Business Proposition. ADAM as a Development Platform. Media Intelligent

Transcription

1 Business Proposition ADAM as a Development Platform

2 ADAM Software

3 Executive Summary º º The Challenge of aligning software with business processes Software solutions are routinely sold on the basis of the features they offer. But for an enterprise market wouldn t a better approach be software solutions that adapt and scale with your needs? - see page 1 º º Key Requirements when looking for an adaptable DAM solution Chief Technology Officers (CTO), Chief Information Officers (CIO), Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), and Developers selecting an enterprise DAM platform need a solution that integrates with existing business workflows and technology, but which can also adapt and scale to marketing needs - see page 2 º º For Developers - further technical advantages of the ADAM platform ADAM delivers many technical advantages for developers over competing DAMs. This makes for faster, easier development and less head-banging when it comes to finding solutions to demanding requirements - see page 6 º º The Proof - ADAM in action ADAM Software s diverse customer portfolio is testimony to the adaptability of our DAM platform - see page 8 Realworld Scenario ADAM is so versatile that there is no single approach to a development project. However, many projects will share common milestones. - see page 10 ADAM Software Related Products ADAM Software components and related products for ADAM as a Development Platform - see page 11

4 DAM platforms offer the most adaptable and scalable development potential. The Challenge of aligning software with business processes Software solutions are routinely sold on the basis of the features they offer. But for an enterprise market wouldn t a better approach be software solutions that adapt and scale with your needs? The adoption of Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems has gone hand-in-hand with the evolution of complex, data-intensive processes at the heart of modern marketing departments. Early-day solutions were out-of-the-box products, run at a departmental level, that could handle digital asset libraries and basic processes like file management better than file servers. These solutions were adequate for certain marketing needs a decade ago, but are incapable of meeting the requirements of modern enterprises that handle global media and marketing campaigns. Today, enterprises increasingly need DAM systems that can provide business critical applications across departments and regions. They also need DAM platforms that offer highly customizable development potential. Key requirements of these platforms then are: the ability to create flexible solutions for rapidly changing marketing needs and the ability to integrate these new processes into all levels of larger enterprise architectures, platforms and applications. From a development perspective, delivering on these challenges means open access to the API, the ability to create custom user interfaces, and strong integration with the platform s provider model architecture to create custom features from media engines, authentication options, etc. Achieving this requires adaptability and openness in your choice of platform. The best DAM platform will be the one that is most highly adaptable and flexible in meeting these needs. From a development perspective, it is also critical that this DAM will be solid, open, well documented and well supported in order to ensure effective integrations and long-term scalability. 1

5 ADAM can build and integrate any level of solution for a large variety of enterprise DAM/workflow needs. Key Requirements when looking for an adaptable DAM solution Chief Technology Officers (CTO), Chief Information Officers (CIO), Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), and Developers selecting an enterprise DAM platform need a solution that integrates with existing business workflows and technology, but which can also adapt and scale to marketing needs Modern marketing needs are complex, and successful DAM implementations bring clarity to the complexity, improving Marketing s ability to: work in an aligned way with external parties and other departments within the company; execute campaigns on a global level; shorten time-tomarket; enable campaigns and roll-outs consistently across all available channels; and more. But any new DAM platform will also have to integrate with the complex processes and taxonomies that already exist throughout the enterprise. The idea of one-size-fits-all software solutions for such environments is doomed to fail because it is neither flexible nor scalable enough. Taking the middle road won t deliver the required results either. Consider a software solution built on a limited API that is only half-customizable and which, as a result, does not deliver 100% on what your enterprise needs now and into the future. It s an issue that has plagued many DAM platforms that advertise themselves as extensible, but which do not have a truly open API. The result: half-baked solutions. What is needed is a platform that is both adaptable and scalable to marketing and enterprise needs. ADAM s highly open architecture The ADAM platform is built from the ground up to offer an absolute maximum of access to all of ADAM s functionality through the API. It is truly open, and this provides developers with the 2

