In the world of architecture, engineering, and construction, businesses are constantly creating a huge number of digital assets, ranging from images and videos to resumes and proposals. Managing these assets efficiently is crucial for maintaining brand consistency, enhancing collaboration, and streamlining workflows. One popular comparison in the digital asset management (DAM) arena is OpenAsset vs. Frontify. In this comparison blog, we’ll dive deep into the features and capabilities of both platforms to help you determine which solution best suits your unique needs.
What is OpenAsset?
OpenAsset is a powerful digital asset management solution tailored specifically to the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. It’s designed to streamline the management of visual content such as photos, videos, and graphics which are crucial for these industries. OpenAsset focuses on providing an organized platform for teams to store, search, and share their visual assets efficiently.
What is Frontify?
Frontify, on the other hand, is a versatile brand management platform that emphasizes capabilities in brand guidelines, design collaboration, and user-friendly interfaces. It’s primarily aimed at agencies that need tools to manage not only visual assets but also their brand ecosystem.
Frontify vs. OpenAsset: Top Industries
OpenAsset primarily targets architectural firms, construction companies, and engineering teams. It’s tailored to their specific needs for managing visual assets related to projects, proposals, and client presentations. Frontify, however, serves a range of industries, including marketing agencies, hr teams, developers, and designers.
Asset Management Capabilities
While every feature is important to examine, file storage and management are a top concern as you navigate your DAM options. OpenAsset specializes in organizing and categorizing visual assets, making it an ideal solution for AEC professionals. Top features include AI search, advanced tagging, metadata management, and project-specific asset organization.
Frontify excels in helping creatives navigate their brand management tools. Its strength lies in combining asset management with brand guidelines, and collaborative design spaces. This broader approach is best for businesses, like creative agencies, that require cohesive brand management across various departments.
User-Friendly Interface and Accessibility
OpenAsset offers an intuitive dashboard designed with AEC professionals. It emphasizes ease of use for architects, engineers, and project managers as they build resumes, create proposals, and source copyright images in one single source of truth. Additionally, OpenAsset now offers the generative AI tool, “Content Assist” to speed up project and proposal creation as an opt-in feature.
Frontify takes a more general approach to its user dashboard. It’s most suitable for teams that need to create and share creative assets and designs. It prioritizes its “brand portal” navigation, making it accessible for marketing, design, and communication teams as they collaborate on designs.
Search Features
OpenAsset provides in-depth search capabilities with advanced filters and tagging options, ensuring that AEC professionals can quickly locate the specific assets they need for their projects.
Frontify also offers powerful search features but extends them to encompass brand assets and guidelines. This can be particularly valuable for organizations aiming to maintain consistent branding across various campaigns and projects.
Collaboration and Review
OpenAsset places a strong emphasis on collaboration within AEC project teams. It provides tools for sharing assets within a project context, making it easier for teams to collaborate on design decisions and presentations.
Frontify excels in collaborative design spaces, enabling teams to work together on creative projects. This feature is beneficial for marketing and design teams that require real-time collaboration on assets such as marketing materials, websites, and campaigns.
Scalability and Customization
OpenAsset’s specialization in the AEC sector means it offers tailored features for project-specific asset management. However, its customization options might be limited compared to more flexible platforms.
Frontify’s versatility extends to its scalability and customization options. It can adapt to the needs of different industries and organizations, offering greater flexibility for creating workflows and brand guidelines.
Integration Capabilities
OpenAsset offers integrations with commonly used AEC software, enhancing its utility within the industry. These integrations might be essential for professionals who require seamless connections between project management and asset management tools.
Frontify’s integration capabilities extend beyond asset management, integrating with tools that cover a broader range of business needs, such as design collaboration, project management, and more.
The best DAM systems must provide integration capabilities for your most-used technologies, content management systems, and more. Here’s what each DAM is known for when it comes to its main integrations.
OpenAsset Integrations
OpenAsset provides users with a comprehensive suite of useful tools, including project-based ERP & CRM, construction project management, and document creation platforms.
