Do I Need a DAM and CMS?

The modern business landscape has been made more accessible with many tech innovations, but this has also spurred companies and brands to up their game to remain competitive. Of course, adding a digital asset management (DAM) solution to your brand does help tremendously in terms of workflow and aid, but with so many products, services, and other solutions on the market, the question is - which one?

Join us in this holistic guide as we explore and compare the benefits of digital asset management vs content management systems. We will fully define each solution and how it relates to your brand, as well as the practical uses the proper solution can have on the working efficiency of your business.

Why Do I Need a DAM?

Digital Asset Management (DAM) is a centralized hub of creative storage that is intuitive and easy to access. Digital asset management companies have created this solution to streamline the effectiveness of your internal staff, vendors, partners, and stakeholders.

Your business must constantly work with many day-to-day tasks, projects, "quick wins," and process enhancements, so remaining organized is essential. The divisions in your organization may have fragmented and siloed access to different types of digital assets, including images, videos, audio files, documents, instruction manuals, etc.

In short, a DAM is extremely useful for ensuring that brand-approved assets are stored correctly and easily accessible to everyone for quick retrieval. Team productivity increases when a practical solution is implemented so everyone is on the same page regarding accuracy, speed, and context surrounding digital assets.

What Does a Digital Asset Management Company Do?

Digital asset management is a methodology and organizational practice that aims to synergize the efforts of your workforce around creative assets between key players. This can mean connecting marketing, sales, distribution, compliance, engineering, manufacturing, and design teams to create a cohesive unit communicating what they need from each process point.

Digital asset management companies play a crucial role in making this happen by creating digital asset management software. Here are some DAM system examples of core functions that every solution should offer your business:

Centralized Management:

• Digital Asset Management Companies provide solutions that enable organizations to centralize their digital assets' storage and organization. The approach promotes unity, which makes storage a breeze.

Cross-Departmental Sharing:

• The solutions provided by DAM companies are designed to be shared across multiple departments within a business. This cross-departmental accessibility avoids silos by fostering communication and collaboration between everyone involved - including external interests such as agencies, channel partners, vendors, and other stakeholders throughout the supply chain.

Streamlined Workflow:

• The software solutions provided by DAM companies contribute to simplifying workflow operations linked to digital assets. This can include features that automate updates, which instill confidence that assets are always current, especially in digital experiences like websites or product catalogs.

Ownership and Governance:

• Within these DAM systems, brands can verify ownership and governance structures. Typically, the marketing department takes ownership, creating taxonomies for content categorization and confirming that only approved brand content is available with the correct restrictions.

Why Do I Need a CMS?

A Content Management System (CMS) is a compelling solution that has been the traditional go-to for managing content within a company, primarily website content. The best content management system simplifies updating this content, making it easier for marketing teams to make effective changes based on data-driven decisions without needing extensive technical resources.

The features of CMS can differ, especially when considering the outlay of your website. For example, if the website's front end is custom-built, you may need a traditional or headless CMS to handle the changes. CMS systems are beneficial and valuable but must be configured and tailored to address specific use cases within your business.

Do I Need a DAM and CMS?

As you read through this guide, you may ask yourself the million-dollar question, "Do I really need a DAM and a CMS system?" The short answer is yes - but also no! This hinges on how you and your team are crafting digital experiences. A DAM and a CMS might require a strategic marriage when a headless CMS is used.

Lumavate has embraced a comprehensive Digital Experience Platform (DXP) equipped with built-in functionality - eliminating the need for a separate integration with a third-party CMS.

Here are some critical distinctions between DAM vs CMS functionalities:

Fundamental Functionality

• DAM: Primarily focuses on the storage, organization, retrieval, and distribution of digital assets such as images, videos, documents, and audio files.

• CMS: Centralizes content creation, publishing, and management, primarily for website content. Manages text, multimedia, and other web-related content.

Particular Types of Content

• DAM: Specialized in handling various digital assets, assuring their accessibility and usability across different channels.

• CMS: Primarily designed for textual and multimedia content used on websites or other online platforms.

Specific Use Cases:

• DAM: Ideal for businesses heavily reliant on digital assets, including marketing strategists and creative agencies, but is helpful for all brands with a strong need for product presence, such as manufacturing.

• CMS: Needs to be tailored and customized for organizations managing website content and easing content creation and updates.

Structuring your Content

• DAM: Employs metadata and tagging for efficient searchability, organization, and retrieval. Focuses on the storage and categorization of these files.

• CMS: Structures content hierarchically, focusing on web page elements, templates, and aesthetic design.

Share and Collaborate

• DAM: Encourages cooperation by providing a digital warehouse for assets. It allows controlled sharing with external partners and stakeholders.

• CMS: Promotes collaboration among team members for web content creation. External sharing may be limited.

Version Control and Workflow

• DAM: DAMs support complex asset creation, approval, and distribution workflows. Versioning ensures the tracking of changes.

• CMS: Manages content workflows for website updates. Version control may not be as robust as in a DAM solution.

Integrating Needed Systems

• DAM: Integrates with various systems and tools, including CMS, design software, and marketing platforms.

• CMS: We may integrate with some plugins and extensions for added functionalities. They are often used in conjunction with DAM for enhanced capabilities.

Your Accessibility Options

• DAM: Ensures assets are accessible across different platforms and channels, supporting omnichannel marketing.

• CMS: Focuses on delivering content specifically for the website or online platform it manages.

Ease of Maintenance

• DAM: Automatically performs regular upkeep to ensure metadata accuracy and system optimization.

• CMS: Involves regular updates for security, performance, and feature enhancements.

Budget and Cost Considerations

• DAM: Pricing may be influenced by storage capacity, user seats, and additional features. Lumavate publicly lists its pricing options and is 75 percent more cost-effective than other solutions.

• CMS: The pricing often depends on the scale of the website, additional features, and user licenses.

Lumavate: Your Comprehensive Digital Strategy

With the evolving pressure of global competition, businesses are always looking for ways to remain competitive by claiming all the advantages they can muster. It is vital to embrace the perfect solution that meets and exceeds your expectations.

Lumavate's unique combination of product information management, digital asset management, product experience management, and digital experience management into a wholesome DXP system combines all the functionalities of every digital solution you need into one centralized source of truth.

Take your first step towards greater synergy and efficiency by booking your personalized demo with Lumavate today. With features like expansive mobile messaging, form building, and the full scope of digital experience management, you can make more out of what you already have.