Digital Asset Management RFP Issued: October 24, 2014 Thanks to everyone who submitted questions regarding Brand USA s RFP for digital asset management. Since many of the questions posed were similar, we condensed and edited the queries. Company names have been removed. 1. Can you please describe/explain - and possibly supply an example of the "in-kind donation form? Can you please describe the workflow that this form has within Brand USA's business and whether this form needs to trigger any actions. Do you envision the in-kind donation form as a text area that is made a part of the end-user license agreement? Answer: The in-kind donation form is completed by the partner who is uploading digital assets (images, video, or text) and donating them to Brand USA. Once submitted, the form is sent to an internal manager. Here is an example: http://thebrandusa.com/~/media/files/in%20kind%20pdf%20forms/in- Kind_Content_ContributionForm_03_LIVE.pdf. We envision collection of data through a form and not just a text area on a page. 2. Is the in-kind donation form interactive, or a static part of the end user license agreement? Answer: It could be either, as long as we receive the data. 3. How many contributing users would you like to have? (edit, upload, download and review access). Answer: Brand USA seeks asset contributions from every destination marketing organization in the United States. We also create our own content and marketing materials. Potentially, hundreds of unique users could be uploading content during a year. It is possible that many users may utilize the system a few times each year, or even once per year. We will need editing capability for only a few people. 4. How much storage are you looking to have initially? Answer: Initially, 50 terabytes of storage, which should scale as needed. Assuming your DAM has archival capability with a fast restore function, we could require considerably less storage space. Our HD video is the asset requiring the most space and we do not need real-time access to much of this video content.
5. Will you require Single Sign On? Answer: This is not a requirement, but would be welcome. 6. What is meant by "Asset record to show historical association"? Answer: The record for each asset would indicate who uploaded, downloaded, or edited each asset. 7. What is meant by "Ingestion of video, images, artwork and text can occur from simultaneous sources"? What are simultaneous sources? Answer: Several partners around the globe could be uploading or downloading assets at the same time. For example, a destination marketing organization in the USA could be uploading video, while an agency in China is downloading images. 8. What is meant by "ability to track specific use"? Answer: The ability to know which organization or person downloaded an asset and to track that asset to where it is being utilized on the web through asset level analytics. 9. What is meant by "customization"? Is it per-customer changes to the code, or a high level of configurability? Answer: High level of configurability. Code base re-write specifically for Brand USA is not a requirement. 10. Do you plan to authenticate any of the users through Active Directory or other method of federated or non-federated Single Sign On? Answer: Yes, we would like to authenticate users. 11. What do you mean by form customization? Answer: Being able to easily configure forms to obtain answers to questions. 12. How many users will be able to administer the DAM system (including creating users, new versions, new workflows, administer content pages such as brand guidelines, etc.) Answer: Four users for administration.
13. How many approvers will be required for asset approval? Can you describe the approval process e.g. does only one of the administrator approve or does it require approval from multiple people and departments? Answer: One person can approve assets. There will not be multi-layers of approval. The individual who approves assets may vary. 14. Is there a go live date for the project? Answer: As soon as possible in first quarter of 2015. 15. Can you please estimate the number of bulk import assets required at the implementation stage? Answer: We are still determining the answer to this question. 16. How many assets do you currently have? Answer: We have hundreds of thousand of images and create more than twenty terabytes of video per year. We probably receive another ten terabytes of video content from partners. The library continues to grow, so it is vital that the DAM scales. 17. Please specify asset type and percentage of asset types. Answer: Most of our assets are images (pictures), but video will require the most storage space. We have do not have percentages available. 18. Is desktop integration with MS Office needed and for how many users? Answer: Integration with Windows and Mac programs are welcome, but this is not a requirement. 19. Is desktop integration with Adobe CS (InDesign PS, illustrator) needed and for how many users? Answer: Integration is welcome, but is not a requirement 20. Will you require extended video transcoding capabilities (standard transcoding included)? Answer: Transcoding is welcome, but is not a requirement.
