DAM Bynder Digital Asset Management - Project Manager for 1,400 Users

End-to-end deployment of the Bynder Brand Portal for Groupe Pichet (~1,400 employees), replacing the legacy OpenText system - sole project pilot, delivered ahead of schedule and within budget.

February 2019 - November 2020

20 months

Technical Lead - Sole Pilot

Bynder Brand PortalOpenText OTMMAkeneo PIMCI HUBAzure ADKatalon StudioAWS S3JiraConfluenceQualiacSOFT Monitor

DAM Bynder Digital Asset Management - Project Manager for 1,400 Users

End-to-end deployment of the Bynder Brand Portal for Groupe Pichet (~1,400 employees), replacing the legacy OpenText system - sole project pilot, delivered ahead of schedule and within budget.

February 2019 - November 2020

20 months

Technical Lead - Sole Pilot

Bynder Brand PortalOpenText OTMMAkeneo PIMCI HUBAzure ADKatalon StudioAWS S3JiraConfluenceQualiacSOFT Monitor

Target Users

~1,400

All Groupe Pichet entities

Year-1 Budget

~57K€

Under initial 65K€ envelope

Onboarding Sessions

Weekly sessions with Bynder

Years in Production

Nov 2020 - Feb 2024+

Presentation

Project definition and scope

The DAM (Digital Asset Management) project consisted in deploying a centralized platform for managing all digital resources of the Groupe Pichet - a major player in French real estate with approximately 1,400 employees across multiple business units (property development, rental, hospitality, student residences, marketing, and corporate communications).

The core mission was to replace the legacy OpenText OTMM (Open Text Media Management) system - an aging, on-premise solution requiring complex infrastructure (SQL Server, OTDS, MFT, FFMPEG, Adaptive Media Delivery) - with the modern SaaS platform Bynder Brand Portal, accessible at dam.pichet.fr.

The platform centralizes all visual assets of the group: real estate program photographs, architectural plans, marketing visuals, videos, logos, and brand guidelines. It makes these resources available to every entity in the group through a single, intuitive interface.

Jose DA COSTA served as the sole pilot of this project at the group level, from the initial needs qualification phase (independent Codified DAM Consultant benchmark), through vendor selection (Bynder), contract negotiation (legal review with Louise ROBINO), configuration and onboarding, all the way to production deployment and ongoing maintenance.

Domain

Real estate / MarTech - digital asset management for a group with ~1,400 employees across multiple business units

Target Users

Marketing & communication teams (all entities), sales teams, partner agencies, and external stakeholders

Integration Architecture

Objectives, Context, Stakes & Risks

Strategic vision and constraints

Objectives

Replace OpenText OTMM (on-premise, heavy, complex - blocked SQL Server 2016 AlwaysOn migration) with a modern, intuitive SaaS solution
Centralize all visual assets on a single platform accessible to all entities (~1,400 employees)
Conduct an independent benchmark (Codified DAM Consultant IQ Equity study by Mark Davey - 6 stages: Gap Analysis, Resource Audit, User Requirements, Governance, Vendor Scoring, Vendor Analysis)
Integrate DAM with PIM Akeneo for automatic product image synchronization (ESB DAM-PIM SaaS flow)
Train internal users on the new platform (TUTO DAM, progressive onboarding)
Connect DAM to Creative Suite tools via CI HUB (Adobe CC connector)

Context

The legacy OpenText OTMM system had become a maintenance nightmare: a SQL Server 2016 AlwaysOn migration was blocked, version upgrades for OTDS, MFT, and FFMPEG were complex and costly, and the system was only accessible from the internal network. Meanwhile, the marketing and communication teams needed a modern, cloud-based solution accessible from anywhere.

Nicolas F. (Cross-functional Project Manager) transferred the DAM project leadership to Jose DA COSTA in February 2019, recognizing the need for dedicated technical piloting. The project gained momentum in early 2020 with formal requirements gathering and budget allocation.