Top AEC Integrations Include:
- Procore
- AEC 360
- Deltek Vision
- Deltek Vantagepoint
- Affinity
- Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel
- Okta
- Salesforce
- Unanet/ Cosential CRM
- Templafy
- InDesign
Frontify Integrations
Brandfolder offers users a number of intuitive and useful integrations that make it easier for creatives, specifically, to design and modify their images.
Useful Integrations Include:
- Adobe
- Canva
- Drupal
- Figma
- SharePoint
- Storybook
- Templafy
- Wrike
Document Creation Tools
When considering digital asset management solutions, it’s important to evaluate document creation capabilities. Not only can this feature significantly impact your team’s efficiency and workflow, but it can determine whether you can minimize or eliminate the use of other, duplicate tools. Both OpenAsset and Frontify offer document creation tools, but they differ greatly in their approach and focus.
OpenAsset’s Document Creation Tools
OpenAsset’s document creation tools are built for the needs of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. These tools streamline the process of creating project presentations, proposals, and reports by seamlessly integrating visual assets into documents. AEC professionals can leverage these tools to enhance their client presentations and project documentation. Here’s how OpenAsset’s document creation tools stand out:
- Efficient Integration: OpenAsset’s document creation tools, like InDesign, integrate directly with the digital asset management system, allowing users to easily access images, diagrams, and videos from their asset library. This integration eliminates the need to search for and download assets separately, saving time and ensuring consistency.
- Customizable Templates: OpenAsset offers a range of customizable templates that are tailored to AEC industry standards. These templates provide a starting point for creating professional and visually appealing documents. Users can add their project-specific information, text, and images to these templates, maintaining brand consistency and improving the overall presentation quality.
- Version Control: Collaborative projects often require multiple iterations of documents. OpenAsset’s version control ensures that teams are working with the latest version of documents and visual assets. This is particularly important in industries where accuracy and precision are paramount.
- Seamless Collaboration: OpenAsset’s document creation tools enable teams to collaborate on document creation. Multiple team members can work on a document simultaneously, ensuring efficient input and review processes. This feature is especially valuable for project managers and teams working on complex construction projects.
Frontify’s Document Creation Tools
Frontify’s document creation capabilities are limited to common digital, print, and video needs. Its primary focus is on brand management and design and offers limited tools designed specifically for creating documents. Here’s an overview of Frontify’s document creation tools:
- Design Collaboration: Frontify’s platform emphasizes collaborative design spaces, allowing teams to work together on creative projects.
- Brand Consistency: Frontify places a strong emphasis on maintaining brand consistency across all materials. When using its document creation tools, teams can ensure that branding elements, colors, fonts, and imagery align with established brand guidelines. This is particularly crucial for organizations that require cohesive brand representation in their documents.
- Accessibility: Frontify’s user-friendly interface extends to its document creation tools, making it easy for various teams, including non-designers, to create visually appealing documents. This can be useful for marketing teams who need to generate materials without design expertise.
Frontify vs. OpenAsset Document Creation Comparison
When comparing OpenAsset and Frontify in terms of document creation, the decision largely depends on your organization’s specific needs. If you’re primarily in the AEC industry and require specialized document creation tools/integrations, OpenAsset is better suited for your team. On the other hand, if you’re looking for more of a general brand management platform, Frontify is a good fit.
Consider your industry, collaboration requirements, and the importance of brand consistency when evaluating document creation features. Ultimately, the goal is to select a solution that empowers your teams to create professional, engaging documents that reflect your organization’s brand identity and values.
Finding the Right DAM: Frontify vs. OpenAsset
In the OpenAsset vs. Frontify comparison, the choice ultimately depends on your industry, organizational requirements, and specific use cases. OpenAsset stands out for its specialized focus on the AEC sector and efficient asset management tailored to project-based workflows. On the other hand, Frontify offers a comprehensive brand management solution that encompasses asset management along with collaborative design spaces.
If you’re in the AEC industry and prioritize visual asset management, OpenAsset might be your go-to choice. Make your decision based on your unique needs and long-term business goals. And if you’re comparing OpenAsset to other DAMS like Bynder, Brandfolder, Canto, and more, check out our in-depth comparisons.
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