Simplifying Keyword Structures: Project Keywords vs. File Keywords

For many of our valued clients, managing a growing library of project photos is a familiar challenge. In our experience, it’s rare to find an AEC firm that doesn’t acknowledge the complexities of photo management. Understanding when to use project keywords versus file keywords is important to enhance the organization and retrieval of assets in a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system like OpenAsset.

However, the thought of implementing a DAM system can seem overwhelming, particularly given the high volume of assets requiring migration and categorization.

But with the right support team helping you during the DAM implementation process, this process can be taken step by step to help you feel at ease. In this blog, we’ll teach you how you can simplify your keyword structure to make the most out of your DAM system without feeling overwhelmed.

Project Keywords vs. File Keywords: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to keywords in OpenAsset, the first thing you need to know is that there are two types:

1. Project keywords
2. File keywords
   

Let’s go over each type.

1. Project Keywords

Project keywords act as “universal labels,” to tag projects with relevant metadata such as market sector, services, and location. When you label a project using these keywords, every file added to that project is assigned those same labels automatically.

2. File Keywords

On the other hand, file keywords focus on individual files, marking them with specific details like “interior,” “exterior,” “rendering,” or “photo.” You have the flexibility to assign these keywords either during the file upload or once they’re already within OpenAsset.

Why Project Keywords Are Important

Some customers worry about feeling stuck when it comes to file keywords during the OpenAsset implementation process. However, more than 90% of OpenAsset users start their search with a project name or project keyword.

This means that having project keywords is essential and it makes the implementation process less overwhelming. This is because it’s a lot easier to tag 300 projects with keywords than it is to tag 15,000 files.

By assigning project keywords, you have already made your OpenAsset digital asset library very searchable without a lot of work. Additionally, to make this process easier you can integrate your project database (like Deltek Vision) to OpenAsset.

It’s clear that project keywords are incredibly important, highly efficient, and easy to implement. But only a DAM with robust features, like OpenAsset, can offer searchability without a lot of work.

When to Use File Keywords

Since searching by project name or project keyword is the most common way users search in OpenAsset, when would someone use file keywords in their search?

Users will search by file keyword:

1. Detailed Searches: When a search by project name or project keyword results in too many files, users turn to file keywords to further narrow down the search results.
2. When Describing Specific File Attributes: When users have individual images or files that have specific descriptors, they may not be searching by project name or project keyword at all. This is less common when searching across project files, but is more common when searching for non-project files like staff photos, headshots, stock photography, etc. Since there is no project to search on, all metadata is assigned to the file.
3. Customizing Individual Files: If certain files within a project have unique characteristics not shared by the entire project, file keywords can be searched for to find that specific context.

So, while project keywords are of useful for comprehensive themes and consistent labeling across a project, file keywords are useful for specific file characteristics and more detailed, granular searches.

How to Have a Successful DAM Implementation

Does your AEC firm need help managing digital assets? Because your digital assets will continue to grow as your firm and team expand, it’s essential to manage and organize your digital assets to help you find them easily and ensure the correct and up-to-date digital assets are available for use. 

Designed for firms in the built world, OpenAsset, an industry-leading and project-based DAM solution, works as a “single source of truth,” where AEC professionals can quickly and easily find digital assets to create faster RFP responses and win more business.

When you and your team are ready to begin the implementation process, OpenAsset will assign you a dedicated Implementation Manager to act as your main point of contact. They’ll be your dedicated resource, with extensive knowledge from working with hundreds of OpenAsset clients. 

We hope we have provided a clear understanding of what type of keyword structures you can expect to encounter during OpenAsset’s implementation process.

For more information about OpenAsset, read our blog on the Most Common Questions About OpenAsset, which discusses OpenAsset features, cost, and more. To discuss your team’s specific requirements, we encourage you to schedule a custom demo with our team.

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