“I say ‘traffic,’ you say ‘production’.”
While traffic managers and production managers are often found within the same department, and their roles frequently combined, they each have very different functions within an agency.
The traffic manager is responsible for scheduling and moving work along a Critical Path while the production manager is assigned tasks along said Path – estimating, buying and managing outside services, for example.
According to Tony Mikes, president of Second Wind Network, “The production manager is responsible for pricing all services the agency delivers, working with the various agency departments – creative, account service, public relations, media, interactive – in calculating in-house charges and requesting estimates from outside vendors.” Once gathered, the production manager compiles costs into an estimate. The estimate is then routed through the traffic manager and given to the account executive for client approval.
The traffic manager, on a daily basis, compiles a master workload schedule and talks with each employee, ensuring deadlines are met. This includes the production manager who confirms estimate, shipping and delivery dates.
The primary role of the production manager is to obtain the best possible prices from outside vendors. This requires building (and maintaining) strong business relationships and exploring unique opportunities. The traffic manager is strictly an inward-facing employee who works closely with all departments.
Now that you’ve a better feel for the separate roles of traffic and production, you can see why combining the two may not be the best option. Mikes states it best, “If the production manager is busy for most of the day, scheduling work and resolving conflicts, how can they honestly get the best possible price and delivery for the agency? If a traffic manager is not able to keep up with scheduling changes and new orders because they’re proofreading, estimating and expediting, the timelines and accuracy of the agency’s work will suffer.”
Being a small- to medium-size agency, you may not have the financial resources to divide the roles of traffic and production. You’re not alone. As your agency continues to grow, pay attention to the quality of work being produced by your traffic-production manager. If the increased work volume is impacting it, it may be time to consider a role division.
Steve Jobs 1955-2011
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our generational genius Steve Jobs of Apple. His contributions to the computer industry are beyond measure. Apple products, imbued with his spirit, impact our lives at work and at home in amazing ways. The gifts of his vision remain with us but the world will sorely miss this remarkable man.
“Getting to know you…”
In recent months, I’ve watched a CurrentTrack agency grow exponentially. I’ve worked closely with their traffic managers to review their workflow process and made recommendations about how it should be adapted to handle increasing project volume.
Throughout the review process, I’ve been intrigued by the broad spectrum of personalities involved. Now, more than ever, I believe that knowing employees on a personal level is critical to the success of the traffic department.
We’re all unique individuals. Numerous things motivate us and we each operate differently in the work environment. If you’re a traffic manager, step back for a moment and look at each member of your team. What do you really know about them? What do they value? What do they like to do in their spare time? What type of work ethic do they display?
By getting to know employees more closely, you gain an advantage as a traffic manager. You then know how to more quickly get the work done and how to reward employees in a meaningful way. Let me give you an example.
While the traffic manager of a medium-size agency, I worked with a designer named Christian. He was a pretty laid back guy who took pride in his work. He paid attention to detail and wasn’t afraid to ask questions, although most of the time he worked quietly at his desk. On the weekends, he loved to listen to music and spend time with his family. He’d been a part of the creative industry for many years so he knew how things worked. Although certainly a team player, Christian didn’t typically go “above and beyond” to help out around the office. He would help if asked, but didn’t volunteer.
Because I knew so much about Christian, I was able to more efficiently “traffic” him. I put tasks on his list as far out as possible. I knew he’d want a lot of job details (more than other designers), so I carefully gleaned requests and talked with the account executive(s) if anything was missing. Whenever possible, I included due times for tasks because he liked knowing that information. I also knew he needed to leave promptly at 5 p.m. each day to pick up his son, so I tried to give him a heads up if I thought something was going to take longer than usual. In the middle of a busy week, I might reward him with a $5 iTunes gift card just to say, “Thanks for working so hard!” While he didn’t seek approval from anyone, he liked knowing he was appreciated and that motivated him to work even harder.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you have to park yourself at an employee’s desk and ask a barrage of questions. You already know a lot of the answers. You simply have to take the time to step back and observe. Getting to know team members on a personal level will not only help you become a better traffic manager, but you’ll also gain the respect of your peers.
Keepin’ it real… lean.
Recently, I found myself having a discussion and reading an article about the value of “lean” software. The concept of “lean” is informed by a philosophy of minimalism: don’t let software get bogged down by adding niche features, don’t attempt to reinvent popular conventions, be sure to keep the focus narrow and, most importantly, do what you do extremely well.
Executing this concept is tough. On the one hand if a system lacks table stakes functionality the marketplace will pass on a product when they complete their feature comparison grid. On the other hand if too much is added, you might earn those check marks at the expense of usability; a cluttered, difficult-to-learn system will slow adoption and end users will hate the product. Finding the right mix is like getting the water temperature just right.
Other industries have experienced this as well. Remember when fast food chains seemed to offer an ever growing menu of options to the bewilderment of their customers? Go to Jack in the Box and you can purchase egg rolls alongside your french fries and tacos. Besides confusing the customer about what exactly defines Jack in the Box as a brand, none of the food was executed very well. Then along came Chipotle with it’s minimal menu of just a few interchangeable ingredients. It not only enhanced their brand but it also let them focus on their core competency: delivering consistently fresh tasting food at fast food prices. They accomplished this by keeping their menu and list of ingredients “lean.”
When looking for a solution (agency management or otherwise), before getting hung up on feature comparisons, consider thinking about which system will complement and enhance your existing workflow while not disrupting your employees’ day. Select the solution that addresses your explicit needs most efficiently and cuts the clutter. While a taco with fries can be tasty, sometimes all you’re looking for is a burrito.