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How to Measure the Impact of DAM on Your ROI

A digital asset management system is a valuable investment for any organization looking to improve its tech-oriented marketing and sales efforts. But how do you know whether or not the investment is worth it? And more importantly, how do you justify the expense to your boss or board of directors?

In this article, we’ll discuss how to measure and calculate DAM ROI. By understanding the comprehensive value of a digital asset management system, you’ll have a better chance of convincing major stakeholders in your company to get on board. We even provide a step-by-step guide on how to create a winning business case for DAM!

Why Should You Use a DAM?

Streamline Processes

Consider the tasks that eat up precious time for your marketing team each year. How much time is spent gathering assets? How many hours are wasted getting access or rights to the latest versions of documents? A digital asset management system can automate these processes across different channels. Easy sharing capability and user-friendly UX save your team countless hours (and headaches).

Reduce Campaign Costs

With a quality DAM system, you can centralize your digital content brand assets and eliminate the need for multiple licenses on videos, digital media, and intellectual property across different software platforms. You can also avoid costly printing mistakes by storing digital proofs of your creative collateral.

Accelerate Time To Market

By automating processes and having all your assets in one centralized place, your marketing and sales teams function at maximum efficiency. Removing barriers means companies can get products and campaigns to customers faster.

Brand Consistency

How many times has one of your marketing reps accidentally used an outdated version of a logo image or file? A DAM solution helps ensure that all team members are using the most current versions of digital assets, so your branding will be consistent across all channels.

How to Calculate DAM ROI

Realistically, key decision-makers in your company may not understand the day-to-day of marketing and creatives, so they’ll want to see the numbers.

There are two main methods for calculating digital asset management ROI:

The Cost Savings Method

This method calculates the ROI of DAM by looking at the cost savings generated by the system. To calculate ROI using this method, gather data on:

The cost of storing and managing digital assets without a digital asset management system. This may include the cost of storing digital assets on physical media, the cost of manually cataloging and searching for digital assets, and the cost of lost or damaged digital assets.
The number of full-time employees required to store and manage digital assets without a digital asset management system. This includes the salary and benefits costs for these employees.
The cost of storing and managing digital assets with a digital asset management system.
Money spent on the digital asset management system itself.

With this data, you can calculate digital asset management ROI using the following formula:

(Cost of storing and managing digital assets without a digital asset management system) – (Cost of storing and managing digital assets with a digital asset management system) / (Cost of digital asset management system) = Digital Asset Management ROI

The Incremental Revenue Method

This method calculates DAM ROI by looking at the incremental revenue generated by the system. To use this method, gather the following data points:

The revenue generated by campaigns that used digital assets managed by a digital asset management system. Be sure to include all digital assets in this calculation, including those from before the digital asset management system implementation.
The revenue generated by campaigns that did not use digital assets from within a digital asset management system.
The cost of the digital asset management system.

Next, you can calculate DAM ROI using the following formula:

ROI = (Revenue from campaigns using digital asset management system – Cost of digital asset management system) – (Revenue from campaigns not using digital asset management system) / (Cost of digital asset management system)

Being able to put a number on DAM ROI for your company is critical for creating a business case. Don’t have time to work through these formulas?

Measure DAM ROI and build your business case faster using OpenAsset’s ROI Calculator!

To determine how long it currently takes your team to search for assets, you can use the following simple equation.

Multiple the number of employees that will use the DAM to find assets by the minutes spent searching for assets every day. This quickly illustrates the value of streamlining and expediting searching and sharing assets at your organization.

What Contributes to a DAM’s ROI?

The return on investment (ROI) of a DAM system is influenced by several key factors that drive efficiency, enhance workflows, and create long-term value for organizations. Here’s a closer look at what contributes to a DAM’s ROI:

Time Savings

One of the most immediate benefits of a DAM is the time it saves employees. By providing a centralized and easily searchable repository, team members spend less time locating, accessing, or sharing digital assets. According to the State of AEC Marketing Report 2024, AEC marketers spend an average of 30% of their week managing content assets. A DAM system can drastically reduce this, allowing teams to focus on higher-value tasks.

Reduced Costs on Content Creation

By enabling teams to repurpose existing assets instead of creating new ones from scratch, a DAM helps cut down the costs associated with content production. The State of AEC Marketing Report 2024 highlights that 47% of firms face challenges in reusing content effectively, leading to unnecessary expenses. A DAM addresses this by making all approved assets readily available for reuse, eliminating redundancy, and reducing production overheads.

Better Utilization of Current Assets

A DAM ensures that the full potential of existing assets is realized. With metadata tagging and robust search capabilities, assets can be categorized and reused for multiple purposes. For example, a case study created for a proposal can be repurposed for a marketing campaign, extending its lifecycle and maximizing its ROI.

Improved Marketing Campaign Performance

Marketing campaigns thrive on timely access to on-brand, high-quality assets. DAM systems ensure that campaigns are launched with the right visuals, messaging, and materials. OpenAsset’s State of AEC Marketing Report found that firms with organized asset systems reported a 25% improvement in campaign efficiency.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes

Errors such as using outdated logos, unlicensed images, or incorrect materials can lead to reputational and financial risks. A DAM eliminates these mistakes by maintaining version control and ensuring that only approved assets are accessible. This mitigates risks and protects the organization from potential liabilities.

Operational Costs and Cost Efficiency

Beyond content creation, DAM systems drive cost efficiency by reducing redundant tools, eliminating storage waste, and integrating seamlessly with existing platforms. Firms using a DAM report fewer costs related to managing multiple repositories or manual workflows. Over time, these operational savings significantly contribute to the system’s ROI.

