Often at MerlinOne, we are tasked with helping customers move data to Merlin from other solutions. The challenge is ensuring metadata associated with the digital objects is preserved. Depending on file formats or how content has previously been stored, some digital assets have metadata self contained, others may have a sidecar XML file, and sometimes, the data is stored in a spreadsheet type of list or a different database. In the case of JPEGS, metadata may be in the IPTC or XMP fields. Our DAM system knows to look into these fields for images; that is pretty easy. But what do you do about metadata that is not embedded, that is stored separately?
That is where MerlinOne expertise comes in.
Here are some questions we ask our customers to get the process started:
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In what format can your data be exported? There may be several options.
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Are individual files associated or linked in some way? Do you need to preserve that relationship in the new system?
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Have you changed your metadata strategy over the years? If so, you can use the migration as an opportunity to normalize the data, so it becomes consistent throughout the collection.
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Do you want to want to combine data from multiple fields?
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Do you need to split data from existing fields into multiple fields?
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Do you need a look-up table to translate data, i.e., expanding abbreviations?
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Are you prepared to send samples?
We work with our customers to ensure data is mapped properly from one system to Merlin. The customer may need to provide a mapping table of legacy fields to Merlin fields. Merlin supports all IPTC/XMP fields. A standard Merlin also includes many publication related fields and a number of fields that may be used in any manner required. And if that is not enough, additional fields may be added as needed.
And finally, we cannot emphasize this enough…samples, samples and more samples. We like to see samples from way back when and recent samples. We know that data changes over time, and we are often able to accommodate those data changes.
Rande Anmuth Simpson
Director of Sales
Email: rsimpson@MerlinOne.com
Phone: 912.258.5060
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