Another DAM Blog

Blog about Digital Asset Management

Category Archives: Education


by 1 Comment

Top 40 blog posts from 2009 through 2012

After four years of blogging about Digital Asset Management (DAM), I keep reporting what are the most popular blog posts based on the number of times people have clicked to read a blog post. The top 40 most read blog posts from Another DAM blog for the past four years (2009-2012) are…

      1. Why do I need a Digital Asset Manager?
      2. Where can I find some DAM jobs?
      3. What is the best DAM solution?
      4. Why do I need a DAM?
      5. Where can I find metadata standards?
      6. Have I heard all the DAM jokes yet?
      7. How do I avoid duplicate assets in a DAM?
      8. Why do I need metadata?
      9. How do I plan for a career in DAM?
      10. How do I read this DAM documentation?
      11. How do I enforce a file naming convention?
      12. How can I measure DAM progress?
      13. What are the levels of DAM experience?
      14. How do I create use cases for DAM?
      15. How do I explain what I do for a living with DAM?
      16. How much do Digital Asset Management professionals earn?
      17. What specific skills should Digital Asset Management professionals have today?
      18. How can I bring more ROI to our DAM?
      19. Why should we keep our assets in a DAM?
      20. What higher education courses are available about DAM?
      21. What does DAM have to do with change management?
      22. How can I use DAM to assist with preliminary research?
      23. Who can do my keywording and scanning?
      24. Where can I find a DAM mentor?
      25. Can a DAM handle Rights Managed assets?
      26. Who should be on a DAM project team?
      27. What is a DAM Award?
      28. Top ten most listened to DAM podcasts of 2010
      29. Why does a DAM need an API?
      30. How many DAM metadata fields do you have?
      31. What do you know about your integrator?
      32. Top 10 podcasts about Digital Asset Management: Another DAM podcast from 2011
      33. How long does it take to get a DAM working within an organization?
      34. DAM predictions for 2011
      35. What is the DAM Foundation?
      36. What is Digital Asset Management (DAM)?
      37. What is a DAM Conference?
      38. What does a Digital Asset Manager need to know?
      39. Why do I need unique logins per DAM user?
      40. How do people talk about DAM within an organization?

While I was posting far less often in 2012 (new supply few times a month), the readership (demand) has only increased year over year. This is yet another sign that Digital Asset Management is still growing. Some say the DAM market will surpass the billion dollar mark in 2013. Most of the blog posts listed above are still very relevant to people’s need for more DAM information today.

A few people and even some companies (whom I have not worked with) actually asked me to stop blogging because I am “…giving too much away…” so I simply keep posting more. Why? Because this is not true. For those who have read my blog posts, I list the questions you should be asking within your organization about Digital Asset Management.

Now I have listed the top 40 most read blog posts from the past four years out of over 155 blog posts to date. I still have over 95 drafted blog posts yet to finish and release when I have free time. I know who my audience is because they communicate with me directly and they suggest ideas for posts. DAM is not about sharing less, otherwise you are missing the point about sharing with your:

  • Users
  • Groups
  • Departments
  • Organization
  • Community
  • Audience

I am not the only DAM blogger. In fact, I am Another DAM blogger and there are thousands of DAM blog readers out there just like you. What are your favorite blog posts from Another DAM blog?

Let us know when you are ready for some vendor neutral consulting on Digital Asset Management.

Related Articles

 


by 1 Comment

What specific skills should Digital Asset Management professionals have today?

A reader recently asked what specific skills should Digital Asset Management professionals have in order to be competitive in the job market today.

Previously, we have explored:

We can explore the skills the job market is commonly asking for now as well as other skills to consider (even if not yet realizing it).

Learn the Basics

I would encourage everyone to continue growing your knowledge and skills of how to work smarter with:

  • Spreadsheets because they are a necessary evil. Live it, learn it and love it once you understand how to make data format and flow properly through the fine art of filtering, sorting, pivot tables, vlookups and using other formulas rather than creating basic, monolithic data entry tables with little purpose and lacking smart automation.  Character validation for metadata is also possible here.
  • Word processing because you can do more than write letters and resumes with it. Explore the awesome world of macros to empower you and text.
  • Presentation software because you may need to give a few presentations and sometimes even make them for others. If you want your points understood by anyone, think more visual and less bullets. Since presenting is a well-known fear which some considered worse than death, I recommend facing your fear (presentations, not death). Learn from the masters and practice presenting regularly.
  • Collaborative software tools because it allows people to share information as group, discuss it and make decisions together. You might not be working in proximity with some people now or in the near future (such as people working remotely or even globally), but that does not mean you can not share ideas, discuss topics and decide as a group by referring to other people for their experiences, ideas, insights and perspectives.