6 Key Requirements continued tools they need to build and integrate any level of solution for a large variety of enterprise DAM/ workflow needs. With ADAM, you can start with any goal in mind then develop with confidence knowing anything is possible through the highly open architecture. The right API for your enterprise needs ADAM allows you to structure your DAM/Workflow solution the way you want, developing business logic and functionality that is tailored to your exact needs. Some enterprises will place greater focus on marketing department workflow needs while others will put greater emphasis on enterprise integration. Only a truly extensible platform can deliver on such a wide span of requirements. For example: º º A company undertaking a major global rebranding or creating a region-wide web portal, will be focused on delivering a media and marketing execution solution that will facilitate marketing processes and ensure maximum impact to end users. They will need options to tailor and work with their DAM assets in such a way that they are well organized for stakeholders in the marketing process. This might incorporate custom-built collaboration workflows, automated rendering of assets, and strict security options based precisely on levels of responsibility across global marketing departments. º º A large enterprise with existing business processes and an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system with organization-wide taxonomies will need to integrate the DAM into their existing enterprise architecture. As an example, they might want to link ADAM to their ERP in order to create a marketing-tailored window on existing enterprise resources. This could be stored in a database, XML files, or any other open system. 3

7 The ADAM platform s open API makes it almost limitless in how it responds to a huge diversity of scenarios. Clarity in complex development processes ADAM is distinguished not only by its flexibility but also by how easy it makes getting the job done for both developers and users. ADAM Software works hard to make sure our ADAM Partners and customers can create the very best solutions quickly and as painlessly as possible. Here s how: º º Extensive ADAM code libraries ADAM provides a wide selection of code examples to help developers get up-to-speed with understanding ADAM and deploy solutions without having to reinvent the wheel each time. We ve even created ADAM MediaCircle - a very real, imaginary company to provide code samples in real business contexts. º º ADAM s API documentation is first rate getting started with ADAM and getting the answers you need is intuitive and easy. The documentation is clear and concise and written to help developers get the right solution to their questions quickly and without a struggle. º º Built on.net ADAM has been built from the ground up on Microsoft.NET. This allows developers to program in any.net compatible language (C#, VB.NET, etc.) and be sure the solutions they create are solid, secure and future-proof through leveraging.net s robust core. º º An active Developer Blog The ADAM Developer Blog contains frequent articles, tips and tricks on how to get the most out of ADAM, as well as active discussions on the content of postings. It s your first port of call when working on an ADAM project. º º The diverse ADAM Partner ecosystem Many of the best developers in the DAM world work on ADAM, making for a highly active, expert community of developers who can help get the best results from ADAM. º º ADAM Knowledge Base The ADAM Knowledge Base contains a list of common questions and problems and their answers. ADAM keeps the Knowledge Base up-to-date and expands topics regularly. Key Requirements continued 4

8 º º ADAM Forum It s a place where ADAM users, developers, administrators, etc. collaborate, share knowledge, and participate in discussions. ADAM employees actively participate in the Forum, but the users are what make it a real success. º º ADAM Support and ADAM Expert Services ADAM Support actively works with Partners to deliver rapidly on development-related questions. And when you re making a decision about how to deploy your ADAM solution, ADAM Expert Services Knowledge Center Management (KCM) team guides you to appropriate experts ranging from Developers and Product Managers to Business Analysts and External Consultants. Key Requirements continued 5

9 For Developers - further technical advantages of the ADAM platform ADAM delivers many technical advantages for developers over competing DAMs. This makes for faster, easier development and less head-banging when it comes to finding solutions to demanding requirements Developers working on ADAM are effuse in their praise of the platform. We gathered together some of the top features that make ADAM so popular amongst developers: Taxonomy ADAM provides a data structure that allows developers to build and maintain very complex taxonomies - an essential quality when working with more complex Product Information Management systems or integrating with ERPs / taxonomy systems. For many customers, ADAM can also be used to deliver its own taxonomy. The API ADAM is built around a consistent API, which is also used by all ADAM components and interfaces. The API is technically mature, and is strategically embedded in the product development roadmap of ADAM, which ensures future commitment, backward compatibility and stability. The API allows the full use of all of ADAM s capabilities, but can also implement private flows and external business processes. The software therefore integrates seamlessly into existing enterprise workflows and this limits the need for change management, as well as increasing the ease of end-user adoption of the new platform in the enterprise. Workflow Capabilities When implementing workflow processes, the goal is to have one platform automate everything from simple repetitive tasks to elaborate business processes. ADAM provides these capabilities and can range from simple, classic DAM processes (validation, 6

