"DAM isn't a system...it's an Eco-system."

That comment made by Marjorie Cromb of TVO Toronto really sums up the DAM reality.

Back from the DAM briefing in Toronto last Friday. My presentation seemed to be well received though I was going quickly through the material.  I got asked a couple of excellent questions from the group as I wrapped things up (always a good sign…and being in the slot right after the first coffee break mid-morning definitely helps) and had the chance after to get into some really interesting discussions with others one on one.  

Overall, the session was intimate and informative group that featured speakers from a wide range of industries all challenged with managing and delivering diverse digital assets in a variety of medias to users… be it B2B, consumers, the public or parishioners.  

 

The day started with an outline of the day’s events by the conference chairperson; Linda Burman of LA Burman & Associates. Each subsequent presentation drilled deeper and deeper into the details of the process.  Bob Schaffel, Director, Content Services with IATA (Int’l Air Transport Assoc.) and a fellow ex-NY’er began with a talk on identifying the ROI opportunities and building a viable business case for pursuing a DAM implementation.  After Bob, there was an entertaining presentation from Jarrod Gingras of CMS Watch.  CMS Watch is basically a “Consumer Reports” of the DAM world. They offer independent reports on all of the players in the DAM space and outline in detail their respective strengths, weaknesses, features and support, etc.  His talk outlined some good basics on budgeting, how to vet through the different tools and vendors and offered sound advice like watching out for hidden costs on top of the tech build.

 

After the aforementioned coffee break it was my turn…my session went broadly over the Planning for DAM, Content Strategy, Resource Management and Operations, and creating a Metadata Strategy.   I touched on a lot of issues but the overarching theme was to understand the business needs, listen to the end users, understand the workflows, and collaborate on solutions.  Simple stuff, but it can get lost in the sauce of the tech build and the workplace group dynamics. 

After lunch, Lindsay Rosenberg gave an fascinating presentation on the city of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program, its roots, mandate and the challenges of how a non-technical, non-profit deals with the challenges of a DAM for their assets.  Following that, Roger Roy from Canada's House of Commons ave an overview on his world and the challenges of broadcasting, webcasting and podcasting thousands of hours of government content to the public.   

The afternoon continued with Jim Sippel from Willow Creek doing an overview of how the Mega-church installed a DAM solution to manage their assets and the multi media environments they support for the mega-congregation.  His presentation began with the question, “Can DAM be said in church?” and by the last slide of his powerpoint it was clear that the answer was YES.  

 

The day concluded with a panel with some of the days presenters.  They had a lively discussion and Q&A about the state of DAM, the workflows, business cultures and ROI challenges that are par for the course in a DAM implementation.

All in all it was a good trip, lots of good information, good people and good exchanges of information and ideas.  Next session is New York in June.