Assemble the Team
Likely the stage most correlated to the success or failure of the DAM program, defining and assigning core roles and responsibilities within the DAM program and throughout the DAM journey cannot be overlooked. This involves identifying, equipping, and potentially hiring, an internal team with whom the buck stops in regard to DAM.
This team must include the proper mixture of authority, neutrality, and expertise to navigate organizational politics well, implement effectively, and ensure long-term adoption of the system. Without these factors or a team like this more generally, any DAM-related projects will flounder, fall through the cracks, and eventually fail.
As with any vertical in an organization, outcomes are largely dependent on the capability and authority of the strategic leader driving the program; DAM is no exception.
Matt Shirley, DAM Strategist
Goals & Activities
- Assign ownership of the DAM program internally. Where does the buck stop when it comes to DAM?
- Staff and equip the DAM team with the proper expertise, authority, and neutrality.
- Evaluate the ability of your DAM team to execute every stage of the project and manage the DAM program in the long term.
Common Mistakes
- Not designating a single DAM authority within the organization, leads to groupthink and lack of clarity.
- Assigning stakeholders to high-priority, DAM-related tasks who lack the time or expertise to execute them properly.
- Failing to balance competing departmental goals or visions for the DAM platform within the ownership group.
The Team You Need
Tactical Execution
Launching, maintaining, and growing a DAM program requires the detail-oriented execution of tasks on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis, encompassing activities from asset migration to regular ingestion.
Governance & Management
DAM team members must understand the daily needs of the organization as well as its high-level strategy in order to ensure the success of the DAM workflows they help develop.
Strategic Leadership
To survive and thrive, DAM initiatives need effective leaders. These staff members define and shape the structure of the DAM program, oversee its rollout, and continuously identify opportunities to improve the program’s effectiveness.
