How we manage our digital content can be the difference between success and chaos. As a leader in the DAM space, we understand the challenges many AEC firms face in organizing, accessing, and sharing digital assets effectively.
Whether your goal is efficiently managing a growing library of digital content, ensuring brand consistency, or streamlining collaborative efforts across various departments, it’s clear that finding a robust solution is not just a necessity – it’s imperative for staying competitive and agile.
OpenAsset, specifically tailored for the AEC industry, offers unique advantages in handling digital assets. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the top 10 benefits of using OpenAsset, demonstrating how it can revolutionize your digital content management strategy, from ensuring easy access to assets to improving team collaboration.
By the end of this blog, you’ll understand how OpenAsset could be the game-changer your organization needs.
What Is OpenAsset?
OpenAsset is a digital asset management (DAM) system designed for firms in the architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate industries. It focuses on managing and organizing a wide range of digital content such as images, videos, and documents.
OpenAsset stands out for its project-based approach to asset organization, allowing users to easily link and categorize digital assets with specific projects, making it particularly useful for firms that manage numerous projects simultaneously.
This feature streamlines the process of storing, retrieving, and sharing project-related visual content, which is essential in these industries for project proposals, marketing, and internal documentation.
Why Do You Need a DAM System?
A DAM system, like OpenAsset, is necessary in today’s digital-centric business environment. It helps organizations manage the vast volume of digital content created and used within the organization.
As firms produce and acquire an ever-increasing number of digital assets, including images, videos, documents, and other media files, finding an efficient way to store, organize, and retrieve these assets becomes necessary.
DAM systems offer a centralized repository with advanced search functionalities, ensuring that the right assets are easily and quickly accessible. This organization is important not just for day-to-day operations but also for preventing asset duplication and ensuring that outdated materials are correctly used.
Top 10 Benefits of Using OpenAsset
So, why does your organization need OpenAsset?
What sets OpenAsset apart is its integration capabilities with other industry-specific software and tools, search capabilities, customizable templates for marketing materials, and comprehensive access control, ensuring that digital assets are easily accessible yet securely managed.
With these features, OpenAsset not only simplifies digital asset management but also supports collaborative work environments, making it a valuable tool for firms looking to manage their growing digital content libraries efficiently.
Let’s go into more detail as to why your firm needs a DAM solution like OpenAsset. Here are the top 10 benefits of using the leading DAM system for AEC firms:
1. Centralized Repository
Having a centralized repository means that all digital assets are stored in one place. With OpenAsset, your digital assets are stored in a secure, cloud-based location, so they’re available to anyone, at any time. This is particularly beneficial in today’s increasingly remote work environment. Whether working remotely or from the office, everyone can easily access the assets they need.
This accessibility is crucial for businesses needing to retrieve files quickly, especially in fast-paced environments. OpenAsset ensures that your digital assets are easily searchable and available for use across your team and your business. You can effortlessly search for your best digital assets to create winning proposals.
Centralization allows for more structured and organized storage of assets. It simplifies categorizing, tagging, and managing files, making it easier for users to find what they need. Moreover, OpenAsset instantly notifies you when uploading duplicate files and easily replaces files with updated versions.
2. Enhanced Organization and Accessibility
With OpenAsset’s well-organized system, finding specific digital assets becomes much quicker and easier. OpenAsset ensures that all of your digital assets are easily searchable and available for use across your team and your business. This streamlined process reduces the time employees spend searching for files, allowing them to focus on more productive tasks.
OpenAsset’s intuitive interface simplifies navigation and asset location, making it accessible for all skill levels. This ease of use can lead to quicker adoption and less time spent on training.
OpenAsset streamlines the search process by categorizing and tagging files with digital asset metadata, enabling quick and efficient retrieval. This ensures that assets are readily available and easily accessible as required.
Such a system removes the tedious process of manually searching through folders and drives, saving you significant time and effort.
3. Streamlined Workflows
You invest in your digital assets for a reason — they are the best way to showcase your projects, build your brand, and win more business. OpenAsset streamlines workflows and helps you create compelling documents and collateral efficiently.
OpenAsset simplifies the process of generating a large amount of marketing materials and proposal documents. Its user-friendliness ensures that anyone within your organization can effortlessly accomplish this task. This is done through:
- Branded templates: Create documents at scale with branded templates using InDesign, PowerPoint, and Word.
- Employee Resumes: Generate employee resumes within minutes with our Employee Module. Synchronize employee data from your CRM or ERP system to speed up the process.
- Marketing Collateral: Make sure your best digital assets are available and ready for use across your marketing channels and documents.
Moreover, OpenAsset streamlines various processes, such as uploading, tagging, and organizing digital assets. This automation reduces the time and effort required for manual handling, allowing staff to focus on more strategic tasks.
Streamlined workflows facilitate quicker completion of projects as teams can access and utilize digital assets more efficiently, reducing delays and improving overall productivity. Free up your time to concentrate on more advanced tasks through:
- AI-Powered Content Assist: Using Content Assist, powered by OpenAsset’s Generative AI, your users can leverage existing Project and Employee data to accelerate the creation of project descriptions and employee bios.