Business Stakes

Group-wide Deployment

All Pichet entities (development, rental, hospitality, All Suites, student residences, marketing, communications) needed access to a single platform - this was a business transformation project, not just IT

Controlled Budget

Initial envelope of 65K€ (later revised down to 55K€ after precise costing), with Bynder license at 36,900€/year plus CI HUB (~15K€) and Activo Consulting (5K€)

Covid Context

The project was delivered during the pandemic - ahead of schedule with zero Covid delay, a fact highlighted by the general management

Identified Risks

Asset Migration

Transferring all digital resources from the old OpenText DAM to Bynder without loss, while maintaining metadata consistency and folder structures

User Adoption

Teams accustomed to the old system (or no DAM at all) needed to adopt a new workflow - resistance to change was a significant concern across 1,400 employees

PIM Integration Complexity

Synchronizing assets between DAM and PIM Akeneo via ESB required reliable automated flows (AssetFamilyPatch, GetAssetsAsJson) with proper error handling

Vendor Dependency

Moving from on-premise to SaaS introduced dependency on Bynder availability and SLA compliance (Silver Package)

OpenText (Before) vs Bynder (After)

The Steps - What I Did

Chronological phases and personal contributions

Project Progress Over Time

Phase 1

Legacy DAM Takeover

Feb - Nov 2019

Took over DAM leadership from Nicolas F. who confirmed: "Jose now pilots the DAM project"
Led OpenText technical upgrades (OTDS, OTMM, MFT, FFMPEG, Adobe CC, Adaptive Media Delivery) - tickets DAM-28 to DAM-38
Managed knowledge transfer sessions on the existing DAM infrastructure
Created AWS S3 bucket (kariba-assets) for asset storage

Phase 2

Benchmark & Vendor Selection

Feb - Jul 2020

Gathered formal requirements through regular DAM workshops with Nicolas F. and stakeholders
Commissioned the Codified DAM Consultant IQ Equity study (Mark Davey) via Activo Consulting for 5,000€
Organized the DAM project: designated Emeline D. as functional PM (80% FTE sprint 1)
Conducted benchmark workshops, backlog reviews, sprint reviews, and roadmap sessions
Evaluated competitor CELUM through live demo, scored against benchmark criteria
Studied Azure AD SSO integration options with infrastructure team
Selected Bynder on June 26, 2020 with management approval from Remi EHRHART
Managed vendor onboarding in Qualiac and led legal review of 3 Bynder documents with Louise ROBINO (Corporate Lawyer)

Phase 3

Configuration & Deployment

Jul - Nov 2020

Planned and executed DAM configuration with Bynder professional services
Led 17 weekly "OnBoarding Bynder" sessions covering all platform aspects
Ran functional tests using Katalon Studio (including 631 MB file sharing tests)
Defined specifications: user profiles/permissions, groups, SNS notifications, External Uploader, IPTC mappings
Prepared pre-launch statistics (November 12) for before/after comparison
Orchestrated production launch on November 18, 2020 - communication sent to the entire Groupe Pichet
Coordinated user training: TUTO DAM documentation shared by Emeline D.

Phase 4

Exploitation & PIM Integration

Nov 2020 - Feb 2024+

Managed ongoing DAM-PIM integration (asset synchronization via ESB)
Handled access management for group GR-USER-DAM-INT
Monitored production alerts: AssetFamilyPatchSubProcess and GetAssetsAsJsonSubProcess errors
Ensured platform continuity across 3+ years of exploitation

Project Phases

The Actors - Interactions

Stakeholders and collaborations

Nicolas F. - Cross-functional Project Manager (Previous DAM pilot) Transferred DAM leadership to Jose in February 2019. Remained a key stakeholder throughout the project, providing budget validation and strategic guidance. His message confirming Bynder selection was pivotal: validating the vendor choice with management.

