Digital Asset Management Version Control: How It Works

I am sure that, like me, when you were a small child, you dreamed of overseeing the digital asset management version control process for hundreds and thousands of individual assets.

Okay, fine, this was pure sarcasm. I personally find this aspect of project management more tedious than clipping grass a single blade at a time, but it’s critically important to many digital and creative projects (and luckily, it can be made a lot less tedious with digital asset management software).

If implementing a better DAM system is on your PM bucket list for this year, here is a brief description of what it is and how to ensure better version control in yours.

What Is Version Control In Digital Asset Management?

Version control in digital asset management is the process of managing a digital asset's different versions or iterations and ensuring that everyone is working from the same version of the asset for brand consistency.

There are many ways to do version control, whether you have a formal digital asset management system or not. For example, you can use the file name to tell users what version of an asset is in the file or even add metadata to make your files more easily searchable. Find more best practices for DAM here.

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Why Version Control Is Important

Version control is important for many reasons, especially when working with a lot of digital content or lots of asset versions that might be very similar but used in different ways (or where new versions are added periodically). 

Let’s look at some of the key reasons why it is important to have a good process around version control:

• It helps avoid using the wrong asset in the wrong place: Imagine a previous version of the asset with a typo or older brand colors. You don’t want to pull that into a current piece of creative. Also, the system can help when you have the same asset in various sizes.
• You can more easily track changes and revisions: When you and your creative teams have a lot of versions in progress, or are working with a client to create a new digital asset, you should be tracking not only versions, but noting what has changed. This way, when a  stakeholder comes back with the same feedback they had three rounds ago (but which was nixed in the last revision), you can gently remind them.
• It makes collaboration easier: When coupled with easy-to-understand naming conventions for your assets, a version control system can make your asset management system more user-friendly and streamline the process. With a single source of truth, every team member will be able to find the latest version of the asset they need. This does, however, rely on your system being up to date (i.e. archiving older assets as they expire).
• It provides an audit trail: This is more critical when it comes to branded assets in highly regulated areas like pharmaceutical or healthcare, but all media assets can benefit from having an audit trail in place, or at least tracking changes, especially if the assets are updated frequently.
• It increases efficiency and productivity: You might not think version control systems and increased efficiency and productivity go together, but a good version control system can reduce mistakes and make it easier and faster to find the right assets in the right sizes and formats quickly. It takes less time to set up the system and manage file naming conventions than using the wrong assets in the wrong places, and then having to redo the work.
• It upholds brand standards and guidelines: Version control can also be important when considering brand standards and protecting brand assets. As brand assets evolve and change, it is important to ensure all team members are using brand-compliant assets. Having a system to clearly identify brand assets makes compliance much easier.

How DAM Software Helps With Version Control

If you handle a large number of assets (anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand), then digital asset management software might be exactly what you need to help you organize your assets and manage your version control process.

There are an overwhelming number of choices for tools on the market (more on that later), but in general, you want to choose software that can easily provide a central repository for all of your digital assets.

Here’s what to look for:

• In addition to housing your assets, the software should make it easy to create and maintain naming conventions and in-house metadata to describe each asset.
• You also want the software to natively provide version tracking, so that everyone can easily see the version history and pick up the right asset. We’ve all seen shared drives full of files called clientinfographicV1, clientinfographicV2, clientinfographicV3, clientinfograpghicFINAL, clientinfographicFINALREVISED etc. Having good software can help make this much clearer.
• Another feature to look for is access control or functionality that limits access by role or other specific criteria. This way, users only have permissions for the digital assets they might need to use. This can also help keep people from using older versions of assets by removing access to them.

This type of software has several benefits to offer organizations. Find out more about the ROI of DAM here, and keep an eye on digital asset management trends to make sure the tool you're considering is the best one available.

Tools For Managing Version Control

When it comes to digital asset management, or more generally, content management systems, there are many choices on the market. The right tool for your team will come down to your team size, specific use cases, and of course, your budget to invest in the tool. I recommend creating a digital asset management RFP to help you compare your options.

To help you choose the right tool for your team, we’ve also rounded up a list of some of the best we’ve seen to get you started.

1. 1. MediaValet — Best for enterprise DAM scalability with unlimited users & admins
2. 2. Air — Best for visual creative content collaboration
3. 3. Acquia DAM (Widen) — Best for configuration and customization
4. 4. Bynder — Best for enterprise brand consistency and content experiences
5. 5. Scaleflex — Best for being MACH-certified
6. 6. Brandfolder — Best for enterprise usability and adoption
7. 7. Pics.io — Best for organizing digital content
8. 8. Streamwork — Best for real-time digital asset feedback
9. 9. Filecamp — Best for online proofing
10. 10. 4ALLPORTAL — Best for integrated DAM and PIM with a unique data model

These tools can help with version control by holding all assets in a central location, giving detailed revision histories, and controlling who can access each of the assets and when.

Another point to consider is integrations. Having a digital asset management tool that can integrate with the other tools you use in your workflows can help streamline processes, making your team work more efficiently. Tools like Brightspot typically offer integrations with Slack, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and more. Find out more about Brightspot's pricing here.

Join Us For More Insights on Digital Asset Management

Whether you’re project managing website design and builds or focusing on social media and advertising, there are many members of our DPM community who, like you, are focused on better managing their digital assets.

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