Social skills

Meet with real people (not just friends, co-workers and family). Not just online. Not just at parties or because there are drinks available. When you meet someone new who you want/need to continue the conversation with, connect with them online professionally and follow up on the conversation. This is called networking.  Real relationships are a give and take (not just one way). Remove your blinders regularly and meet other people around you who may have different interests and perspectives. You may be surprised what you can continually learn by meeting other people. Relevant communication is key.

Project Management

Whichever project management methodology you happen to study (Agile, PRINCE2, Waterfall), these are invaluable business skills to keep projects:

  • on time
  • on budget
  • within specifications/scope

Learn the principles and key skills such as:

  • Business analysis techniques
  • Work breakdown structures
  • Program sequencing techniques
  • Risk management methods

Coding Languages

A working knowledge of the following coding languages can be very helpful:

You can grow your skills further by learning the full LAMP stack.

Learn to create regularly

Everyone should practice an art of creating something regularly.  It does not have to be fine art, but learn to:

  • write
  • take photographs
  • record sound
  • shoot video
  • create something on your own (or as a group) that can be shared
  • digitize it if it is a physical creation

Learn to edit

Learn to edit so you can do something constructive with what you create.  Learn to see how you can improve things by sharing it with others who will give you constructive feedback.  Learn what can be done about issues before they are created (and sometimes how to fix them afterward). Improve your skills as you learn to edit various media which you may be managing at some point as DAM professional. You will literally see and hear the results.

  • Text editing is a very useful skill. Sometimes it is easier to edit someone else’s text than your own.
  • Photo editing is process like any other. You can start with editing and managing your family/friend/sports/pet photography as it grows over time. The key is to learn how to manage your photography for the long term (think years) beyond simply the week the images were captured. This can be the beginning of learning the process of digital asset management using photography assets (which have value to you) along with related metadata (so you can search for them easily) and understanding the efforts involved.
  • Audio editing is as complex as you want to make it and  is often layered. This skill also helps to fine tune your ears. You can read all about how I create a weekly audio podcast which accompanies this blog called Another DAM podcast
  • Video editing is another set of skills to learn how to piece multiple types of components together with some continuity in order to tell a story.

Learn how to use metadata

Once you have created and edited digital files over time, you will want to search for these. Not just visually search because that does not scale over time. This often requires metadata.

  • Learn what metadata to apply (take a look at some of the variety of metadata standards available)
  • How to apply metadata (embedded vs. associated)
  • Why apply metadata (to search and find assets based on common fields and values applied)

Rights Management

When it comes to managing whether an organization has the licenses and permissions necessary to legally use, reuse and re-purpose any digital asset acquired from external parties, this requires a dive into the field of rights management. While this is often a forgotten liability for many organizations, external vendors are pursuing copyright violations more than ever to recover their lost revenue through image recognition technology among other technologies. Having the skills to understand the rights, communicate the media needs, license media properly for usage and limit liability is a plus for any organization.

Stress management

Stress does not automagically go away by itself. Learn to deal with stress in a health way. Do not attempt to work all 168 hours per week. The work will still be there if you go home. Avoid procrastination, but take short breaks as needed. Keep in mind that worrying about something does not resolve anything. Do something about it. Focus your energy on either communicating the specific issues with recommended solutions or resolving the issues after weighing the possible solutions.

Time Management

Learn to manage your time and your tasks wisely by prioritizing. Learn how to prioritize anything. Time management can be applied to all aspects of your work and life, especially if you thrive on accomplishment. Keep in mind that tasks are not successfully completed without the necessary time to accomplish them.

What specific skills should Digital Asset Management professionals have today?

Let us know when you are ready for consulting or assistance in finding Digital Asset Management professionals for your business.


by 3 Comments

How much do Digital Asset Management professionals earn?

