Improving Discoverability in DAM | brix Solutions AG - brix - Basel/Allschwil

Discoverability in DAM: Not a Software Problem, but a Matter of Responsibility

by Veronika Altenbach

DAM
08. June 2026 3 minutes

«We have a DAM, and half the team isn’t using it anymore.» We hear this statement often. And when asked why, the answer is almost always the same: You can never find what you’re looking for anyway.

This isn’t an isolated case, but a pattern that DAM users most frequently bring to our attention. And when you take a closer look, it’s rarely the platform’s fault. The question isn’t whether the software is capable, but whether the system was designed with how people actually search in mind – and whether anyone maintains it at all after implementation.

In practice, the causes are almost always the same.

Three reasons why searches come up empty

1. Described for storage, not for searching

Assets are described the way they’re stored – not the way people search for them. 
A file is named «Campaign_Fall24_final_v3.» That makes sense to the person who uploaded it. For everyone else, it’s practically invisible because no one else can guess that filename. People searching don’t think in terms of filing logic – they think in terms of content.

2. One asset, three names

The same asset has a different name depending on the team. One team tags an image as «car», the next as «passenger car», and the third as «vehicle.» One asset, three terms – and no search will find all three unless someone has defined which term is the official one and which are listed as synonyms. Without a controlled vocabulary, discoverability breaks down, asset by asset.

3. No one is in charge

This may sound unspectacular, but it’s the real lever – at its core, a question of responsibility, not technology.

  • Who maintains the shared vocabulary, the keywords, and the metadata?
  • Who ensures that the team learns to tag assets correctly from the start?

In most organizations, there is no designated person responsible for this. A DAM doesn’t get worse because the software becomes outdated. It gets worse because no one maintains the system and embeds its proper use within the team. Data quality declines, trust declines, usage declines – until half the team stops using the system.

What AI Tagging can do – and what it can’t

At this point, at the latest, the term «AI» comes up in most projects – as a hope that these three causes could simply be automated away.

AI-powered tagging reliably recognizes image content and saves real time when adding keywords. But it doesn’t understand your approval workflow and cannot replace a metadata strategy. Without a solid foundation, AI tagging merely automates the chaos – faster and on a larger scale.

How is your discoverability?

If you’d like to know where your own system stands in relation to these three points, brix and DAM United are currently offering free consultations – an open, no-obligation discussion with experts. Sign up if you’d like to secure a spot.

Frequently asked questions about asset discoverability in DAM

Most of the time, it’s not the software’s fault, but rather how the assets are described. If they’re named according to filing logic instead of search terms, if there’s no consistent vocabulary, or if no one maintains the data – then assets remain practically invisible.

Rarely. Platforms usually come equipped with the necessary features. The key factor is whether the system is designed to match how users actually search and whether someone is continuously maintaining data quality.

A defined list of terms in which each piece of content is assigned a specific term, and any alternative terms are stored as synonyms. Without this vocabulary, a search will find only a fraction of the assets because the same object is named differently. Which terms are right for a company depends on how teams actually search.

Only partially. AI reliably recognizes image content and saves time, but it doesn’t understand your approval workflow or your controlled vocabulary. Without a solid strategy, it simply automates existing disorganization on a larger scale.

The first step is an honest assessment of your own system. Where exactly the leverage lies varies from organization to organization – which is why it’s worth taking a joint look at it before tweaking individual settings.