Emilie D. - Kariba Team Handled the technical OpenText upgrade work (tickets DAM-28 to DAM-38), managed Confluence PSR documentation, and provided critical knowledge about the legacy DAM infrastructure.

Emeline D. - Marketing Team Designated as functional PM for the DAM project (80% ETP in sprint 1). Led user training efforts with the TUTO DAM documentation, conducted file sharing tests, and served as the bridge between the technical deployment and end-user adoption.

Franck C. - Direct Manager (N+1) Validated the project budget and participated in the legal review of the Bynder contract. Provided management cover for key decisions.

Louise ROBINO - Corporate Lawyer (Droit des Affaires) Conducted the complete legal markup of 3 Bynder contractual documents: Professional Agreement, SLA (Silver Package), and Contract. Her review ensured contractual protection for Groupe Pichet.

Remi EHRHART - Management Gave final approval for Bynder selection on June 26, 2020. Post-launch, he expressed strong satisfaction: "super happy it was delivered ahead of schedule and within budget with zero Covid delay."

Benoit PICHET - General Management Provided "super positive feedback" after the production launch, validating the project as a group-level success.

Malika (Bynder) - Vendor Partner Led the onboarding sessions from Bynder side. At launch she wrote: "Long and beautiful life to DAM Pichet."

Frederic S. (Activo Consulting) - Benchmark Consultant Provided the Codified DAM Consultant IQ Equity study and ongoing advisory. Congratulated the team at launch: "Good job!!"

Cyril M. - Colleague Celebrated the launch: "Wouhou! Bravo to all of you!" - representing the broader team enthusiasm.

Stakeholder Management Radar

Results

Impact for me and for the organization

Results for Me - Professional Growth

This project was a defining experience in enterprise project management. Leading a group-wide initiative as sole pilot - from vendor benchmarking through contract negotiation to production deployment - developed skills that go far beyond technical implementation:

Vendor Management & Procurement: Conducted a structured, methodology-driven vendor selection (Codified DAM Consultant), managed RFP processes, negotiated commercial terms, and coordinated legal contract review
Stakeholder Management at Scale: Coordinated across all Pichet entities - marketing, communications, sales, hospitality, IT infrastructure - each with different needs and expectations
Budget Ownership: Managed a 65K€ envelope, optimized it down to 57K€ actual spend, and demonstrated fiscal responsibility to management
Change Management: Drove adoption of a new platform across ~1,400 employees, overcoming resistance through progressive onboarding and hands-on training
SaaS Transformation Expertise: Gained deep understanding of on-premise-to-SaaS migration dynamics, vendor SLA evaluation, and cloud dependency management

Results for the Organization - Business Impact

The DAM Bynder deployment exceeded expectations on every dimension:

Delivery: Launched ahead of schedule and within budget - with zero Covid delay despite the pandemic context
Budget: Actual Year-1 spend of ~57,000€ HT vs. initial 65K€ envelope - 12% under budget
User Reach: Extended DAM access from a restricted marketing team (~20 users on OpenText) to the entire Groupe Pichet (~1,400 employees)
Infrastructure Savings: Eliminated on-premise OpenText servers (SQL Server, OTDS, OTMM, MFT, FFMPEG), removing ~70K€/year in infrastructure and maintenance costs
Accessibility: From internal-network-only to dam.pichet.fr - accessible anywhere, anytime
Creative Integration: CI HUB connector enabled direct Adobe Creative Cloud ↔ Bynder workflow, reducing manual asset handling by marketing teams
PIM Synchronization: Automated DAM ↔ PIM Akeneo integration for product images, eliminating manual upload workflows
Management Satisfaction: Positive feedback from Benoit Pichet (CEO), Remi Ehrhart (Management), and the entire organization

Year-1 Investment Breakdown

Project Aftermath

What happened after launch

Immediate Post-Launch (November - December 2020)

The launch on November 18, 2020 was met with enthusiasm across the organization. Jose shared DAM filters and content via Bynder, confirming active daily usage. Emeline D. continued user training with the TUTO DAM documentation. Nicolas F. celebrated: "It's official :D Congratulations for your work Jose ;)". The platform immediately became the central hub for all visual assets.

