3 Ways to Make Digital Asset Integrations Easier

What are three ways to make digital asset integrations easier? It's not easy as digital assets are increasing at such a rapid pace that organizations struggle to contain them, let alone optimize them. What are digital assets? The list keeps expanding, but common examples include videos, images, product descriptions, Excel files, audio files, and more. As the world becomes more omnichannel, selling and working across different environments, the need for digital assets increases.

The big challenge is how to integrate all those digital assets so they are easily available and work together with different connectors and key platforms. Ultimately, they should be optimized to deliver a unified customer experience. You need to think about the people, the processes, and the technology that enable this to happen. There are a lot of moving parts when thinking about digital asset integrations.

What Makes Integrations Challenging?

Integrations are two or more systems exchanging files or media. There are different types of digital asset management (DAM) integrations that are typically used for different platforms; Push Assets (for product images to e-commerce channels or syndication systems), Pull Metadata (product information or ERP), Pull Asset (workflow tools or packaging systems), and Push Metadata (example).

Now imagine this at scale for large enterprises. It gets messy, fast. Add in the need for custom integrations, long project timelines, requirement changes, and data mismatch between systems, and you can easily understand why there needs to be an easier way to integrate digital assets.

How to make digital asset integrations easier?

Data governance

Establishing data governance best practices is essential for any organization. Especially as it relates to security, compliance, and breaking down data silos that impact growth and scalability.

Start by developing centralized control of common vocabulary and standards-based definitions of assets and related entities. For example, what you call your own product in the DAM may not be the same in product information management (PIM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Why? Typically marketing terminology may be used in a PIM, and manufacturing terminology may be used in ERP systems. Standardizing the definitions brings consistency to your data across your entire stack and enables streamlined processes.

Architecture options

Identify the type of architecture you will need to meet integration objectives. With custom integrations, the cost and complexity typically increase. Depending on your time frame, budget, and skill sets, you can determine what solution will work best for you.

Do you need custom, vendor-provided point-point solutions or do you prefer to work with Middleware or no-code or low-code solutions? There are advantages and disadvantages to each option. Understanding your options and what they mean for the entire lifecycle of the project and your overall objectives is important.

Expertise

There is no shortage of information and best practices when it comes to software solutions and integrations. The industry is constantly evolving and with new technologies comes new challenges and solutions.

However, when looking for a partner to help with DAM integrations, make sure to choose an expert or professional who has the experience, not just knowledge, integrating solutions like yours. The right expertise can mean the difference between a seamless and frictionless process or one that is disjointed and unsuccessful.

Even if you have in-house expertise on DAM or DAM integrations, leverage the insights and best practices from your software vendor, integration partner, or their services.

Each organization is unique and the solutions for today need to scale to solve future needs as well. Invest in the right solutions and build the supporting processes to scale to make digital asset integrations easier.

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