Digital Resource Management (below)

5. The goal of INSO is to develop a system that provides flexibility and compatibility. Their software is called MEDIABANK and serves pre-press companies, directory compilers, publishers and advertising companies. MEDIABANK is a workflow that works well. In this workflow, users can continue to use their customary words and procedures, but there will be more information for them to use.
In Canada, a large prepress company uses MEDIABANK software to make it easy for its customers to use files on their DATAVAST storage servers, including using an Internet browser to remotely retrieve the elements stored in the server. When a client needs to reside on a file on the server, the Internet server program block dynamically generates an HTML page that displays a thumbnail of each element. Customers can repeatedly use a material and even add new elements for new work.
Fourth, the construction of DAM investment and the use of DAM fees to build DAM infrastructure is a complex issue, and the huge investment. Investment in hardware and software costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. The establishment of a server that can be used on the Internet charges between 5,000 and 500,000 U.S. dollars, with an initial investment of about more than one million U.S. dollars.
The calculation of customer charges is still evolving. Most company billable service fees include maintenance, storage, and retrieval. The amount of the charge depends on the customer or the amount of data stored.
WAM! The base database charges the customer on the basis of gigabytes and receives the initial installation and maintenance fees for the storage resources. Each subsequent upload to the system or download from the system is only for a nominal fee.
An offset printing and platemaking plant designed a personalized solution for their customers. The customer's start-up cost is $5,000, including a personalized web interface and digital images determined by relevant standards. Each scanned image loaded into the database receives $20, and a new QUARKXPRESS data requires $50. All resources stored in the database are owned by the customer and there is no monthly maintenance, usage, or filing fee. Another prepress company is responsible for backing up files in case of loss or destruction.
V. What questions should be considered when establishing a DAM system? 1. Is it clear that the main objective of a company to establish a DAM system is to increase production efficiency, reduce duplication of labor, or strive for new revenue channels? Can you attract customers by keeping customers' digital resources in order to make your relationship with your customers more relevant? All these need to be considered clearly.
2. There are many technical issues in the technical aspects that must be planned in advance, such as what method will be used to store images; what kind of database platform is best suited to the needs that you can foresee; how much power this platform needs; if you use all MACINTOSH computer, then do you still want to use MAC as a DAM server, because it is easier to support; or want to switch to NT or UNIX, because they may be more powerful power, or more cost effective; for remote use, will need What type of network or high-speed backbone line and so on.
3, workflow aspects
There are two main issues:
(1) Are you willing to change the workflow for optimal use of the DAM system?
(2) Where can the greatest benefit be obtained with the least amount of changes? Where can I get the greatest improvement with the smallest amount of investment? Whether this investment is investment in sauce or investment due to changes in work processes and work habits of employees and customers.
4. A detailed plan should sit down with key customers who will use the database in the future to discuss how to make documents and how to organize the files. The general idea is to set up a database so that everyone can use it, and the committee can easily find the information they need.
5. Training First, we must have a suitable person to manage the system, establish servers, formulate the rules and regulations used, monitor activities, and create an effective classification structure. The person who manages the software is the key to the success of the database.
The training of employees is to teach people how to use the program. This is also the most critical part of planning and establishing a DAM. This should even be based on choosing the right technology.
The customer must also be trained. Such as: teach them how to send new documents, how to conduct simple search and browse.
VI. Prospects of the DAM System Digital asset management is just the continuation of what has happened in the digital field in the past five years and will not stop. Five years from now, when everyone has a database and knows how to use the database to increase productivity, there will be no new profits. But now, this is a completely new field. Just like the early days of the POSTscript layout description language, using it one day earlier will bring great advantages.
As the world advances, the lead time is shortening. DAM offers a great opportunity to open up new business. This is definitely the next major wave of the entire digitalization process.
However, an editor of SEYBOLD magazine warned that although digital resource management is obviously an explosive area with huge potential for printing companies, it is still only a technology that has emerged in the past three years and is still undergoing continuous changes. . In addition, some DAM suppliers have recently reduced the size of their operations or changed their target markets. Facts have proved that the use of the DAM system is a new field that is extremely temptation and challenging. It will surely bring about another revolution in the printing industry.