By choosing Keepeek's Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution in 2012, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport entrusted Keepeek with the mission of reorganizing a very rich historical iconographic collection that deserved a structuring worthy of the name. Among the photographs in the photo library are those of the airport's infrastructure, staff and events, as well as aircraft models and archival documents dating back to the beginning of the century. The administrator in charge of the IT project at Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur explains the stages of this project.
Could you tell us about the initial problem that prompted you to implement a DAM solution?
Our aim was to restructure the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport's iconographic collection, so as to be able to organize it and make it accessible and usable for our employees and service providers. We wanted to be able to selectively make available all the illustration resources we had, centralized in a single database where everything is stored and secured.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport's iconographic holdings are extensive?
Yes, we have an iconographic collection of over 90,000 photos currently integrated into our database. Numerous photo shoots have been carried out over the years by photographers, agencies and communications departments to illustrate all the airport's activities, for communication brochures, corporate publications, business illustrations, promoting the hub's shops and services, parking lots, flight schedules, works, etc. We also have all our communication tools (logo, graphic charter, press coverage, etc.). Among the illustrations available, we also have all our communication tools (logo, graphic charter, press coverage elements, etc.) as well as all events, large or small, the installation of a new airline, the arrival of the A380, the G20, where we welcomed prestigious aircraft a few years ago... Beyond that, we also have numerous archive photographs illustrating aerial views from the beginning of the century, the first airport hangars, etc.
It's a very rich collection, historically speaking, and very complete, not only concerning Nice Airport.
Apart from Nice Airport, are any other sites concerned by the photo library?
Yes, on the Côte d'Azur, the Cannes-Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports, which we manage, also feed the photo library with their illustrations. We have development ambitions, particularly in the private aviation sector, and we're gradually opening up internationally. The photo library follows the evolution of each site and each airport activity, and that's what makes it so interesting and strong.
How did you go about setting up the photo library?
The project began in 2012 with a reworking of the existing system, as we already had a photo library at the time. This essentially enabled us to manage files, but the bulk of the iconographic content was not managed in this tool. With Keepeek, we were able to move to the next level and put in place a solid, coherent structure for our collection. Thanks to the support we received from the project and technical teams, implementation took around 2-3 months. We needed this time to set up a relevant classification system for our collection, so that it would be strategic and comprehensible to users according to their needs.
Who are Keepeek users? What do they do with the tool?
Internal users who contact the Communications Department. The latter manages the airport's image, advising and responding to requests from departments that need to prepare slides to present their services or projects at trade shows or events. Internal communications also include selections of images from Keepeek on the intranet, to reach all employees directly.
External users, such as photographers commissioned by Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, who also have access to the photo library. When they place orders, they enter their photos into Keepeek and qualify the keywords themselves to speed up the process. In this way, the application's potential is used to best effect to manage access rights for the audiences concerned.
These uses will change and multiply with Keepeek's new responsive web portal.
What can Keepeek's new responsive web portal do for you?
With Keepeek's new responsive web portal, we'll be able to offer access to the entire organization internally, thus involving more employees. For us, this responsive portal also means that we'll no longer be tied down when on the move, and that we'll be able to take advantage of the iconographic collection while on the move, using other terminals such as tablets or smartphones.
How have you benefited from Keepeek's DAM?
Thanks to Keepeek DAM, we have professionalized the use of photography. We are now able to manage voluminous data and keep pace with the changes brought about by digital technology. The structuring of our iconographic holdings in the photo library enables us to take advantage of some very useful functionalities: duplicate detection, image rights management, sharing with baskets or publications... Our data is dated, qualified and structured, giving real added value to our iconographic holdings.
