How to measure digital asset management return on investment

Digital asset management (DAM) is a process of organizing, storing, and distributing digital assets such as images, videos, and documents. In today's digital age, companies are increasingly reliant on digital assets to support their business operations and marketing efforts. As a result, many organizations are investing in DAM systems to better manage and utilize their digital assets. However, like any investment, it is important to measure the return on investment (ROI) of a DAM system to ensure it is providing value to the organization. In this blog post, we will discuss how to measure the ROI of a DAM system and provide examples to illustrate the process.

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Identify Specific Goals and Objectives of your DAM Investment

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To measure the ROI of a DAM system, it is essential to first identify the specific goals and objectives of the investment. There are a variety of reasons why an organization may choose to invest in a DAM system. For example, the goal of a DAM system may be to improve the efficiency of the creative process, reduce the time and cost of finding and using digital assets, or increase the number of assets that can be reused. By clearly identifying the goals and objectives of the investment, organizations can ensure they are measuring the right things and making informed decisions about their investment in a DAM system.

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Measure the Benefits and Costs Associated with the Investment

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Once the goals and objectives of the investment have been identified, the next step is to measure the benefits and costs associated with the investment. Benefits can include increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved asset utilization. For example, a DAM system can help to streamline the creative process by making it easier for team members to access and collaborate on digital assets. This can lead to increased productivity and faster time-to-market for new products or campaigns. Additionally, by making it easier to find and use digital assets, a DAM system can reduce the time and cost associated with searching for and retrieving assets. This can lead to significant cost savings for the organization.

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On the other hand, costs can include the cost of the DAM system, the cost of training and support, and the cost of ongoing maintenance and upgrades. It is important to consider these costs when evaluating the ROI of a DAM system to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs. Organizations should also consider the scalability of their DAM system and the ability to add more users or assets in the future as this will also impact the costs of the system.

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A Method for Calculating Return on Investment

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To measure the ROI of a DAM system, we can use the following formula:

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ROI=(Benefits - Costs) / Costs

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For example, let's say a company invested $50,000 in a DAM system and experienced the following benefits and costs:

• Increased productivity of the creative team resulting in $75,000 in savings
• Reduced time spent searching for assets resulting in $25,000 in savings
• $10,000 in ongoing maintenance and support costs

Using the formula above, we can calculate the ROI as follows:

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ROI=($75,000 + $25,000 - $10,000) / $50,000=1.4 or 140%

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This means that for every dollar invested in the DAM system, the company received a return of $1.40.

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An Alternative Approach to Calculating Return on Investment

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Another way to measure the ROI on DAM system is to calculate the cost per asset. You can find the cost per asset by dividing the total cost of the DAM system by the total number of assets stored. For example, if the cost of the DAM system is $50,000 and it stores 50,000 assets, the cost per asset is $1. This can be compared to the cost of creating or purchasing the same asset without the use of the DAM system.

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In conclusion, measuring the ROI of a DAM system requires identifying the specific goals and objectives of the investment, measuring the benefits and costs associated with the investment, and using a formula to calculate the ROI. By using these methods and examples, businesses can make informed decisions about their investments in DAM systems and ensure they are getting the maximum return on their investment.

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If you would like to learn more about how we use predictive metadata in the HIVO platform, please get in touch and our team would be happy to provide you with a demo.