21. Do you require pin access? Answer: This is not a requirement. 22. If possible, please indicate how busy the system will become.how many users per day? How many uploads/downloads per day? Answer: This is our first DAM, so we have no history. 23. How many assets are in your current system, if you have one? Answer: We do not have a current DAM. 24. If we need to migrate assets, who is the current vendor we will be migrating them from? Answer: We are interested in learning of potential solutions. 25. What pain points is the new system supposed to address? Answer: Reliable, efficient storage and easy, fast, retrieval of assets. 26. Can you describe the expected workflow for assets of the typical business activity? Answer: The primary purpose of this DAM is to share assets with a variety of partners, many of whom also contribute to our library. 27. Do you have a diagram or specify project requirements? Answer: No. 28. What is the rate of growth of users for certain time periods (on a daily/monthly basis). Answer: Brand USA is global and operates in every time zone. We cannot project growth at this stage. 29. What is the expected user concurrency (how many users with a valid session at peak or average peak)? Answer: Unknown.
30. What are the typical user roles? Answer: Primarily marketing, content and research managers who work in travel/tourism. 31. Briefly describe high-level security requirements and security levels expected. Answer: We expect our DAM to be secure from attack, hacking and pirating of assets. 32. Would you like a customized landing page/look and feel or would you prefer the "Out of the box" look and feel? Answer: Prefer customized. 33. How much of ongoing enhancements/ changes do you anticipate? Answer: Until we understand your DAM capabilities, this is difficult to answer. 34. What kind of support would you need for the system in steady state? On-call, email Support? Answer: The method of contact would depend on complexity of issue. Email may suffice for some issues, while phone support might be needed in other instances. We operate around the globe in every time zone. 35. RFP mentions that solution must be cloud based. Do you have preference of the cloud environment: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Cloud, Rackspace? Answer: We would like to know your recommendation and the reasoning behind the decision. 36. Are you open for public cloud based system, or you need private cloud within your firewalls? Answer: We require a cloud-based system. 37. What is approximate annual budget? Answer: Based on our requirements, we would like you to propose a budget.
38. Will there be any analog media to be digitized? Answer: No. 39. Does the metadata exist within the assets already? Answer: We will not migrate assets without metadata. 40. Will you require assistance in applying metadata to assets? Answer: Depends on cost structure. 41. If the DAM does not meet one of the requirements outlined in the RFP, will the vendor be automatically ineligible? Answer: We encourage all companies to submit capabilities. 42. Will you provide examples of meta-data, including licensing, traveling with an asset? Answer: We are interested in learning about your best practices. 43. Which website platform(s) interface with your product? Will you name the systems you are specifically interested in interfacing with? Answer: We currently have websites built in Sitecore and Drupal. This could change during 2015. 44. Regarding, Does your DAM have the ability to track use of specific files on social media and other digital properties? Do you envision tracking being tied to the asset itself? Answer: Yes, tied to the asset. 45. Will a.net solution offering fit within your corporate environment standards? Answer: We would like to learn your perspective.
46. Our company utilizes a network of certified solution partners to implement our solution. Based on the information we receive in the discovery phase, we will identify several certified partners for introduction to Brand USA. The Partner organization chosen by Brand USA will implement the solution. Is this an acceptable solution delivery approach for Brand USA? Answer: We prefer to work directly with a vendor providing the DAM and not through an intermediary. 47. Our company utilizes the following Support Model: Level One Support Provided by Brand USA. Level Two Support Provided by the Certified Partner that performed the initial implementation. Level Three Support Provided by our company. Expert Services Purchased by Brand USA for Subject Matter Expertise for review of implementation, or as an added resource for Expert Services for guidance during the implementation. Will this be acceptable to Brand USA? Answer: We require support from the company providing the DAM. 48. How many languages do you require for deployment? Answer: English is the only requirement. 49. How many concurrent users do you expect? Answer: Because this is Brand USA s first DAM, we do not have this information. 50. How many users are able to request approval for an asset to added to the DAM? Answer: We will have many users who will request approval to upload content. It s difficult to present an exact number as this is our first DAM.