- Custom Image Specifications: Set image specifications for your most leveraged assets like social media images or email headers. Images are automatically created for all specs when uploaded.
- Drag and Drop: Save time by dragging and dropping images straight from your DAM into InDesign or PowerPoint.
- Eliminate Broken Links: OpenAsset makes using previously created documents simple by maintaining link integrity—no more searching for missing images.
4. Improved Collaboration
Marketing teams often collaborate with various internal departments or external stakeholders to generate content, working across different areas within an organization. That’s why OpenAsset also streamlines collaboration between internal and external stakeholders.
In OpenAsset, albums allow you to group selections of digital assets for you to share with colleagues both internally and externally.
Moreover, giving your team access to the right digital assets can increase collaboration and free up marketing resources. OpenAsset allows teams across different departments or geographical locations to access and work on the same digital assets simultaneously. This shared access ensures everyone is on the same page, fostering a cohesive work environment.
A cloud-based DAM system, like OpenAsset, enables users to simultaneously access and work on assets, share them, and conduct file reviews and approvals. This facilitates real-time collaboration, enhances productivity, and reduces the likelihood of version control problems.
With OpenAsset, multiple users can collaborate in real time. Whether editing, updating, or commenting on assets, team members can work together seamlessly, leading to more dynamic and productive teamwork.
Improved collaboration in OpenAsset helps in reducing misunderstandings or miscommunications. Teams can directly refer to specific assets within the system, making discussions more precise and goal-oriented. The platform can also streamline the feedback and approval process, enabling faster decision-making and reducing project bottlenecks.
5. Increased Brand Consistency
Brand consistency involves maintaining your core brand values, image, and messaging consistent across all platforms. Customers value when an organization has a consistent brand. In fact, more than two-thirds (68%) of organizations say brand consistency has contributed to revenue growths of 10% or more.
However, creating and upholding a consistent brand identity poses a significant challenge for organizations, particularly when employees interact with customers and the public through various media channels.
With OpenAsset, all digital brand assets adhere to consistent branding style guidelines, ensuring that every piece of content — from marketing materials to internal documents — reflects a unified brand message. This consistency reinforces brand identity across all platforms and touchpoints.
Additionally, consistent branding makes a business more recognizable to its audience. When customers see consistent imagery, colors, and logos, they are more likely to remember and trust the brand.
When customers recognize your brand, they’ll have trust in your brand. Remember, just one low-quality graphic or an outdated image appearing online or on documents can significantly lower one’s trust in a brand. So, why risk it when you have a solution like OpenAsset?
According to a survey, in the U.S., 46% of consumers say that they would pay more to purchase from brands they can trust. Consistency in branding builds credibility and trust among consumers. When a brand presents itself consistently, it’s perceived as more reliable and trustworthy.
Moreover, having a central hub for approved logos, fonts, templates, and other brand assets ensures that all stakeholders have easy access to the updated versions of assets, can stay on-brand, and decreases the risk of team members using outdated or unauthorized content that may not be aligned with the current brand message.
6. Effortless Distribution and Sharing
While standard cloud storage platforms can securely share content links, this approach is not always the best. There are scenarios where digital assets must be distributed to a wide audience or provided to certain individuals for a limited duration.
However, OpenAsset makes it easy to securely share your images and digital assets with the right people, at the right time. The platform makes it easy for organizations to manage who has access to what content, ensuring that external partners only see what they are meant to, thus maintaining security and confidentiality.
OpenAsset enables quick and easy sharing of digital assets within the organization and with external parties. With OpenAsset, you’ll have control over who can access digital assets internally and externally, and in doing so, strengthen your brand. This immediate distribution capability can significantly speed up workflows and project timelines.
OpenAsset allows you to share and keep track of digital assets by:
- Creating Albums: Share groups of assets with individuals, teams, or your entire organization.
- Downloading with Metadata: Send download links to collections of assets and control the metadata attached to the files.
- Monitoring Download Links: Stay up to date with who has downloaded files from links you’ve shared.
- Sharing Brand Collateral: Share your brand collateral with the people who need it, both internally and externally.
OpenAsset not only keeps distribution and sharing simple, but this in turn also increases productivity.
7. Strong Access Control and Security
When digital assets are spread across various storage locations, regulating access becomes challenging. Administrators have to assign, monitor, and often revoke access rights, a process that gets more complex if these assets are stored in systems with sensitive content.
Additionally, there might be a need to restrict access to prevent unauthorized downloading or editing of files. OpenAsset streamlines this process by offering a unified platform for controlling access privileges. This not only simplifies security but also ensures that individuals can access only the necessary files at the right time.
OpenAsset provides secure storage solutions for digital assets, safeguarding them from unauthorized access or cyber threats. This protection is crucial for sensitive or proprietary content.
The platform also allows for varying levels of user access based on specific needs and roles. For example, it enables the distribution of brand assets with read-only permissions, while reserving editing rights exclusively for administrators.
OpenAsset offers:
- Access Levels: Use Access Levels to highlight the most suitable files, such as those that are for promotional use or are copyright-compliant. Access Levels can also be used to archive assets or add restrictions to out-of-date files. This helps in maintaining operational control and ensuring that workflows are not disrupted by unauthorized access or actions.