By addressing these areas, a DAM system saves time and contributes to measurable improvements in productivity, brand integrity, and risk management—further solidifying consistent ROI.

Maximizing ROI with Effective DAM Implementation

Implementing a DAM system is just the first step; its ROI potential is fully realized when it’s optimized for your organization’s unique needs. Here are key strategies to ensure you maximize the ROI of your DAM:

Align the DAM with Business Goals

Start by identifying the core business objectives your DAM will support—whether it’s reducing production costs, speeding up project timelines, or ensuring brand consistency. This alignment ensures the DAM delivers measurable value where it matters most.

Customize Metadata and Taxonomy

A well-structured metadata framework is critical for searchability and organization. Customize your metadata fields and taxonomy to reflect how your teams work and categorize assets. This reduces search time and ensures assets are easy to find and use.

Integrate with Existing Tools

To enhance efficiency, integrate your DAM with other systems like CRMs, project management tools, and content creation platforms. Seamless integrations minimize disruptions to existing workflows and allow users to access assets directly within their preferred tools.

Provide Comprehensive Training

Even the best DAM will underperform if users aren’t equipped to utilize it effectively. Invest in training sessions to familiarize your teams with its features, best practices, and integrations. Regular training ensures consistent adoption and maximizes the system’s potential.

Monitor Usage and Gather Feedback

Use the reporting tools within your DAM to track metrics like user activity, asset downloads, and search trends. This data shows how the DAM is used and identifies opportunities for improvement. Regular feedback from users also helps refine workflows and system configurations.

Scale with Organizational Growth

As your organization grows, so will your asset library and user base. Regularly review and update your DAM’s capacity, taxonomy, and integrations to ensure it continues to meet evolving needs.

Showcase Wins to Demonstrate Value

Quantify and communicate the time and cost savings achieved through the DAM. Sharing metrics—such as a 30% reduction in asset retrieval time or improved campaign performance—reinforces the system’s value and encourages continued investment in its optimization.

By focusing on these strategies, organizations can unlock the full potential of their DAM, driving efficiency, collaboration, and cost savings for years to come.

Maximize ROI with DAM Integration

Integrating your DAM with other tools in your tech stack is a powerful way to enhance its impact and unlock even greater ROI. By streamlining workflows and reducing the need for manual processes, DAM integration ensures your organization gets the most out of its investment.

Connect with Project Management Tools

Linking your DAM to project management platforms like Procore, Asana, or Trello allows teams to easily access and share assets directly within project workflows. This reduces time spent switching between platforms and ensures everyone works with the most up-to-date materials.

Integrate with CRM and Proposal Software

Integrating a DAM with tools like Salesforce or Deltek Vision ensures assets like case studies, project photos, and marketing collateral are readily available for client interactions, proposals, and business development. This speeds up the process of crafting compelling pitches and responding to RFPs.

Sync with Marketing Automation Platforms

Pairing your DAM with platforms like HubSpot, Marketo, or Mailchimp ensures marketing teams can quickly access approved assets for campaigns, emails, and social media. This integration minimizes delays and enhances the consistency of marketing efforts.

Streamline Content Creation with Design Tools

Integrations with InDesign, Canva, or similar tools allow designers to pull assets directly from the DAM into their projects. This eliminates the need for manual uploads or asset hunting, enabling faster content creation and revision cycles.

Leverage APIs for Custom Workflows

For unique use cases, APIs can connect your DAM to proprietary systems or create customized workflows tailored to your organization’s processes. This ensures the DAM supports even the most specialized needs.

Consolidate Data and Insights

Integrating your DAM with analytics platforms provides valuable insights into how assets are performing across campaigns and channels. By analyzing this data, teams can make data-driven decisions to optimize asset use and improve ROI.

Improve Collaboration Across Teams

With integrations, teams across departments—from marketing to operations—can access the assets they need within their preferred tools. This reduces silos and ensures alignment across the organization.

By strategically integrating your DAM with key platforms, your organization can achieve faster workflows, higher-quality outputs, and better resource utilization, driving greater ROI from your DAM investment.

How to Create a Business Case for Digital Asset Management

Determine Digital Asset Management Goals

The first step in creating a DAM business case is determining what your organization’s goals are. What does your company want to achieve with digital asset management? Common goals include:

Central location for all digital files and information
Foster better collaboration and communication between departments
Accelerating time to market and closing deals faster
Increasing brand consistency across channels

Organize Your Data

With your organization’s goals in mind, it’s time to start collecting data. It’s best to gather both quantitative and qualitative data to create a strong business case. For example:

How many hours are spent each week searching for digital assets?
How many digital assets are reused each week?
How often are digital assets misplaced or lost on your website and at what additional costs?
What is the average cost of creating a digital asset?

Qualitative data comes from surveying everyone involved in your DAM process, from the creative team to the marketing department to the sales team. The objective here is to clearly articulate the biggest pain points in your current digital asset management process.

Show off your projected DAM ROI and explain how and why a cloud-based digital asset management solution is the answer to all of your problems! Learn more about building a DAM business case.

Unlocking ROI with Digital Asset Management

Because many main benefits of DAM like inspiring new ideas, fostering collaboration, and increasing the value of your tech solutions are hard to quantify, measuring digital asset management ROI can feel like a daunting challenge.

Let us take the mystery out of calculating DAM ROI so you can highlight how the DAM model can meet your unique needs and why it is a sound business investment. In this fast-changing industry, DAM is a flexible tool that offers real-time solutions. With the numbers on your side, you can turn your colleagues from DAM doubters to advocates.

Get started with our ROI Calculator today!