Schindler AG

How our digital asset management stimulated company flow   

Founded 1874, Schindler corporation is a leading lift, escalator and related services provider on the international market. Schindler’s innovative, environmentally friendly access and conveyance systems have profoundly contributed to urban society’s mobility. Every day, all around the world, over 1 billion people are transported by Schindler’s mobility solutions. A success upheld by over 57,000 employees in more than 100 countries. 

At the close of 2014, Schindler AG launched a search for an innovative and rapid image data bank to install a corporate-wide, unified and copyright-secure software for their inhouse product, marketing and communications administration. Schindler had previously stored and organised photos, videos, graphics and documents over several server file systems and storage locations. The result was chaos. Repeated problems arose with media data applications, product communications were inconsistent, and employees received multiple duplicates of the same files. Schindler was on a quest for software that would meet several demands at once. A core desire was, to name but one, to make images and files visible depending on location, i.e. photos accessible to Schindler’s Swiss employees should be viewable for German colleagues and vice versa. Furthermore, a country-specific rights system would deny download access at pertinent locations. 

Schindler’s quest ended with our 4ALLPORTAL Digital Asset Management (DAM). The comprehensive basic functions alone covered a large part of their needs. To set location-specific viewing parameters, Schindler AG acquired our traffic light & usage rights feature, an extension defining the files’ various release attributes, copyrights and applications that applies a simple, colour-coded traffic light system to inform users. We also installed a feature indicating the expiration date of each file’s copyright, putting an end to licensing issues.  Before fully launching our DAM, we scanned directly in DAM nearly 500,000 files for duplicates – ensuring Schindler a clean file inventory at the get go. Our analysis turned up a total of 105,000 duplicates which we marked and allocated to the appropriate corporate department. Subsequently, each department could view the marked files and decide which to keep and which to delete. 

The 4ALLPORTAL media asset management gave us an innovative image data bank precisely adapted to our needs. 4ALLPORTAL provided initial assistance in getting our extensive assets in order. The 4ALLPORTAL team guidance while processing our sensitive and critical material was first rate – both professional and personable. We’ve got the hang of it now, and work with our DAM every day at our home office in Switzerland. One by one, our branch offices are being schooled in handling the media asset management software. Soon, we will be able to apply this excellent administrative and organisational media data system world-wide, doing away with copyright issues and enjoying clear, unified communications. For us, this means a true, long-term plus – organisationally and financially, as well.  

Sven Feurer, Schindler Aufzüge (lifts) AG