TABLE OF CONTENTS This is make or break time. The products have been chosen. The next stage is to install a highly complex software system without disrupting the smooth running of the business. This is an area where experience counts. One route is to use the services of one of the major IT consultancies to project manage the integration of the system.
Like any enterprise-scale software installation, the integration of digital asset management needs expert planning and implementation (Figure 18.1). The integration has two components. The first is the installation of the application. This can be managed just like any other new software purchase. The other component is the ingest of content and metadata into the repository. This can be a very manual process, and may need a temporary team of contractors, as few enterprises are likely to have spare staff available without shutting down part of the business. During the ingest, the content can be indexed as an aid to the later cataloguing and search:
Install and integrate the application
Ingest the content
Index the content
Integrate with the back-office applications.
As asset management systems are complex, with many connections to other applications, the integration can involve a deal of customisation. The cost of the professional services for this task can be considerable. Some systems can have a ratio as high as 5:1 for price of essential professional services versus the licensing fees or purchase price of the basic product. Broadly, the cost of...
