Digital asset administration templates are nice for file storage, group, workforce collaboration, and model management. Whether or not you’re working by your self or with a workforce, centralized belongings make it simple for everybody to search out what they want.
Listed here are the most effective templates for various instruments and use circumstances.
monday.com: A digital asset administration template with built-in workforce collaboration
monday.com is a superb venture administration system for small and mid-sized groups. The free plan comes with simply two seats, which is sufficient to strive it out however restricted in comparison with different suppliers.
To get essentially the most out of this DAM template, you’ll possible have to improve to a paid plan.
Extra on monday.com: monday.com Assessment | monday.com vs Jira | monday.com vs. Notion.
I like this template as a result of it centralizes your artistic belongings, making it simple for advertising and marketing and gross sales groups to rapidly discover what they want. You may as well retailer a number of variations of every file, so you possibly can swap between completely different variations of the identical file if it’s essential to.
Not solely does this assist maintain issues organized, it additionally ensures everybody on the workforce is utilizing the suitable recordsdata.
Nevertheless, the most effective half about monday.com is that you may handle the creation course of of latest belongings from the identical platform. You’ll be capable to tag workforce members whenever you want a brand new artistic, and you’ll handle the workflow utilizing activity dependencies, automations, and notifications.
The template makes it simple to type by file sort (like picture or video), class, proprietor, standing, or every other customized fields you resolve so as to add.
Regardless of being highly effective and versatile, this digital asset administration template is extremely simple to make use of. It takes only a few minutes to arrange and total feels very intuitive.
Wrike: A digital asset administration template for companies
Wrike is a strong venture administration system particularly for companies, freelancers, and service-based companies that deal with purchasers. It’s a extremely scalable resolution for managing belongings, requests, and model management throughout dozens and even lots of of purchasers.
There’s a beneficiant free plan that helps limitless customers and exterior collaborators. Nevertheless, you’ll have to improve for visitor approvals and third celebration integrations.
Extra on Wrike: Wrike Assessment | Wrike vs monday.com | Wrike vs. Smartsheet.
First, you’ll be capable to arrange completely different folders for your entire artistic belongings. You may create a folder for every shopper after which sub-folders for particular initiatives or you possibly can manage it nevertheless you’d like.
From there, Wrike permits you to customise dynamic consumption types. When a shopper wants one thing, they’ll fill out and also you’ll robotically get a activity assigned to the suitable individual.
Say you need a particular individual in your workforce to deal with video requests for a particular shopper. Possibly you additionally need another person to deal with branding parts like logos, colour schemes, and font decisions.
This setup makes it extremely simple with out lengthy e mail threads forwards and backwards.
And since Wrike is a venture administration system, you’ll be capable to monitor requests from begin to completion, set due dates, go away feedback, and tie every part collectively.
Knack: An no-code template for project-based belongings
Knack is a no-code app builder that’s a reasonably new participant on this area. It really works effectively in case you’re at present utilizing a spreadsheet to handle digital belongings, however you’re prepared for an improve or want a greater technique to keep organized.
Sadly, Knack doesn’t supply a free plan.
However you possibly can strive any plan with a 14-day trial. And in contrast to different suppliers, Knack doesn’t cost per consumer, making it extremely inexpensive at the same time as your workforce grows.
As a result of Knack is constructed utilizing databases, it’s extremely versatile. This template makes it simple to arrange belongings by venture, however you possibly can simply adapt it to arrange them nevertheless you’d like.
Nevertheless, organizing by venture is good as a result of every part’s simple to search out. Engaged on a particular venture? You already know precisely the place to go to see all the belongings out there, obtain the one you need to use, and get again to work.
This additionally means there’s no confusion when you have comparable belongings being utilized in other ways for various initiatives.
The template presents versioning, customized tagging, and seamless collaboration between groups. You may as well designate venture managers and customise admin controls — additional advancing the project-centric method.
My solely criticism is that Knack’s interface feels just a little clunky in comparison with different choices.
Airtable: A complicated template for managing a number of manufacturers and sub-brands
Airtable is a complicated database platform that’s extremely scalable, versatile, and highly effective. It really works equally to Knack, with databases being the inspiration of every part. Very similar to a spreadsheet, this method works very well for asset administration.
Plus, Airtable has a stable free plan with as much as 5 editors, 1,000 data per base, and 100 month-to-month automation runs.
That is greater than sufficient to check it out and smaller groups can keep on the free plan for some time.
Extra on Airtable: Airtable vs Asana | Airtable vs Smartsheet | Airtable vs. monday.com.
This template works effectively for bigger libraries and belongings with strict utilization pointers. Nevertheless, you possibly can simply take away, edit, or add fields to make it give you the results you want.
For those who’re a big media firm, for instance, you will have a dad or mum firm that owns a number of web sites, magazines, and different digital properties. This Airtable template makes it simple to maintain every part separate whereas imposing common model requirements throughout the board.
The setup additionally helps simplify issues when you have model managers or content material creators working throughout your whole portfolio of manufacturers.
It eliminates confusion and ensures they use the suitable recordsdata for the suitable initiatives.
With pre-configured tags, you’ll be capable to mark recordsdata for inside use solely, which is a pleasant function if you wish to guarantee some belongings aren’t out there to exterior customers.
The most important disadvantage of Airtable is its complexity. Whereas you can begin utilizing this template in a number of clicks, you’ll possible need to customise it. In spite of everything, that’s the true energy of Airtable. With the ability to customise and the truth that there are a dozen other ways to do every part could make getting began really feel like a trouble.
However when you’re up and working, it’s pretty simple for day after day use.
Stackby: A easy template for categorizing digital belongings
Stacbky seems to be and feels lots like Airtable as a result of it’s — it’s constructed on relational databases, making it excellent for managing digital belongings as effectively. Nevertheless, Stackby is newer and fewer developed, leading to a cheaper price.