Medium-Term Exploitation (2021 - 2022)

The DAM-PIM integration entered continuous operation mode, with automated synchronization of product images between Bynder and Akeneo. The ESB flows (AssetFamilyPatch, GetAssetsAsJson) handled the bi-directional asset synchronization. SOFT Monitor and email alerting ensured visibility on integration health.

Long-Term (2023 - 2024+)

Over 3 years after deployment, the platform remained in active production. Access management continued (GR-USER-DAM-INT group management in December 2022). Production monitoring caught integration errors (AssetFamilyPatchSubProcess and GetAssetsAsJsonSubProcess alerts in November 2023 - February 2024), demonstrating the robustness of the monitoring setup even years after initial deployment.

The architectural decision to choose a SaaS platform over on-premise proved durably correct: zero version upgrade hassles, no infrastructure maintenance, and automatic feature updates from Bynder. The initial investment in a rigorous benchmark process (Codified DAM Consultant methodology) paid dividends in vendor satisfaction and platform stability over 3+ years.

Critical Reflection

Honest retrospective analysis

What Went Well

Several factors contributed to the project's success:

Structured Benchmark Methodology: Investing 5,000€ in the Codified DAM Consultant study was a pivotal decision. It provided a rigorous, vendor-agnostic evaluation framework (Gap Analysis, Resource Audit, User Requirements, Governance, Vendor Scoring, Vendor Analysis) that gave credibility to the Bynder recommendation and prevented emotional or relationship-driven vendor selection
Progressive Onboarding: The 17-week structured onboarding with Bynder's professional services team ensured thorough platform mastery before the go-live. No shortcuts were taken, and the result was a smooth launch
Early Budget Optimization: Revising the budget from 65K€ down to 55K€ based on precise costing demonstrated fiscal responsibility and built trust with management
Transparent Communication: Regular updates to stakeholders at every level - from functional PM to general management - maintained alignment and prevented surprises
Covid Resilience: The SaaS nature of the solution and the remote-friendly onboarding process meant the pandemic had zero impact on delivery - a fact that impressed management

What I Would Do Differently

In retrospect, several aspects could have been improved:

Earlier User Involvement: While Emeline D. was effective as functional PM, involving a broader set of end-users earlier in the configuration phase could have surfaced edge cases and specific needs sooner
Formalized Migration Plan: The asset migration from OpenText to Bynder could have benefited from a more detailed, documented migration plan with explicit validation checkpoints
PIM Integration Planning: The DAM-PIM integration challenges that surfaced later (AssetFamilyPatch errors) suggest that more upfront technical specification of the ESB flows would have reduced post-launch monitoring overhead
Knowledge Documentation: While the TUTO DAM covered user-facing procedures, the technical architecture and integration documentation could have been more comprehensive for long-term maintainability

Lessons Learned

This project reinforced several principles that shaped my approach to subsequent initiatives:

Independent consulting pays for itself: The 5,000€ benchmark study prevented a potentially costly vendor mis-selection and gave the recommendation unassailable credibility
SaaS vs. on-premise is not just a technical choice - it's an organizational transformation that changes maintenance culture, budget models, and accessibility expectations
Sole pilot ≠ solo work: Being the single accountable person for a group-wide project requires deliberate delegation and trust-building with functional contributors
Pre-launch metrics matter: Jose's initiative to collect "before" statistics on November 12 (6 days before launch) enabled compelling before/after comparisons that validated the investment to management
Management satisfaction is earned through delivery, not promises: The positive reactions from Benoit Pichet and Remi Ehrhart were the result of under-promising and over-delivering - ahead of schedule, under budget, zero delays

