to capture all the information your users may want to know. Take some time to really think about how your DAM users will be interacting with the platform.

3. Get the team involved

As you can tell already, communication and information gathering are hugely important when implementing a new DAM system.

Identify who within your organisation will be using the platform the most. It’s vital that these people are aware of and engaged with the taxonomy of the platform, to make sure it meets their needs and is used appropriately once implemented.

If different teams will be using the platform, establish their goals and the primary ways they’ll be interacting with it. Charities, for example, may use a DAM for fundraising collateral as well as sensitive information pertaining to vulnerable groups. The teams in charge of those departments will most likely interact with the platform differently, so considerations should be made to ensure it provides value for everyone.

It’s not a bad idea to nominate one individual as a DAM Manager. They can be responsible for maintaining order within the platform and be a go-to for any queries once it’s implemented.

Aetopia operates one of the most adaptable DAM platforms on the market. We love a challenge, and we’ve worked with clients across a host of different fields, each with their own exacting DAM requirements. If you have a DAM challenge, we want to hear it. Reach out here.

Related reading

• Your Asset Requirements: What to Look For in a DAM Platform — the questions to answer before you start.
• DAM Taxonomy: A Practical Guide — designing the classification you’ll bring with you.
• DAM Metadata Best Practices — getting the schema right before the move.