Production Process Planning

Despite having a talented 16-person creative team and a roster of multinational clients, the agency’s production department was a critical bottleneck. Managed by a single overworked individual, the lack of defined processes led to missed deadlines, quality inconsistencies, and strained client relationships. The agency’s growth and reputation were being undermined by its own operational inefficiencies.

Hired as Production Manager, I approached the dysfunction as a systems-design problem, focusing on clarity, accountability, and quality control.

1. Process Architecture: I designed and implemented streamlined, stage-gated production processes for all major deliverables (campaigns, digital assets, video). These documents clearly outlined workflows, dependencies, and the specific roles/responsibilities of project managers, creatives, and freelancers at each stage.
2. Quality Assurance Integration: I built a formal QA process directly into the production pipeline. This included defined checkpoints for internal reviews, client approval stages, and final technical audits, ensuring errors were caught early and accountability was assigned.
3. Team Enablement: I trained the entire creative and account management teams on the new systems, shifting the culture from ad-hoc reactions to proactive, process-driven execution.

• Suite of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): in the form of production process and QA documentation that served as the single source of truth for all staff in the production pipeline.
• Performance Monitoring: Tracked on-time delivery and error rates before and after implementation.

Unicomer’s Regional Marketing team was responsible for executing time-sensitive sales promotions across 12 different country-specific eCommerce websites (shopcourts.com). The process was decentralised and chaotic, involving multiple internal departments (eCommerce, Purchasing, IT, and Distribution) and external agencies. The lack of a standardised workflow led to frequent errors, such as incorrect pricing, misaligned creative assets, and delayed launches, which directly hampered sales performance, damaged customer trust, and created significant internal stress as teams scrambled to meet targets without a clear roadmap.

In the capacity of eCommerce Officer, I diagnosed the core issue as a fundamental lack of production management structure. The solution was a comprehensive, end-to-end operational blueprint.

1. 1. Process Mapping & Stakeholder Analysis: I meticulously mapped the entire promotional lifecycle, identifying every touchpoint and dependency across all internal departments. This highlighted critical bottlenecks and handoff failures.
   2. Development of a Standardised Process Document: I authored a master process document that served as the single source of truth. It detailed:
      • Phased Timelines: Clear milestones from promotion conception to post-campaign reporting.
      • Role & Responsibility Matrix: Definitive tasks for eCommerce Officers, artists, IT, purchasing, and external agencies.
      • Deliverable Checklists: Mandatory assets and approvals required at each stage before proceeding.
      • Contingency Protocols: Steps to address common execution issues.

• Comprehensive Business Process Document: A living manual for site-wide promotional execution that could also be applied to standard executions.
• Cross-Departmental Training: Guided all stakeholders through the new process, ensuring departmental adoption.
• Ongoing Management & Refinement: Personally managed the process for two key markets, using the document to coordinate all activities.

To compete with both local retailers and global e-commerce giants, Unicomer needed to leapfrog from a standard 48-hour delivery promise to a market-leading 24-hour door-to-door service. This ambitious initiative required seamlessly integrating functions across Warehouse/Inventory, IT, Logistics, Customer Service, and Finance. The risk of a poorly executed launch was high, with potential for severe customer dissatisfaction and brand damage if the promised service failed.

Formal Business Process Document: A comprehensive guide serving as the foundational blueprint for the initiative, provided to all department heads for implementation planning.