When a Full DAM Actually Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)
Digital Asset Management platforms aren’t bad products. They’re just often used in the wrong situations.
When a DAM does make sense
A full DAM is usually the right choice if you have:
Hundreds of thousands of assets
Many people uploading files daily
Formal approval workflows
Compliance or legal requirements
A dedicated DAM administrator
In short: complexity on both sides of the system. If that’s your reality, a DAM is probably worth the investment.
When a DAM becomes friction
For many teams, the reality looks very different:
A small marketing team
A finite set of brand assets
Infrequent uploads
Lots of external sharing
In this case, a DAM introduces:
More process than necessary
More maintenance than value
More confusion than clarity
The tool becomes heavier than the problem.
Choosing the right model
The question isn’t: “Is a DAM good or bad?”
It’s: “What problem are we actually solving?”
If the main challenge is distribution and consistency, not internal production, a simpler solution often works better. The best system is the one that fits your actual workflow — not the one with the longest feature list.
Not sure which approach fits your team?
If you’re deciding between a DAM and something simpler, we’re happy to help you think it through — honestly.