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The creative supply chain under control: More efficiency and effectiveness in the creative process
Supply chain management postulates that in the future it will no longer be enterprises, but rather supply chains, which compete with one another. Because: The fewer interface problems and breaches an enterprise encounters in its processes, the more efficiently and effectively can it serve its customers. In times of comparable products, extremely competitive markets and global competition, this is a key element necessary to survive in the market. But what is the status of the supply chains in marketing and communications the creative supply chains? Are they both efficient and effective i.e. competitive or are they more like a ball and chain for market communications, in matters of quality, cost, and speed? This focus paper is dedicated to the challenges within the creative supply chain, and demonstrates timely solutions, with the aid of modern IT, which make marketing forceful and agile in regard to processes.
Capture requirements and ideas in a structured manner Marketing receives ideas, wishes, or suggestions for campaigns from product management, from the sales and distribution department, or directly from the corporate leadership level, and in addition generates its own plans. This input is captured in a variety of forms; sometimes in the form of e-mails; sometimes only orally in informal
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talk at the coffee machine; sometimes in a regulated process as well. But: Only rarely plans and ideas for creative productions are captured centrally and designated as a job. This results in a lack of transparency about the current workload and the pipeline of currently existing projects. Thus, not only in marketing itself, but also on the corporate leadership level, it is elusive exactly what is pending or already underway.
The crux: Briefing Once the process of creation is started, the next step involves the selection and briefing of the appropriate service provider whether an internal production department or an outside agency. Whatever is received as unclear input unclear here, will not become any clearer in the course of creation; for this reason, a core challenge in the creative process is the preparation of an exact, complete, and timely briefing. Coordination and Reviews Briefing is followed by creation and the associated coordination processes. In a more or less time-consuming process going back and forth, the desired solution is approached in a step-wise way. Working efficiently and the effective communication of desired changes and feedback are a particular challenge. In reality, this process frequently takes place via e-mail, involving large mailing lists and file attachments. It also involves the conversion of files, so that all participants can take a look at the design: For example, before each review the layout draft must be converted from a desktop publishing (DTP) program into a PDF or other well-established format. The result is an abundance of file versions and a process that is no longer fully traceable, so that in the end, sometimes it is not even possible to explain why one has selected one thing over the other. Time Pressure In the previous process step, time pressure frequently grows sharply, because coordination takes longer than anticipated or because a concept must be redesigned in its entirety because there is a new idea or the original idea is just not realizable. Time pressure frequently results in loss of quality, which in turn leads to the need for corrections and reviews. The real objective is to be able to invest as much as possible of the little time available into the creative process by minimizing the time spent for reviews, corrections, and file transmissions. Status and Release In the review phase, staff easily lose the overview over the current project status, over costs, and releases which have been given or are still pending. The results are errors due to lack of transparency; forgotten releases, exploding costs, and erroneous transmission of documents due to a chaos of versions. Lack of Standardization A further source of error is the lack of standardization in the course of a project. Even though the content of each creative project may be different; the workflow sequences may be standardized to a great extent, at least as long as media are the same (for example, for all advertisement or for all brochures which are developed). This is utilized only by a small number of companies which in part is understandable as different employees are involved in different projects: from an individual point of view, the easiest is for each of them to execute the project in his/her own way. However, especially in the standardization of the creative processes there is an enormous potential for increased efficiency.
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More errors
Figure: The review cycle in marketing from the hundredth to the thousandth
Order
Creation
Corrections
Approval
PreProduction / Typesetting
Production
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Objective of process optimization is to provide a framework to the creative part of the work which provides enough stability for standardization and at the same enough flexibility to optimally support the execution of creative work and to allow that the available resources can be fully focused on the content. This means: minimal frictional losses, and total focusing on the creative core mission of the marketing and communication spheres. With the help of specialized software adapted to marketing and creative production this framework can be optimally supported.
Web-based Projects, workflows, and media must be centrally filed and accessible. This is best accomplished via client server-based software or, even better, web-based software, so that users as well as outside service providers such as agencies and printers can access their projects and the media via the Internet from any location. Flexible The online project platform for the creative supply chain must flexible enough to cover the job contents and the processes specific both to the enterprise and to the project. This is the only way to achieve complete project documentation and frictionless workflows, by, for example, providing standard workflows for each type of media, so that e.g. print adverts automatically go to the appropriate approver, and online banners likewise are automatically routed to the right contact person in the company. Collaborative The processes shown must of course enable collaboration between the employees working on the project. As these participants are both internal and external users, different access rights and project views are indispensable. Role-based access capabilities meet this requirement. Any File Format The review process must always be of the same simplicity, independent of the file format to be reviewed without additional file conversion and multiple saving of files. This way, a company saves a great deal of time on the part of external service providers and internally.