It’s completely free for people and small groups with a number of limitations, however you’ll get lots additional on the free plan than you’d with Airtable.
General, it’s an awesome selection in case you don’t want Airtable’s superior options and need to save.
Stackby’s digital asset administration template is a superb stepping stone in case you’re at present utilizing a shared Google Workspace folder or Dropbox account to share recordsdata. It’s easy sufficient that it doesn’t really feel overwhelming but versatile sufficient to make sure you gained’t have to improve to one thing higher later.
Every asset has its personal title, file sort, subject, and related collaborators. You’ll additionally be capable to monitor standing, language, final up to date date, and extra.
Out of the field, it has nearly each subject you’ll want. However you possibly can simply add new ones, edit current ones, or take away these you don’t want. On prime of that, you possibly can type and group belongings nevertheless you’d like, whether or not that’s by standing, date, or file sort.
This template additionally comes with a database for monitoring initiatives. That is good as a result of it lets you tie belongings to initiatives.
Not solely will you be capable to monitor asset statuses, you’ll additionally be capable to see all belongings that belong to a specific venture in a single place. No extra looking out or digging via dozens of folders to search out what you want.
Stackby’s search function isn’t as superior as different platforms, nevertheless it’s there in case you do find yourself needing assist discovering one thing.
Softr: A customizable template optimized for the tip consumer
All of the instruments we’ve lined to date are extremely customizable however that may make for a complicated expertise for the tip consumer. In a whole lot of circumstances, they’ll be capable to transfer columns round, delete data, and probably make errors that would break the complete system.
Softr is completely different. It permits you to construct an interactive consumer interface on prime of your knowledge.
The top consumer can see and work along with your knowledge however they gained’t have entry to every part or be capable to change how your knowledge is structured.
It really works very well for customized CRMs, stock monitoring methods, venture administration purposes, digital asset administration instruments, and different sorts of enterprise apps in case you’re prepared to take the time to be taught it.
Softr has a free plan for one app and as much as ten customers. It’s greater than sufficient to get began with the template under and take it for a check drive.
As talked about, this template goes on prime of your current knowledge, so that you’ll have to have a database created with one of many instruments Softr integrates with (Airtable, Google Sheets, monday.com, and so on.).
From there, your workforce can use Softr so as to add new belongings, edit current belongings, obtain recordsdata, create new variations, and extra with out entry to your underlying knowledge. This provides you full management and suppleness over how your customers view and work together along with your belongings.
You’ll get modular entry controls, too. This may be helpful for managers vs workers, purchasers vs inside customers, freelancers, and even individuals who work on one or two initiatives at a time.
The template is a superb place to begin however is extremely customizable, letting you create nearly any sort of workflow you’d like.
The most important draw back? It’s laborious to be taught and it may possibly take a very long time to get every part arrange.
Are you able to handle digital belongings with Excel, Phrase, or a PDF file?
It might work okay at first however I don’t advocate it long-term. Particularly in case you’re working with a workforce. You gained’t get any collaborative options nor will you truly be capable to retailer something.
At finest, you’ll be capable to add a hyperlink to the asset, however you’ll should retailer it some place else. This gained’t actually work for model management, approval flows, or something like that. It’s actually extra of an inventory of belongings, which presents no extra advantages vs utilizing a folder in Google Drive or Dropbox.
Moderately than a spreadsheet that gained’t work, I made a decision to incorporate a template that’ll enable you resolve in case you want a full digital asset administration system.
In lower than 5 minutes, you’ll know in case you want a full system. All you must do is reply every query with a sure or a no. It robotically provides up your rating.
However the calculations aren’t so simple as “every sure reply equals 5 factors”. It’s weighted primarily based on significance and the worth {that a} full system will deliver in numerous conditions. For instance, having a delegated funds is necessary, however not as necessary as needing model management.
For those who rating over 25 factors, there’s probability a DAM resolution will add a whole lot of worth and assist streamline asset administration.
What’s the distinction between a digital asset administration template and DAM software program?
Digital asset administration templates work with varied sorts of instruments you might already be utilizing, like venture administration software program, on-line collaboration options, relational database platforms, and enterprise app builders.
Digital asset administration software program, however, exists solely for managing belongings.
In different phrases, templates make different sorts of instruments work — devoted software program has each bell and whistle you may ever want, like inside storage, metadata monitoring, and different superior options.
Most companies get by simply positive utilizing a template, particularly in case you’re simply beginning to care about having extra visibility into your belongings.
That is usually truly most popular as a result of it’s simpler to combine into your current processes and workflows.
Bigger companies or these managing lots of or 1000’s of belongings with granular permission necessities and model management will possible want (and have the funds for) devoted software program as a substitute.
The best way to manage your digital belongings
Whether or not you’re utilizing a template or full-blown software program, you need to be capable to add tags, classes, and different info to every asset so it’s simple to search out what you want.
Some groups choose organizing by venture, others could have separate classes for model belongings, social media content material, and featured photographs for weblog posts. Businesses could choose organizing by shopper and having sub folders nested inside.
Most templates and devoted instruments allow you to add customized fields to maintain monitor of no matter info you want. This might embrace issues like:
- File sort.
- Subject.
- Standing.
- Mission.
- Date uploaded.
- Date final edited.
- Homeowners or collaborators.
- Model.
- Consumer.
- Utilization rights.
- Crew or division.
- Model quantity.
- Key phrases or tags.
The extra info you retain monitor of, the longer it takes so as to add new belongings. Nevertheless, extra granular particulars makes it simpler for everybody to search out what they want.
As you possibly can see, there are a whole lot of choices — you will have to strive a number of to see what works finest.