10 Developer Requirements continued color correction, retouching, file versioning) to complex campaign management flows (creative reviews, budget alignments, scheduled releases, etc.) Media Engines Concept Out-of-the-box, ADAM works with all the most popular file formats. And through easy integration of third-party engines, ADAM can also make use of graphics engines and components that are abundant in the market, allowing for the systematic incorporation of best-ofbreed technology into your highly adaptive ADAM development. Config Studio and others ADAM provides a number of standard studios for configuring and managing the platform and assets. All studios are built on the same API that is offered to custom configuration studios, which allow the entire infrastructure of ADAM to be used in a completely customizable interface. Other frequently cited reasons to adopt ADAM as your DAM development platform include: Stability; Maturity; Intuitiveness; Rock-solid architecture; Built from scratch on the managed.net stack; and Plug-ability through a comprehensive provider framework. The list is growing all the time, and it s not just our API that is open: we d love to hear from you and discuss your development ideas today. 7

11 The Proof - ADAM in action ADAM Software s diverse customer portfolio is testimony to the adaptability of our DAM platform When global brands choose a DAM platform, they express a wide variety of differing needs. ADAM Software customers include many internationally recognized brands and Fortune 100 companies, including: Microsoft, RAPP Omnicon, Stanley Black & Decker, LEGO, Sanoma, Staples Europe, TEEC, Puratos, AB InBev, Delhaize, Niko, and more. Such a diverse portfolio of clients requires a platform that can match an almost infinite range of requirements - and provide a robust, rapidly developed and scalable solution. Below we offer examples of why ADAM proved the best DAM development platform for two major enterprises - Microsoft and Stanlely Works Europe. More case studies are available on the ADAM Software website. Case Study 1: ADAM drives Microsoft s Prosource digital asset management solutions Microsoft selected ADAM Software to drive its Prosource digital asset management solution across EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) enabling internal marketing groups, media partners, retailers and the internet community to access and download a variety of entertainment and device-related marketing collateral. Key development reasons for the choice of ADAM included: º º Scalable functionality - Microsoft was looking for secure administration, localization, scalability and overall user friendliness. ADAM offered the best fit through its broad functionality and full Microsoft compliance. 8

12 º º ADAM Support - The responsiveness of the ADAM Software team enabled the project to be on track road in about 10 months, from decision to launch. - Microsoft Product Manager, Hilda Brady º º Flexibility in design - ADAM offered a variety of download and ordering mechanisms in a system completely configurable in classification structure, attribute tagging and user management. Further, ADAM s software development framework made it very easy to customize the DAM to any language at any stage in the development process. º º Passport authentication and localization - ADAM supported rich functionality and customization features - including a passport authentication process and customized user interfaces for different countries. º º Scalability and system integration - ADAM s multi-server architecture provided a convenient growth path for expansion of the system. º º Open and flexible - ADAM s open and flexible API has made it simple to integrate the DAM into business processes that manage Microsoft s internal enterprise system, covering the entire production and marketing supply chain. The Proof for ADAM as a Development Platform Case Study 2: Stanley Works Europe Stanley Works faced the challenge of managing a huge product range for a variety of languages and country-specific sales offers and promotions. It chose ADAM as the platform to ensure brand consistency and easy access to its broad range of product literature, images and catalog data. During a rapid development cycle, developers built on ADAM to produce a solution that provided: º º Flexibility to match specific Stanley Works Europe requirements - One of the strongest benefits of the ADAM platform is the capability to develop scalable DAM solutions tailored to customer requirements. 9

