The process and solution
Webcraft and Positive worked closely together to work out what exactly was required, as the solution that was to be introduced was going to impact on almost every part of the business: from working with clients and providing them with information, through to managing projects and scrutiny of workflow, billing and human resource management.
":It was really important to understand Positive':s business from the outset and to identify what they were working towards, ":highlights Keith Gauci, managing director of Webcraft.": From that point we were able to develop back office functions which utilised the Webcraft
WorkSpace platform, and tied this in with functions working off Positive's corporate website. It was a truly integrated solution for the company.":
Before
WorkSpace was first used by Positive in 2002, client projects were managed by means of written ':job sheets': that were physically passed from person to person in the studio, and briefs were either verbal or had to be typed up and passed across to the creative teams. The implementation of
WorkSpace Project Management has revolutionised the process and not only brought about greater efficiency, but also helped to clarify communication between departments.
WorkSpace Project Management allows for projects and associated tasks to be issued online and assigned to a specific member of staff. It also allows for all time spent on a project to be entered and tracked - so that nothing ever gets ':lost in the system':. Yet as important as the Project Management system is, the solution is most effective when paired with the
WorkSpace Media Archive - providing a 360 degree management of a project.
The
WorkSpace Media Archive allows for campaign materials to be uploaded to a secure server, which the client can then either approve for publication or suggest amendments. Once signed-off, the campaign materials remain archived on the server. So now, instead of hunting through many hard-copy files trying to find the right project, a simple search online, from anywhere in the world and the right project can be found within seconds.
The second phase of implementing
WorkSpace solutions for Positive was to link the Project Management system with the online accountancy programme (Enterprise Accounting).This meant that there was greater synergy between the jobs that were being worked on, and the process of billing clients. This not only helped to remove any queries that clients may have had about the amount of time being spent on any one particular project, but also cut down the amount of time spent on administration.
Instead of invoicing taking two and a half weeks to sort out and to issue, the process has now been cut to less than one working week freeing up the administration staff, and providing financial information quicker to the business leadership team.
":The power of
WorkSpace is obvious,": continues Les Whitaker. ":Through linking the
WorkSpace Project Management with Enterprise Accounting, I am able to pull together financial information at a touch of a button: Im able to compare profitability of different parts of the business and make business decisions accordingly. It':s a truly powerful tactical and strategic tool for the business.":
As
WorkSpace is a system that is leased rather than bought out-right, it provides Positive with a cost-effective solution to its system management needs, there is no need to buy expensive software or hardware, or even to employ an IT specialist to oversee the system. It also means that upgrades are completely free of charge and are managed by Webcraft':s technology specialists. This invaluable advice and support offered by Webcraft is never far away as Webcraft provides Positive with on-going system support.
Moving forward
Whilst the
WorkSpace functions are intuitive and simple to use, Positive has found that the implications of the systems on the way it does business have been immense. Positive has forged more effective and professional relationships with both clients and suppliers alike and is already looking to the future.
The final stage includes fully automating the invoicing process and linking this even closer with the
WorkSpace Project Management system.