Untangle Digital Asset and Product SKU Chaos by Mastering DAM and PIM Synergy

Marketing and sales teams struggling with increasingly disorganized digital assets and outdated product information are eager for change. Especially as assets and product SKUs scale over time, more and more hours get sucked away tracking down scattered files, images, product details, and other crucial documents needed for these teams do their jobs. The inefficiencies drain productivity and increase the risk of errors, leading to brand embarrassment (especially when sharing assets with external partners, like marketing agencies or retailers).

Combining digital asset management (DAM) with product information management (PIM) is an increasingly popular strategy. While both workflows have been around for many years, purposely combining the two is a newer approach, and one that—when executed correctly—boosts efficiency and reduces errors across teams.

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A structured approach to change works best; here are five things to know when combining DAM and PIM.

1) Assign a single accountable individual to shepherd the project.

Not coincidentally, trouble-free DAM/PIM modernization requires careful organization and seamless communication. Businesses that assign a single point person to lead the implementation have the easiest time with it and complete their transitions more quickly. That person can be anyone from the CEO to just about anyone from a marketing or sales team. What’s important is that they’re committed and singularly responsible for seeing the project through.

By contrast, organizations that fail to assign clear project leadership or practice leadership by committee often allow responsibilities to fall through the cracks. Communications bog down if multiple individuals each expect the other to handle a response. Frustration, lost time, and increased expenses follow rudderless DAM/PIM modernization leadership and its inevitable slowdowns. With a single point person overseeing the project—ensuring that meetings are productive and all issues, milestones and brand goals are met—progress will flow quickly.

2) Set clear goals.

Closely defining brand goals and specific functionality makes DAM/PIM projects that much more successful. Simply put: you have to know where you’re going to end up in order to get there. Begin by clearly stating the project’s goals. Decide on what digital assets and product information your system will store, and if it will serve as a single source of truth. You must also decide if your approach will support only internal users or if it will offer access to external users (partners) as well, and what access protections will be in place.

3) Make your timeline urgent and achievable.

Most organizations launch a DAM/PIM modernization initiative with energy and optimism, claiming “as soon as possible!” as their timeframe for completion. But they also tend to let that enthusiasm slip and often end up placing these projects on the back burner of their priorities, where months can pass before modernization benefits become available. Those that impose their own aggressive (yet realistic) deadlines—and are strict in adhering to them—do best at avoiding this common pitfall of DAM/PIM transformation.

4) Recognize the hard work as an investment.

Implementing DAM/PIM modernization takes some heavy lifting, including the spring cleaning to organize countless files from across your organization and format and tag them for ongoing instant access. It’s a classic case of “this might get harder before it gets (a lot) easier.” Taking on this challenge with the mindset that each bit of hard work eliminates inefficiencies that employees would have otherwise faced in the future will help your organization power through.

5) Make the extra effort on PIM data governance.

Centralizing product information is often its own special challenge. It’s rare for organizations to have all the many product details they want in their PIM system well-organized at the beginning of an implementation project. Collecting that information early and applying data governance to keep it secure and available will require specific attention—but also be well worth it in the long-term.

Embrace the change

By putting these best practices for combining DAM and PIM into practice, teams can transform their digital asset and product information management from a chaotic scramble into a more streamlined, efficient process that’s set up for the long haul.