Martin Reinheimer

How do you describe Digital Asset Management to others?

Digital asset management is more important today than ever before, as every company with a technical infrastructure is facing the challenges of digital transformation. One area of these structures is marketing technology, which uses IT-based solutions to define and execute all marketing processes from content creation to the distribution of this content to all channels. Digital asset management is the discipline that deals with the storage, preparation and distribution of content and provides users with an interface in which they can find the content they need quickly and efficiently. It is therefore nothing less than the management of all relevant digital assets of a company.

What’s the most important thing for someone new to DAM to understand about DAM?

If you take on responsibility in an area with DAM tasks, you ideally know your way around two domains: Marketing and IT. In marketing, because then you know common processes and best practices from the user’s perspective; expertise in IT is important because it allows you to assess technical feasibility, efficient implementation options and realisations based on innovative technical possibilities.

There are many software providers that have a DAM solution in their portfolio. Especially with the latest developments in the AI sector, there are also a wide range of specialisation options for providers. In order to find the right solution for a company, it is definitely advisable to seek consultation and look at several systems before making a decision. Often a DAM system forms the centrepiece of the MarTech infrastructure, which on the one hand represents a significant investment, but on the other hand can also be a long-lasting, highly profitable component in a company.

How did you learn DAM? Any recommended sources?

Where should I start – I’ve been working in this field for many years. It helped me a lot to complete an apprenticeship and a degree in the media industry, which meant that I have always worked at the interface between marketing and IT. With many years in IT project management, I have been able to gain countless years of experience.

You cannot become a champion in marketing or IT in a short space of time – so project experience will remain the most important asset. Nevertheless, the industry is subject to such rapid technological change that it is advisable to keep an eye on developments at the providers – DAM News is also an excellent source here.

What is your ongoing greatest challenge with DAM?

From my personal point of view, there is no single challenge. Every project has different specifics: for a company in the banking or healthcare sector, it is important to find a solution that works exclusively on premise and still offers a complete range of functions even without cloud services.

A media company may have the challenge of having to provide large amounts of data with video content globally in a short space of time – and for an industrial company, a connection to a production system may be the most important thing, which requires the implementation of a metadata interface according to a special exchange format.

There are so many different requirements, but that’s exactly what makes the topic so exciting and sophisticated.

What is your vision for DAM? What will it look like in 5 years?

The last big change in the market came from cloud technologies and API-first implementations. This has brought great systems onto the market. The next big thing is certainly AI – we are in the middle of its implementation and every provider is trying to get a piece of the pie. Generative AI in particular will certainly change the production of digital assets massively, but predictive AI will also bring a lot of change in marketing processes. Overall, the degree of automation of processes will increase significantly.

If you weren’t doing DAM as a career, what would you be doing?

I think I’ve already found my sweet spot in DAM consulting. I’ve always been more of a generalist than a specialist. As a child, I realised that I wouldn’t become a professional footballer, racing driver or astronaut. But I believe that with my affinity for design and technology, my meticulousness and my communicative kind, I have found a good field of activity.

What more would you like to learn about DAM?

Lifelong learning is not a phrase and nobody knows everything about a topic. That’s why it’s important to stay on the ball and keep up to date with new trends and techniques, because that’s the only way I can remain a competent consultant for my customers.

 

About Martin Reinheimer

With over 25 years working in projects for globally renowned customers from a wide range of industries, Martin has acquired comprehensive expertise in software solutions, with a 360° view and knowledge of requirements gathering, planning, strategy and design, implementation and configuration, testing, and commissioning.  He has recently launched IT consultancy proCress.

You can connect with Martin via his LinkedIn profile or view his details in our DAM Expert Directory.

This interview was published in DAM News on 4th April 2024. For more DAM News interviews, see the interviews index page.

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