Project Governance

Decision-making structure and oversight

Governance Model: Single Accountable Pilot

This project followed a lean governance model adapted to its cross-functional scope. Jose DA COSTA acted as the single accountable pilot, with a clear escalation path:

Operational decisions (configuration, planning, testing): Jose DA COSTA - autonomous authority
Budget decisions (vendor contracts, purchases): Franck C. (N+1) - approval required
Strategic decisions (vendor selection, go/no-go): Remi EHRHART (Management) - final approval
Legal decisions (contractual terms, SLA review): Louise ROBINO (Corporate Lawyer) - independent review

Weekly: onboarding sessions with Bynder (17 sessions total)
Bi-weekly: DAM workshop with Nicolas F. and stakeholders
Monthly: budget and progress reporting to Franck C.
Ad hoc: escalation to Remi EHRHART for strategic milestones

Approval chain: Jose (PM) -> Franck C. (N+1) -> Nicolas F. (budget owner) -> Remi EHRHART (final)

Project Management Methodology

Framework and ceremonies

Hybrid Approach

Structured vendor evaluation (waterfall gates) combined with agile delivery (sprints, backlog reviews, progressive onboarding). The project adapted its methodology to each phase rather than applying a rigid framework.

Ceremonies & Rituals

DAM Workshops - Requirements gathering and validation with stakeholders
Backlog Reviews - Prioritization of configuration and deployment tasks
Sprint Reviews - Progress demonstrations to key stakeholders
Roadmap Sessions - Strategic alignment on delivery milestones
Onboarding Sessions - 17 weekly structured sessions with Bynder
Steering Meetings - Monthly budget and progress reporting to N+1

PM Tooling

Jira - Ticket tracking (DAM-28 to DAM-38+), sprint management, backlog
Confluence - Documentation (PSR, specifications, TUTO DAM)
Katalon Studio - Functional testing and quality gates
Qualiac - Vendor onboarding and procurement management
SOFT Monitor - Production monitoring and email alerting

Risk Assessment Matrix

Risk Heatmap - Probability vs. Impact

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation	Status
Asset Migration	60%	90%	Pre-launch testing with Katalon Studio (631 MB file tests), IPTC mapping specifications, detailed validation checkpoints	Mitigated
User Adoption	70%	80%	17 weekly progressive onboarding sessions, TUTO DAM documentation, functional PM (Emeline D.) as bridge to end-users	Mitigated
PIM Integration Complexity	50%	60%	SOFT Monitor + email alerting setup, ESB flow monitoring (AssetFamilyPatch, GetAssetsAsJson) - errors detected post-launch	Partial
Vendor Dependency	30%	70%	SLA Silver Package legal review by Louise ROBINO, contractual protection of 3 Bynder documents	Mitigated

Risk Heatmap - Probability vs. Impact

RACI Matrix

Responsibility assignment for key decisions

Activity / Decision	Jose DA COSTA	Nicolas F.	Franck C.	Remi EHRHART	Emeline D.	Louise ROBINO
Vendor Selection	R/A	C	C	A	I	I
Contract Negotiation	R	C	A	I	I	R
Budget Approval	R	C	A	A	I	I
Platform Configuration	R/A	I	I	I	C	I
User Training	A	I	I	I	R	I
Go-Live Decision	R	C	A	A	C	I
Production Monitoring	R/A	I	I	I	I	I

R = Responsible (does the work) | A = Accountable (approves) | C = Consulted | I = Informed

Project Steering Dashboard

Budget tracking and earned value indicators

Delivery Performance

Schedule

Ahead

Delivered Nov 18 vs. Dec 2020 target

Budget Variance

-12%

57K€ actual vs. 65K€ envelope

Scope

100%

All planned features delivered + PIM integration

Quality

Zero defects

Clean launch, no rollback, 3+ years stable

Budget Planned vs. Actual Over Time

Decision Log

Key project decisions and their rationale

Feb 2019DAM project leadership

Options Evaluated: Keep cross-functional PM (Nicolas F.) | Transfer to dedicated technical pilot

Decision Made: Transfer to Jose DA COSTA as sole technical pilot

Validated By: Nicolas F.

