Break Open Your DAM With Intuitive Metadata

Do not fill in this field

Enter no text in this field

Get Instant Access
to This Blueprint

Business Email

Full Name

Company

Phone

Job Title

Organizations are facing challenges from explosive information growth in both volume and complexity, as well as the need to use more new sources of information for social media just to remain in business.
A lot of content can be created quickly, but managing those digital assets properly through metadata tagging that will be used consistently and effectively requires processes to be in place to create standardized and informational metadata at the source of content creation.
Putting these processes in place changes the way the organization handles its information, which may generate pushback, and requires socialization and proper management of the metadata strategy.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Metadata is an imperative part of the organization’s broader information management strategy. Some may believe that metadata is not needed anymore; Google search is not a magic act – it relies on information tagging that reflects cultural sentiment.
Metadata should be pliable. It needs to grow with the changing cultural and corporate vernacular and knowledge, and adapt to changing needs.
Build a map for your metadata before you dig for buried treasure. Implement metadata standards and processes for current digital assets before chasing after your treasure troves of existing artifacts.

Impact and Result

Create a sustainable and effective digital asset management (DAM) program by understanding Info-Tech’s DAM framework and how the framework fits within your organization for better management of key digital assets.
Create an enterprise-wide metadata design principles handbook to keep track of metadata schemas and standards, as well as communicate the standards to the entire organization.
Gather requirements for your DAM program, as well as the DAM system and roles, by interviewing key stakeholders and identifying prevalent pains and opportunities. Understand where digital assets are created, used, and stored throughout the enterprise to gain a high-level perspective of DAM requirements.
Identify the organization’s current state of metadata management along with the target state, identify the gaps, and then define solutions to fill those gaps. Ensure business initiatives are woven into the mix.
Create a comprehensive roadmap to prioritize initiatives and delineate responsibilities.

Break Open Your DAM With Intuitive Metadata Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should develop a digital asset management program focused on metadata, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Break Open Your DAM With Intuitive Metadata – Executive Brief

1. Build a foundation for your DAM project

Gain an in-depth understanding of what digital asset management is as well as how it is supported by Info-Tech’s DAM framework.

2. Dive into the DAM strategy

Create a metadata program execution strategy and assess current and target states for the organization’s DAM.

3. Create intuitive metadata for your DAM

Design a governance plan for ongoing DAM and metadata management.

Member Testimonials

After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.

Client

Experience

Impact

$ Saved

Days Saved

Testimonial

Gallagher

Guided Implementation

10/10

N/A

1-1 discussion helped us to speed up our architecture discussion. And valuable inputs from Andrea was helping us move forward.

Scientific Games Corporation

Workshop

10/10

$1.15M

110

There were no "worst" parts. From start to finish, the DAM/Metadata workshop was an eye-opening and engaging experience that taught everyone involv... Read More

Workshop: Break Open Your DAM With Intuitive Metadata

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Structure the Metadata Project

The Purpose

Develop a foundation of knowledge regarding DAM and metadata, as well as the best practices for organizing the organization’s information and digital assets for ideal findability.

Key Benefits Achieved

Design standardized processes for metadata creation and digital asset management to help to improve findability of key assets.
Gain knowledge of how DAM can benefit both IT and the business.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Build a DAM and metadata knowledge foundation.

1.2

Kick-start creation of the organization’s DAM design principles handbook.

DAM Design Principles Handbook

1.3

Interview key business units to understand drivers for the program.

DAM Execution Strategy Document

1.4

Develop a DAM framework.

Module 2: Assess Requirements for the DAM Program

The Purpose

Inventory the organization’s key digital assets and their repositories.
Gather the organization’s requirements for a full-time digital asset librarian, as well as the DAM system.

Key Benefits Achieved

Determine clear and specific requirements for the organization from the DAM system and the people involved.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Conduct a digital asset inventory to identify key assets to include in DAM.

Digital Asset Inventory Tool

2.2

Prioritize digital assets to determine their risk and value to ensure appropriate support through the information lifecycle.

2.3

Determine the requirements of the business and IT for the DAM system and its metadata.

DAM Requirements Gathering Tool

Module 3: Design Roadmap and Plan Implementation

The Purpose

Determine strategic initiatives and create a roadmap outlining key steps required to get the organization to start enabling data-driven insights.
Determine timing of the initiatives.

Key Benefits Achieved

Establish a clear direction for the DAM program.
Build a step-by-step outline of how to create effective metadata with true business-IT collaboration.
Have prioritized initiatives with dependencies mapped out.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Assess current and target states of DAM in the organization.

3.2

Brainstorm and document practical initiatives to close the gap.

DAM Roadmap Tool

3.3

Discuss strategies rooted in business requirements to execute the metadata management program to improve findability of digital assets.

Module 4: Establish Metadata Governance

The Purpose

Identify the roles required for effective DAM and metadata management.
Create sample metadata according to established guiding principles and implement a feedback method to create intuitive metadata in the organization.

Key Benefits Achieved

Metadata management is an ongoing project. Implementing it requires user input and feedback, which governance will help to support.
By integrating metadata governance with larger information or data governance bodies, DAM and metadata management will gain sustainability.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Discuss and assign roles and responsibilities for initiatives identified in the roadmap.

DAM Execution Strategy

4.2

Review policy requirements for the information assets in the organization and strategies to address enforcement.

4.3

Integrate the governance of metadata into larger governance committees.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Build a foundation for your DAM project

Call 1: Identify why the organization needs to increase findability of its digital assets and brainstorm ways to kick-start the DAM initiative.
Call 2: Discuss the strategic plans of the business and establish business context for DAM metadata.
Call 3: Begin design of the organization’s guiding principles for DAM.