- Control Access: Maintain control over which digital assets are searchable and can be accessed through the use of group permission. This not only secures sensitive information but also ensures that employees only access the assets relevant to their roles.
8. Easy Integration
AEC teams depend on a variety of platforms for their projects. From using images in InDesign to assembling a business proposal in PowerPoint, fast and effortless access to appropriate assets can accelerate their work.
OpenAsset integrates seamlessly with everyday tools and applications used by your organization, boosting productivity and preventing reliance on a single vendor.
The DAM platform is designed to integrate with a variety of software systems commonly used in businesses. This includes integration partnerships with the best tools in the built world, including project-based ERP and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Construction Project Management, and Document Creation platforms.
For AEC industries, OpenAsset offers popular integrations with project databases and other sector-specific tools, enabling users to connect project information with digital assets. OpenAsset integrates with tools you use across your business. By syncing with your ERP, CRM, or project systems, you can save time managing data and better connect your business.
These integrations mean less disruption to current workflows and the ability to leverage existing technology investments more effectively, which, in turn, boost productivity.
Integrating a DAM system with other elements of a company’s MarTech stack can lead to significant agility and efficiency. Moreover, the ease of this seamless integration fosters a collaborative workspace, enabling users to leverage the full potential of various platforms without any restrictions.
Moreover, the API (Application Programming Interface) provided by OpenAsset allows for custom integration and functionality. Businesses can develop custom solutions or integrations tailored to their specific needs and workflows.
9. Advanced AI Features
When rolling out an AI-enhanced DAM system, it’s crucial to clearly define its scope and goals. This ensures that the artificial intelligence (AI) functionality is customized to suit specific types of assets. The system should offer scalability, integrate smoothly with your existing setup, and give top priority to data security.
Incorporating AI into your tech stack can significantly streamline operations and enhance efficiency. At OpenAsset, we integrate AI to bring value, saving both time and resources in the management of your images.
The platform’s AI-driven DAM solution is specially designed for the built world, aimed at enhancing process efficiency and effectiveness. Integrating AI into your tech stack through our DAM system elevates the user experience and refines search functionality. OpenAsset leverages AI to optimize the management of your image assets, saving valuable time and resources.
OpenAsset not only enables you to find the files you’re looking for but also helps you discover other potential assets through AI. This is achieved through:
- AI Suggested Keywords: This feature provides both general and AEC-specific keyword suggestions for each image. It reduces the time it takes to manually tag images and helps AEC firms build and expand taxonomies.
- Image Similarity Search: OpenAsset uses AI to enhance search functionality by identifying similar features across your entire collection of images. This allows you to discover images that share similar characteristics, providing you with more options to choose from.
- Batch Editing: The ability to find images based on similar features makes batch editing simple. You can find and select groups of images and add relevant keywords across all of them at one time, saving you valuable time.
- AI Content Assist: Content Assist is designed to assist users in creating project descriptions and employee bios within OpenAsset.
10. Saved time and money
54% of U.S. office professionals report wasting time searching for much-needed files in cluttered online filing systems, found a report by Elastic. If a single source of truth for all content isn’t established, locating the correct version of an asset in the system can become a frustrating and time-consuming task.
The time wasted in searching for the right file version can lead to financial losses as projects get delayed. Implementing a DAM system equipped with metadata information, tags, and keywords simplifies the process of finding assets. This efficiency allows organizations to enhance their teams’ productivity, focusing more on producing impactful content rather than wasting time in its retrieval.
OpenAsset automates many routine tasks such as tagging, organizing, and resizing images. You save time by uploading multiple files and applying relevant project keywords and metadata in one workflow.
This automation frees up employees to focus on more complex, creative, or strategic tasks, thereby enhancing overall productivity. With efficient search and categorization features, employees spend less time searching for the right digital assets, leading to quicker completion of projects.
Moreover, with OpenAsset, the need for manual handling of digital assets is drastically lowered, leading to potential reductions in labor costs or the ability to reallocate staff to more valuable activities.
By streamlining asset management, businesses can cut down on the costs associated with disorganized digital asset storage, like duplicated efforts and inefficient use of storage space. To know how much your company could save by adopting DAM, we’ve made it easy with our ROI calculator.
Win More Business With OpenAsset
We hope this article explains why OpenAsset stands as a transformative tool in the world of digital asset management. By centralizing and streamlining content organization, enhancing accessibility, and ensuring efficient workflows, OpenAsset dramatically elevates operational efficiency.
OpenAsset is not just a tool but a strategic asset for businesses, integrating a suite of powerful and important DAM features that address a wide array of digital content management needs. Whether it’s through enhancing the ease of access to digital assets, ensuring brand integrity, or leveraging AI for smarter management, OpenAsset positions itself as a valuable leader in the digital content management space.
By choosing OpenAsset, businesses are not just organizing their digital assets; they are optimizing their entire creative workflow, thereby unlocking new levels of productivity and creative potential in the built world.
Ready to use your digital assets to grow your brand and business? Book a demo to learn more about how you can leverage a robust DAM tool, like OpenAsset.