May 2020Benchmark methodology

Options Evaluated: Internal evaluation only | Independent consultant study

Decision Made: Codified DAM Consultant IQ Equity study (5K€ via Activo Consulting)

Validated By: Jose DA COSTA

Jun 26, 2020DAM vendor selection

Options Evaluated: Bynder Brand Portal | CELUM | Keep OpenText OTMM

Decision Made: Bynder Brand Portal (SaaS, Silver Package)

Validated By: Remi EHRHART

Jun 2020SLA package level

Options Evaluated: Bronze (basic) | Silver (standard) | Gold (premium)

Decision Made: Silver Package - right balance of support and cost

Validated By: Franck C.

Jul 2020Budget revision

Options Evaluated: Keep 65K€ initial envelope | Revise to 55K€ based on costing

Decision Made: 55K€ revised - demonstrated fiscal responsibility

Validated By: Franck C.

Sep 2020Onboarding approach

Options Evaluated: Big-bang training (2-3 intensive days) | Progressive weekly sessions

Decision Made: 17 weekly progressive sessions - deeper platform mastery

Validated By: Jose DA COSTA

Nov 12, 2020Pre-launch metrics baseline

Options Evaluated: Launch without baseline | Collect before statistics

Decision Made: Collect baseline 6 days before launch for before/after comparison

Validated By: Jose DA COSTA

Nov 18, 2020Go-live date

Options Evaluated: December 2020 (original plan) | November 18 (ahead of schedule)

Decision Made: Launch on November 18 - ahead of schedule

Validated By: Franck C.

Change Management

Adoption strategy and user transition

Adoption Strategy

The transition from OpenText (used by ~20 users) to Bynder (targeting ~1,400 employees) required a deliberate change management approach:

Progressive rollout over a big-bang migration: pilot group first, then department-by-department extension
Functional PM bridge: Emeline D. (80% FTE) served as the bridge between the technical deployment team and end-users, translating technical capabilities into business workflows
Training documentation: TUTO DAM guides created and distributed to all entities
Executive sponsorship: Remi EHRHART and Benoit PICHET provided top-down endorsement, giving the initiative organizational legitimacy
Quick wins communication: sharing the first Bynder content immediately after launch demonstrated immediate value

User Adoption Curve

Communication Plan

DAM workshops during benchmark phase - stakeholder buy-in from the start
Regular sprint reviews - keeping decision-makers informed on progress
Pre-launch statistics collection (Nov 12) - building the "before" baseline
Group-wide launch announcement (Nov 18) - formal email to all Groupe Pichet
TUTO DAM documentation - self-service onboarding material
Post-launch celebration messages - reinforcing success across the organization

Vendor Selection & Procurement

Structured evaluation and contract management

Evaluation Framework

The vendor selection followed the Codified DAM Consultant IQ Equity methodology by Mark Davey, a 6-stage independent framework:

1. Gap Analysis - Identified gaps between current OpenText capabilities and business needs 2. Resource Audit - Assessed existing asset volumes, metadata structures, and workflows 3. User Requirements - Collected formal needs from all Pichet entities via DAM workshops 4. Governance - Defined access policies, roles, and content governance rules 5. Vendor Scoring - Quantitative evaluation of shortlisted vendors against weighted criteria 6. Vendor Analysis - Deep-dive into finalists with live demonstrations and reference checks

Bynder vs. CELUM - Vendor Comparison

Contract Management

Professional Agreement - scope of services, responsibilities, intellectual property
SLA (Silver Package) - uptime commitments, response times, escalation procedures
Contract - pricing, payment terms, renewal conditions, termination clauses