What to pay a Digital Asset Management (DAM) professional, especially a position your organization may not have had before, is a frequently asked question (FAQ). It is asked even more frequently as the DAM community continues to grow year over year. As a Digital Asset Management (DAM) professional myself,  the goal of this blog post is not to state what I earn per year nor start ‘salary fixing’ what it costs an organization to employ one or more DAM professionals. Instead, I would like to encourage everyone in the global DAM community to take the anonymous survey which is gathering this specific salary data.

Yes, there is a such a survey started by the DAM Foundation which is collecting salary data. The DAM Foundation’s Human Resources and Talent (HR & T) Committee is requesting more Digital Asset Management professionals to please take this survey so this data set can grow and everyone can get a better understanding of this growing market.

Job Market

There are quite a few jobs in the ‘Digital Asset Management’ job market and there will be even more coming soon. Interest in DAM is growing rapidly. This is shown by the increasing number of people attending DAM webinars and DAM conferences this year. Even more so by the number of organizations looking into, implementing and using DAM to their benefit.

Some DAM vendors pride themselves in the number of new clients they have. Some DAM vendors and consultants suggest specific roles to be established within an organization to support ongoing DAM initiatives and well after implementation.

New to many organizations

Digital Asset Management is new to many organizations. Since technology (the DAM system) is only part of the solution, it still needs people and processes as well. These specific people, processes and technology often do not yet exist within an organization or are not formally organized. When it comes to people, this is part of the job market that most people did not specifically go to school for nor did these jobs widely exist before. Fear, uncertainty and doubt often stall timelines and roadmaps for DAM implementations. Getting an experienced professional to help walk an organization through many of the common pain points of DAM is an option before you pick out a solution.

Supply and Demand

The number of experienced DAM professionals who are available in the job market may currently be low in many areas at the time of this blog post, but this number is increasing due to rising interest. Anyone hiring for such positions will find this out as soon as they filter to the experienced and qualified candidates.

Since there is a low supply and high demand for these experienced DAM professionals, guess what happens to the cost to the organization needing these professionals to manage their digital assets? It goes up.

Digital Experience Required

When it comes to education, I did speak with one person who has a Master in the Arts of Digital Asset Management (MADAM) named Romney Whitehead. While many of DAM professionals (including myself) do not have a degree in DAM,  Library nor Information Sciences, one option is look for graduates with a MLIS degree who have real digital experience. Organizing physical materials vs. managing digital collections are quite different, so keep this in mind when hiring. Note that most library schools and i-schools (i is for information) do not teach about the process nor the technology of DAM with a few exceptions, however some of the DAM fundamentals and categorization are better understood by MLIS graduates with experience organizing digital collections and use of metadata.

DAM is not just about photography. Knowing how to manage digital photography (after use of the camera) is a good start to DAM.

Staff or Contract

There is multitude of reasons for having either staff and/or contractors, however Digital Asset Management is not a temporary task. DAM is an ongoing task. Keep this in mind since the organization will need consistency in how digital assets are managed in order to find them again. Your organization is likely accumulating more and trying to manage more assets than ever before. Who will do this continually within your organization?

Having a DAM professional is a mutual commitment by the people and the organization.

Job descriptions vary based on many factors including the experience of candidate, the organization and their needs for the position.

Trust but verify

Since DAM professionals are new to many organizations, people often do not understand what they are supposed to do within their role once hired nor how they do it.

Digital assets have a value (known or perceived) to acquire them, create them and use these assets. The organization may need to search, find, use, reuse and re-purpose them legally and with ease to get the best ROI. How a DAM professional gets this work done may take some level of feedback and trust, but they should be able to produce reports with measurable results in meaningful numbers which can be verified. Professionals should be able to communicate who, what, where, when, why and how something is getting done with these assets, with enough relevant context and content for any audience.

Interview Questions

There is quite a few levels of experience when it comes to Digital Asset Management. If you want to discern between individuals who have similar DAM experience, a hiring manager could ask:

  • How many different DAM solutions have they worked on?
  • How many different organizations using DAM solutions have they worked with?
  • How long did they use the DAM and how often?
  • How many DAM solutions were successfully implemented and are still in use today?
  • How many users does the DAM solution serve?
  • How many assets are managed? What kind?
  • How do they measure ROI using DAM?

The answers will vary per person, but you will quickly find out how knowledgeable that person is in terms of Digital Asset Management. Now let us figure out how DAM professionals are valued.

