This document discusses common problems that creative services departments face and provides tips for improving workflows and processes. It notes that creative services is challenging due to unpredictable schedules, tight deadlines, and team burnout. It recommends that departments identify the root problems, not just symptoms, filter any proposed fixes, map out new processes clearly, and thoroughly test changes before implementing them live to ensure long-term success. The overall message is that tweaking workflows and changing processes can help creative teams run more smoothly and productively.

1. Creative Services Problems
Troubleshooting
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2. Why is managing Creative Services
such a challenge?
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3. limited freelance budget
because you’re dealing with
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unpredictable
schedule
time sensitive
peaks and valleys team burn out
last minute requests

4. most Creative Services Depts need to
update process and tweak workflows
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5. don’t shy away from changing process
it’s easy when you know how
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6. make a plan -
find, filter, map, and test
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7. ease
1Creative Services 101
do you know what you’re fixing?

8. is it the problem or
a symptom of the problem
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9. fixing a symptom doesn’t work
get to the problem
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if you can’t find the problem accept you’re
putting a bandaid in place
fixing symptoms = get ready to keep fixing the same thing
fixing problems = fix it and you’re done
fixing a symptom doesn’t work
you’ll be living Groundhog Day!

10. finding the pesky problems
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2Creative Services 101

11. team overloaded with work
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client meetings impacted
by operational issues
shortage of people - needing or reliant on freelance
operational issues
bottlenecks

12. team overloaded with work
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bad client meeting -
shortage of people - needing or reliant on freelance
a few ideas of where to look
who’s overloaded?
is it at one level?
might be wrong team structure,
or talent or workflow
might be lack of, or off strategy creative brief
is there a push to sell out of scope work?
disjointed team or poor team communication?
look at how the resource requirements were calculated
has something changed? timing, deliverables?
are fractional FTEs able to focus on the work?
slow workflow? wrong workflow?

13. ease
3filter your fix
Creative Services 101

14. by filtering you can be
sure your changes will stick
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15. what could go wrong with the new plan?
what pushback might you get from colleagues?
is it easy?
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is it flexible?
does it correct all the issues?
is it easily understood?
filters + don’t forget the culture of your company
does it save time?
is it
scalable?
will it be accepted?

16. ease
4map it - list it - scribble it
Creative Services 101

17. it doesn’t matter how it’s done - illustration, list, chart -
just capture the main components
draw it - scribble it - it doesn’t matter
just get it out of your head
map it
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some people love workflow charts
some people like to see a
process as a list
you can’t communicate a process
without clarity

18. ease
5test, test, and test
before running live work
Creative Services 101

19. find a test project
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have someone else project manage the test
tweak and adjust as issues crop up
if several issues need
correcting test again

20. a parallel run = running a project
the old way and new way simultaneously
do a parallel run
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best way to test out a new process
is to do a parallel run
if several issues crop up then go back to testing

21. choose an easy project
make sure you’ve sold the changes
to everyone on the team
ready to go live?
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focus on communicating process
before going live

22. you’ve freed up your creatives to be creative
you’ve removed a pain point
and Congratulations on the change
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you’ve solved a problem

23. want to brainstorm a problem
talk about how we can help
we’re here to help - reach out if you..
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want to discuss how to implement changing
agency operations

24. eve@optimizeease.com and @optimizeease
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We remove hurdles, solve pain points, and get
things running smoothly for Creative and Digital agencies
if you’re struggling to manage your creative department,
need help finding specialized creative project managers or getting
your SOW under control - reach out, we’d love to help