In the age of multiple & varied marketing platforms the workflow process continues to play a crucial part in the operation of a creative business.
Do you recognise any of the statements below?
‘Our process is broken’
‘Our current process isn’t fit for purpose’
‘We need a process’
‘We produce great work but internally we are a bit chaotic’
‘We’ve grown but our ways of working haven’t evolved’
‘We need to be more agile /faster/cheaper (add in your own description….)’
These are just some of the things I hear regularly when meeting Senior Management teams who feel their internal operation doesn’t deliver the productivity they need.
Common themes hinder output
Of course, there could be various reasons why productivity suffers but in my experience there are common themes that hinder output.
Without effective & clear creative operations in place it is difficult for project teams to produce their best work.
Defining who is responsible for managing & delivering each project may sound an obvious thing to say, but ambiguity in this key function is a recurring problem that leads to confusion, duplication of effort and poor productivity.
Having a slick & productive process that oils the cogs of the internal machine is of course vital, but equally important is appointing the owner of the process; someone who has a holistic overview of all projects and resource and who is empowered to change the oil - or indeed some cogs - to ensure the company operates with maximum efficiency.
Creativity isn’t a commodity
The owner of the process must also appreciate that creativity isn’t a commodity, and must ensure the processes reflect this.
Vital clarifications can make a big difference.
Is the brief clear?
Is it clear who is responsible for allocating resource?
Does everyone know who the projects’ key stakeholders are?
Who are the internal approvers of an idea?
What are the milestones?
What is the budget?
All fairly basic questions but without clear answers, bottlenecks and delays will occur and with them, frustrated clients & poor productivity.
Of course, there are many other areas within creative companies where changes and improvements can increase productivity, but having an effective workflow will help increase this.
Is your process fit for purpose?