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Process Component
New Project
The briefing is transmitted to one or more of the selected service providers (internal or external). This is followed by visual inspection, clarification of questions, and if necessary, submitting a quote.
The production order is issued and the actual creative process begins.
Offers and costs of various service providers. First ideas for realization.
Assignment of contracts via software only allows selected service providers continued access to the web-based job file; the remaining service providers now can no longer view the job.
Designs and concepts are created, commented upon, and revised. Challenge: Feedback from various persons must be consolidated; there may be contradictions; back and forth corrections; time loss.
Media designs must exist in a format which makes it possible for the client to provide feedback. Change requests and feedback about the designs. Media designs in versions 1 to x.
A software solution with a review tool allows viewing of any file format and entry of comments in the form of virtual sticky notes directly online. The service provider can directly upload source files without file conversion. All participants review the same current media version, and the comments of others are transparent and traceable.
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Process Component
Corrections
Approval
Internal project employees, but also, for example, technical approval by project management, or legal approval by legal department.
The required approvals are obtained via the tool. At any time, the status of missing approvals is visible. The software sends automatic reminders and information notices on approvals.
Pre-Production / Typesetting
The released medium is given over to production preparation or to typesetting. Review, correction and approval steps follow as described above. The project may be returned again for new creation.
The final media version, and as necessary, also information on corrections and changes as well as releases.
The producing service provider and the internal project manager from marketing.
Automatic notification of the production service providers, concerning an existing order. Correction copies, etc. for release can be provided via the software.
Production
Following conclusion of the project, the job folder is closed and archived in the software. The performance of the service provider can be assessed. Past orders remain traceable and transparent.
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more transparency for the process participants through traceability and documentation, better evaluation of weak points and risks; for example, more accurate estimation in advance of the time needed for creation up to the delivery of the finished media, early recognition and solution of bottleneck situations by transparency over the entire volume of jobs, faster and more structured coordination via standardized processes, less complexity, and up-to-date information, higher quality through complete information, flexible job handling by workflows and job files specific to different types of media, faster approvals, better communication within the team, Reduction of administrative costs (file format conversions, e-mail transmission).
Figure: Job overview and interactive review tool using the example of BrandMaker
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strive for a complete integration of their creative processes, without media breaks and interface losses:
The media asset management system is the central storage location for all media designs and for the final media. It guarantees a transparent and correct version control. It provides further optimization of the creative processes through a direct connection with the desktop of the designer allowing the interface-free uploading of data. Immediately following release, media are available in the media asset pool for intended users.
Possible applications for Media Service Providers, Agencies and Print Shops
The scenario which is described here can be turned around from the point of view of the creative companies involved in the value chain, because an optimized supply chain, on the basis of appropriate software, also offers increased potential for these companies. If, for example, an agency or a printing service provider installs a web-based review tool in order to present its customers media designs and correction copies for coordination, correction, and approval online via the tool, the company provides itself with a considerable competitive advantage. For:
A web-based review tool provides an incomparably comfortable possibility to view and comment media for clients at the company side. No more umpteen megabytes in the in-box, no version chaos, no redundant feedback on a now-obsolete design. Via web link, the client goes directly to the review tool and provides his/her feedback. In addition to perfect customer service, a service provider can gain time for itself and its clients, since review and correction cycles are accelerated. The service provider also retains the upper hand on source data of the designs, if this has been agreed upon with the client. And: Service providers who are able to offer their clients more service, faster processes, and better timing, have a notable and positive competitive edge in a hard-fought and crisis-prone market.
About BrandMaker
BrandMaker is a Marketing Resource Management (MRM) system, which provides a broad spectrum of solutions: Offered are solutions for marketing strategy (scorecards as guide rails for marketing) and management modules (for example, software for integrated market planning and budgeting); as well as modules for marketing implementation and for optimization of the creative supply chain (job management, review management, media asset management, a web-toprint module, event planning, and a module for creation of online media). The system has a modular design and is applied according to the individual client requirements. The software is developed and marketed by the company BrandMaker GmbH. BrandMaker solutions are in use successfully in marketing departments of companies of varying size and in various corporate sectors for example at EnBW in the energy sector, Commerzbank AG and DekaBank in the financial sector, at international service providers like Ernst & Young and companies from the producing industry such as ZF Services GmbH. The software company for optimized marketing processes has about 150 employees across Europe. http://www.brandmaker.com
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