13 º º Measurability and control - Through custom development, ADAM provided a complete management of product descriptions and technical specifications with the ability to trace and log all activities, providing real-time measurability and control. º º Custom Central download organization - The easy-to-use and universally accessible download center was able to be developed and branded precisely to Stanley Work s needs, and allows external agencies and distributors to download customized images in different resolutions and formats. º º SKU creation and validation - Beyond data management, ADAM was also integrated with product information creation and management processes. This improves quality and uniformity of Stanley product communication. ADAM will now be the basis for future extranet, mobile and CRM activities at Stanley Works. º º Data management efficiency - Centralizing workflow assets has helped to reduce inaccuracies and versioning issues, shorten the communication process and greatly increase efficiency. º º Offline catalog feed - With the help of centrally stored templates and content that can be locally adapted, catalogs are automatically generated - avoiding errors, guaranteeing consistency of the Stanley Works brand for all local catalogs, and bringing significant cost savings. º º Web-based catalog production - The online catalog for customers is updated nightly with newly accessed information from the central database giving end-users instant, up-to-date access to the actual product range and local distributors. º º Significant ROI in less than a year - Savings in time, effort and expense by the introduction of automation, data reuse and self-service web interfaces will easily pay the project costs back in one year. - Sam Van Ongeval, Project Manager at Stanley. The Proof for ADAM as a Development Platform 10

14 Realworld Scenario ADAM is so versatile that there is no single approach to a development project. However, many projects will share common milestones Realworld Scenario - Steps in a typical development process using ADAM Once the decision has been made to use ADAM in your enterprise or organization, the steps in the development cycle can follow many different paths, typically: º º During the sales process, an exchange of ideas, expertise and experience culminates in a clear set of required and feasible developments. You ve talked with experts, you know what s possible; now it s time to outline. º º An initial step in development cycle is to ascertain which of your requirements are provided for by out-of-thebox solutions and which will require customization, configuration, integration, localization etc. ADAM provides many powerful, ready-to-use tools for common DAM tasks, but the open API means the sky is the limit as to what extent you will customize your workflows and tools. Now is the time to write a precise specification, and discuss it with ADAM experts. º º Project planning then involves detailed specifications for each phase of the upcoming development. This will involve the creation of detailed requirements, wire-frames, prototypes, consulting the Technical Blog, etc. º º Developers begin work. Those new to ADAM can read introductory literature to the API and how to develop on ADAM. All developers regularly consult ADAM s concise documentation, useful examples and the up-to-date Technical Blog. Technical Support is also on-hand for those tricky questions. In spite of ADAM s highly versatile API, developers will occasionally put forward requirements that become feature requests for product road-map. 11

15 ADAM Software Related Products ADAM Software components and related products for ADAM as a Development Platform Components providing key functionality for ADAM as a Development Platform are highlighted in red. Please visit our website to read more about: º º Config Studio º º Asset Studio º º PIM Studio º º DocMaker Studio º º Workflow Studio º º Workflow WebCenter Connector º º PageBuilder º º Creative Suite Connector º º Office Connector º º Sharepoint Connector ADAM Products ADAM Studios ADAM Connectors 3rd Party Products ADAM Related Product ASSET Studio CONFIG Studio PIM Studio WORKFLOW Studio PageBuilder Studio Adobe InDesign DOCMAKER Studio Engine Process Business ADAM API ADAM ADAM ENGINE Workflow WebCenter Connector EskoArtwork WebCenter Creative Suite Connector Adobe Creative Suite Office Connector Sharepoint Connector Microsoft Office Microsoft Sharepoint 12

16 Related Business Propositions Other ADAM Software business propositions that you might find interesting º º Enterprise E-Library º º Product Information Management (PIM) º º Online Approvals Workflow º º Packaging Workflow Automation º º Metadata Management, Taxonomy & Thesaurus Contact ADAM Software ADAM Software Kortrijksesteenweg 1108a BE-9051 Gent Belgium Phone: Fax: ADAM Software US Inc 1515 Broadway New York, NY United States Phone: info@adamsoftware.net Web: About ADAM Software ADAM Software is a global provider of media workflow and marketing technology software. We offer enterprises the ability to manage, structure and deliver media between people, processes and systems. Working with our partners enables us to implement our software globally while providing workflow solutions to all types of enterprises. What drives us is a passion to organize media intelligently, making it easier and more accessible to everyone. 13