Implementing major new digital media initiatives often involves trying to generate cultural shifts in the traditional ways of doing business. To this end, it is critical that the right organisation is in place to support the effective development and management of your digital media assets on an on going basis.

As the senior stakeholders in a business accept the benefits that these new empowering business tools can bring, then you also need to look at the governance structures and methodology. Real commercial benefits can be demonstrated by looking at the kinds of issues shown below:

• The available skill set and balance of resources for digital business management and development must be put in place.

• There is often a lack of overall coordinating governance – no single point of ownership and no “champion” making the concept of e-business come together (or work together) across the business.

• A lack of strong command and control of an organisation's digital media capabilities that will bring sustainable and differentiating competitive advantage.

• Successes and failures need to be shared and communicated across a common field of knowledge, so that the different applications of this technology can benefit across the business.

• Strong collaboration and shared accountability will ensure that digital programmes will be better integrated and technologies and resources will be utilised in a more optimal way.

• There needs to be an environment that is consistent across the business in it's digital media commercial and architectural coordination, its design and implementation methodologies, to enable the company to respond in a flexible, dynamic way - reacting quickly to changing market needs.

• There needs to be an intrinsic mentality that ensures an organisation is fully exploiting the current portfolio of digital media capabilities.

• There must be appropriate level of Director buy-in to this approach. It is the responsibility of the e-business “owners” to ensure that the Board are fully cognisant of the opportunity that coordinated and consistent digital media can bring, and hence secure the appropriate budgets and resources to optimise  success in this area.

• Placement is important - digital media management must be  correctly dispersed across the business in relevant business functions, but not spread too thinly.