Getting the right content to the right people at the right time is tough, especially when you need to meet the unique needs of audiences and teams spread across the globe. You must create compelling, on-brand content with consistent messaging, but also flex to accommodate different language, regional, and cultural demands. The scale alone can send you into complete and utter panic mode.

At Widen, we love sharing and learning from our customers’ success stories. That’s why we sat down with Alberto Orihuela, digital media specialist and digital asset management admin for Zeiss Microscopy. Alberto shared how he and the Zeiss team overcame their greatest content management challenge. Here is what he had to say!

First off, if you’re researching digital asset management (DAM) for the first time, welcome to the world of DAM puns. You’ll have plenty of DAM meetings, DAM calls, and DAM work to do.

You’ve likely heard that DAM provides benefits like increased brand control, improved productivity when finding and sharing content, and an accelerated time to market. But is that just marketing speak? If not, how do you make that a reality for your organization?

While DAM software is critical to providing the organization and structure, how it’s set up and maintained is just as critical — if not more.

Call it what you will, a site audit, an assessment, a snapshot, an overview. Any way you look at it, you need to know the current state of your DAM system before you can get it where it needs to go. And while the path might not always look the same, there are four important stops everyone should plan to make along the way.

Why should I bother with a DAM site audit anyway?

DAM sites can get cluttered or messy quickly when there’s a lot going on. Files get buried, users have to scroll through countless assets before finding what they need, off-brand assets are mistakenly used, unused assets increase storage costs, and the list goes on and on. A site audit can help you make informed decisions before implementing any changes to your system and can also help identify opportunities to get your site back on track and ready to hit the road.

Technology is the future, right? Sure, technology tools are amazing! They help you achieve more than you could on your own. They keep you organized, save time, and keep your business competitive. But what about the people behind the tools?