There are several reasons it makes sense to partner with consultants:

1. Bandwidth: It’s not that you can’t or don’t want to address the issues at hand, it’s that your limited bandwidth prevents addressing them in a timely manner. Our team can begin addressing your challenges when and where you need us.
2. Expertise: There are many facets to running a creative organization, and it’s nearly impossible to be an expert in each. Our consultant bench is specifically designed to include experience and expertise diversity.
3. Validation: Sometimes you know what the right solution is, but you need to gain buy-in across your organization. We can provide feedback and best practices validation to support your plans.
4. Impartiality: Other times you are too close to an issue to make hard decisions. Our team brings an unbiased point of view when evaluating your team or processes and providing recommendations.

Examples of operations challenges at which Cella can support creative executives:

Strategic Planning

• Identifying, developing and documenting a department's value proposition and communication plan
• Developing a strategic plan and vision along with gap analysis and goal setting
• Preparing for a merger or acquisition that will impact the creative team
• Establishing or reviewing chargeback rates and processes

Technology Selection and Implementation

• Solving workflow challenges through process restructuring or technology
• Implementing time- and/or project-tracking software
• Selecting and implementing dynamic authoring software and/or digital asset management systems

Process Improvement

• Scanning the creative organization for process improvement opportunities
• Reviewing, improving and codifying department workflow processes
• Assessing intake processes to reduce client effort and increase the quality of information provided
• Reducing error rates in the production cycle
• Improving relationships with clients and key stakeholders through the creation of service level agreements, rate sheets, mission statements and other communication tools

Personnel Development

• Creating skill development programs for individual contributors and managers
• Identifying career pathing strategies for department staff
• Designing engagement strategies to address culture or retention challenges

Organizational Design

• Reorganizing the team for maximum effectiveness and to align with best practices as well as the needs of the organization
• Building an in-house department or function (e.g., proofreading, account management, interactive media) from the ground up, including creation of job descriptions, candidate evaluation tools and coaching for current staff
• Introducing offshoring or outsourcing into workflows

Financial and Business Management

• Creating a business case for increasing staff or funding
• Improving cycle time, cost effectiveness and/or team efficiency
• Designing and implementing customer satisfaction tracking
• Creating a performance dashboard of key performance indicators (KPIs) for senior leadership
• Validating internal chargeback rates against external competitors

In reviewing creative operations for improvement opportunities, we have found that a standard approach enables an effective and thorough solution in a timely manner. While this approach is customized per each client’s unique challenges, the five-phase methodology in which we (1) define objectives, (2) assess the current state of operations, (3) analyze the gaps between the current state and goal state,  (4) develop recommendations based on industry best practices and company-specific requirements and (5) support implementation of solutions remains consistent.

Cella can provide a full or partial scan of your organization's creative operation that will provide actionable recommendations in the areas of strategy, process, organizational design, budget, technology and personnel development. Data collected during on‐site interviews is used to conduct a gap analysis against best practices, considering the specific objectives of the organization. The final output of a COPS™ Assessment is a prioritized set of recommendations to close those gaps. Recommendations typically cover areas such as:

• Specific process improvements (e.g., project intake, approvals and reviews, client management strategy)
• Modified roles and responsibilities for an organizational group and/or positions
• Metrics strategy to align incentives with the overall objectives of the group
• Improved use of technology (e.g., workflow technology, digital asset management)