3f8h.net implements Elvis DAM at Würth AG
A Case Study provided by Elvis DAM Gold partner 3f8h.net
The task
Würth AG Switzerland is specialized in assembly and fastener material and is part of the worldwide Würth Group, based in Germany with a branch office in Switzerland (www.wuerth-ag.ch)
The product range includes over 100,000 products, including screws, screw accessories, chemical products, furniture, construction fittings, dowels, fire protection, hand tools, machines, labor protection, auto parts, diagnostics equipment, garage equipment, vehicle equipment and storage and retrieval systems.
With over 640 employees in management, sales, marketing, logistics and e-business, the company serves approximately 50,000 Swiss customers.
Würth AG Switzerland produces their extensive product catalog with pictures and descriptions themselves. To manage the wealth of graphical data, the company already used a Digital Asset Management system (DAM) system, but it was not fast and efficient enough. Additionally, they tried to port the database on a high-availability Windows host system and to bind the existing OSX systems to the Windows environment.
The goal
Würth AG needed a new DAM system. It would have to meet all the requirements to effectively manage assets in a heterogeneous system and to enable links with various applications. Not only Würth employees would need to access the DAM system, but the same DAM would also need to be available for external partners.
The solution
3f8h.net / electronic publishing managed this project from planning to implementation. The focus was on the installation and configuration of the new Digital Asset Management software Elvis DAM, with its versatile and powerful media search engine technology. Also important was the migration of data from the old to the new system.
In an excellent co-operation with the IT specialists of Würth AG Switzerland, the Elvis DAM software has been integrated into the existing system. For this purpose, a virtual host system running Windows Server 2008 R2 has been deployed. A MacMini with OSX Leopard Server serves as a processing node, in order to reliably and efficiently generate thumbnails of assets.
3f8h.net could easily migrate the database into Elvis DAM. A simple web interface was developed using the API of Elvis, which provided the product manager at Würth AG Switzerland with previews, information, and downloads. Assets for external partners will now be available through the Elvis web client, shared with a simple e-mail link.
The result
With Elvis DAM, Würth has a modern DAM solution for dealing with the immense number of different assets for the production of catalogs and other graphic applications. Elvis gives a clear overview, because it indexes, processes and manages images and documents as well as videos and audio. Supported by the high-availability hardware it provides semantic search and dynamic filtering options, and results in milliseconds.
All existing metadata is extracted and is added to the Elvis search index. Company specific metadata can be added, which together with the previews, makes it easier to find matching files. The use of Elvis is intuitive. Users can customize the user interface to their individual needs.
Product managers, sales representatives and graphic designers can allow other people to access the digital assets, internally and externally, via a Web portal or send them content by e-mail link. The sender can set permissions for preview, download or upload of digital assets. If the recipient has a user account on the Elvis server, the link opens the desktop client. When not a registered Elvis user, the link opens in a free browser-based view of Elvis.
The check in / check out feature allows the user to edit the content directly in desktop applications, while locking it temporarily for other users. When the user checks the file in, Elvis overwrites or alternatively represents the modified version with a link to the original one.
Erol Celiko, IT Systems Manager at Würth AG Switzerland:
“Personal contact was flawless. The project implementation by 3f8h.net went smoothly and in coordinated fashion. Sebastian Nafroth and his team responded quickly and were accommodating to all requests. Additional requirements were implemented competently and efficiently.
Elvis was immediately accepted by our users. Cataloging and managing digital assets is now easier and faster. The new DAM system with its additional features provides further incentives for improvements in process management. Our content is now highly available at all times. The new Elvis Web Portal has been particularly well accepted by the users.
Elvis has improved our asset management. ”
3f8h.net / electronic publishing company supports the planning, selection and implementation of software and hardware solutions for the graphic arts industry. The team led by Sebastian Nafroth oversees the projects of its customers as a whole: the depth of problem analysis to user training. Environments can be simulated in a separate lab with clients, for example, to adjust workflow products to specific needs or to adjust for errors in graphical applications. 3f8h.net also provides direct technical assistance.