Let us know when you are ready for some vendor neutral consulting on Digital Asset Management and if you need to find some talent for your DAM system.


by Leave a comment

Predictions for 2011/2012 reviewed

The following were predictions about Digital Asset Management for 2011. Let us see how I well I predicted what occurred in 2011.

  1. Significant increase in the use of DAM on mobile devices (tablets/smart phones). A handful of vendors released mobile apps as a mobile client this year. Ok, that may not be represent a significant increase, but it is an increase and a step in the right direction since mobile everything is increasing globally.
  2. More DAM education will be offered across North America and elsewhere. More DAM conferences are available throughout the world and they offer tutorials. More universities are either expanding their offerings of education in DAM or looking to offer more in relation to DAM.
  3. More DAM professionals will become available to fill the growing need across industries. Professionals with experience will dominate the job market while others will still bevolunteered from within. Yes, the job market for DAM position has grown since my blog posts about where to find some DAM jobs and what we DAM professionals do for a living. And the economy is not likely going stop this growth. If there is any doubt, are you creating less digital assets? If your organization is creating less digital assets, the organization is probably becoming obsolete and on its way out of the market.
  4. Most information about DAM will be available online. More ebooks and podcasts will be available as well. Use of blogs will increase, especially in DAM education. Yes, even this blog. Ok, shameless plug…at the time of the release of  this blog post, I have released 78 DAM podcasts (all still available to listen to) and they are still coming every Thursday. There have been a few more eBooks about DAM in 2011, but there are actually fewer active DAM blogs available now. I do not write this blog as often anymore. There is also new journal, but it is not available as a online version only for some odd reason.
  5. Beginning of a standards body for DAM via the DAM Foundation. This group meets for the first time in March 2011. The DAM Foundation has met publicly a few of times, started their website and put out a survey.
  6. The DAM community will continue to grow by leaving old guard model of exclusivity behind to become more open and sharing of  information about DAM to those who are interested. The community is more open and is still growing. Having the available time to share not as much. Social media is playing a very big role in the ability to share openly, quickly and widely.
  7. Open Source will continue to slowly grow in popularity among the technically savvy users who clarify its documentation as well as its place in the market. Open Source communities and groups continue to grow in popularity.
  8. Usability will remain a need for every DAM user and DAM vendors who fulfill this need will continue to grow. DAM vendors will still need to prove functionality during thorough customer demos using the customer’s own test assets in real-time. Usability is key for users and some even won prizes for simplifying it.
  9. DAM which works seamlessly with other customer tool sets via API will continue to gain popularity. Some of the software giants have updated their tools to work with a DAM through the use of their own suite of applications. Why would users not want to interface with the software tools they normally work with if it can work seemlessly with a DAM?
  10. Organizations will need to change (evolve and scale) in order to manage and deliver increasing more data and digital assets than ever before. Some such as book stores, internet companies and mobile phone companies will likely merge with others. Which ones do not exist anymore or are slated to merge with others? More organizations will collapse or be forced to merge in 2012. A properly implemented DAM can help with that transition as well.
  11. Clarification and knowledge about metadata (what it is and how to use it) will continue to spread as people and organization realize they need it more than ever (even though they have been using it for years elsewhere). Still, few will want to create it themselves. More organizations are realizing the need for tagging if they want to find something again. A few vendors offer to tag for the client. Metadata is still an over-used word and few know how to use it correctly with set purposes for the long term beyond one project.

I wrote these as a DAM user and admin who is active in the DAM Community.  A fair amount of these predictions became reality.

As far as 2012 is concerned, here is what I predict:

  1. More organizations will get involved in using Digital Asset Management.
  2. More people will focus on the organization’s management of their assets and content if they do not want to drown in it.
  3. More consolidation will occur across most markets and industries.
  4. As knowledge, information and data becomes cheaper and more available, our attention will be become more expensive and more burdened.
  5. Filtering and searching will be key to finding what we need or want.
  6. Filter failure will be more obvious when it occurs.
  7. Good metadata will play a role and the value will be continue to grow.
  8. More  decisions will be based on data (just as the more successful organizations do already). It will be a matter of collecting, filtering and deciphering the data available.
  9. Captain Obvious will also tell you cloud computing will continue grow…as the flaws of latency and security get diminished by the overall value.
  10. Patience will continue to decline as expectations will continue to rise.

Happy New Year.