http://developware.com/blog Advice and Musings on Ad Agency Workflow Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:54:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In order for a Traffic Manager to be successful, he (or she) must be the focal point of all work flowing through the agency. There must also be strong support from upper management and other departments. Picture a stagecoach wagon wheel without spokes -- sort of useless. Following is a brief ... http://developware.com/blog/traffic/how-can-i-help-our-traffic-manager/ ... and repeat after me. "I pledge allegiance to my time sheet, and to the satisfied Traffic Manager in which it stands, one web-based agency system, under deadline, with workflow management and task accountability for all." Remember, you're under oath. http://developware.com/blog/miscellaneous/please-raise-your-right-hand/ Ok, maybe not in the literal sense, but figuratively. It’s shrinking, too. In his 2004 bestseller, "The World is Flat," Thomas Friedman explores the convergence of technology and events that have enabled countries around the globe to compete in the same marketplace. This blurring of geographic lines becomes more evident to ... http://developware.com/blog/technology/yes-christopher-the-world-is-flat/ If I had a nickel for every time I've heard those words I'd, well, I wouldn't be writing this blog. I'd be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or sipping green tea in Tokyo. When is a project management system truly needed? Simply put, when you don’t know what’s going on in your agency. ... http://developware.com/blog/technology/we-need-a-system/ The system I use each day to document my customers’ questions, record my time, submit project-related expenses, and get a quick feel for what’s moving through the IT Department, is CurrentTrack®. It's an entirely web-based project management system -- or, if you're a fan of acronyms, SaaS -- that enables ... http://developware.com/blog/miscellaneous/you-can-take-it-with-you/ The primary goal of the Traffic Department is to increase agency efficiency. Its Manager must effectively monitor jobs, improve communication and ensure workflow consistency. As Sandra Claudio, former Traffic Manager at Adler Boschetto Peebles & Partners and contributor to "Careers in Advertising" by Eva Lederman summarizes, "Our job is to make ... http://developware.com/blog/traffic/to-bill-or-not-to-bill-that-is-the-question/ My office is about 12 degrees “warm” this afternoon. The sun is shining outside the window, but don’t be fooled. The winds are chilly. I believe winter has arrived; fall skipped (again). While sitting here, nose and fingertips slightly numb, it occurred to me… “Your work environment is as key to your ... http://developware.com/blog/motivation/baby-it%e2%80%99s-cold-outside/ 1. Know your “power.” As Traffic Manager, you have the power to move deadlines. If you know there’s padding in a job’s timeline, move the deadline and let everyone involved know you did so. 2. Find Tasks that can be completed simultaneously. Don’t get caught in a linear rut. The more ... http://developware.com/blog/traffic/%e2%80%9ctraffic-rules-to-live-by%e2%80%9d/ I’m currently in Orlando, FL at the 2008 CREATE Chaos Conference and Expo. Our company, Developware, is exhibiting CurrentTrack. The folks at Brahn Communications have done an exceptional job with strategic partnership development, advertising and media sponsorship, and overall logistics for the event. Sessions are clearly marked, lanyards and conference materials ... http://developware.com/blog/miscellaneous/size-does-matter/ Cake. Yep, cake. Let’s think about this for a minute. Before you were even born, chances are someone organized a baby shower and served cake. On your first birthday, and nearly every birthday thereafter, you probably blew out a candle (or several) atop a cake. When you graduated from college, cake. When ... http://developware.com/blog/motivation/what-makes-the-world-go-%e2%80%98round/