What is Production Decoupling?
Production decoupling or centralised production occurs when a client communicates directly with a production house instead of allowing their agency to produce in-house or use their own supplier.
Go to the articleMaking a smooth transition to centralised production has many requirements. It is important for the below mentioned stakeholders to manage the following:
Global Teams
Local Teams
When transitioning to decoupling, it is also important to recognise the following issues:
Global Teams
Local Teams
In order to start off on the right foot, markets must evaluate the client’s brand’s culture, values and requirements. Once teams, objectives, KPIs and SLAs are ascertained, it is important to put the right processes in place. Here are some important elements to consider when planning processes.
Production audit
An audit of needs and costs for production work to identify which steps can be streamlined and also to determine under-utilised benefits. Production from previous years and key information including cost estimates, final creative assets and supplier and internal spending are assessed. The client’s management must have a heavy involvement in this process, as well as the agency and its suppliers, to ensure a successful kick-off and there must be a close cooperation with all key stakeholders. The scope of work is then assessed and can be planned efficiently onwards. Key objectives are then agreed upon by all and will determine the overall success of the project.
RFI
A Request for Information allows the marketers to prepare a list of production suppliers for evaluation. This can include production houses, directors, casting, audio production, 3D animation, voice overs and more. Marketers should base the RFI on specific conditions needed from suppliers.
Analysis
Marketers should analyse the suppliers according to the terms of the RFI and then proceed to deal with the selection that fits the requirements. Each supplier should provide details regarding their production capabilities in both type of work and volume, delivery timing, pricing and more. A pricing model can be included here and financial terms will be agreed upon based on this content.
Implementation
Once production suppliers are chosen, marketers should align with stakeholders on roles and management responsibilities for all parties involved. The chemistry between the agency and its suppliers must not be overlooked as it forms the key to a successful cooperation. Therefore meetings are arranged between most important preferred suppliers in order to agree on key terms of the cooperation. Training programmes are put in place from all team members to quickly get on track, this could be in the form of face-to-face workshops.
Pilot phase
Training programmes are put in place from all team members to quickly get on track with the brand, this could be in the form of face-to-face workshops. This also includes any necessary IT solutions whether it be servers, file sharing, backuping or otherwise. All this comes together in the pilot phase where any last kinks are worked out and a final efficient process is determined based on the key learnings. The programme is then ready for an official launch.
”The chemistry between the agency and its suppliers must not be overlooked as it forms the key to a successful cooperation.”
Buying-in from the client’s Senior Management
Giving the cooperation concrete shapes
Agreeing on Finance Governance
Defining Operational Rules of Engagement
Formulating step by step on-boarding plan at early stages
Customising collaborative tools & IT solutions
Find out how your brand can benefit from letting your creative agency develop only core ideas and moving the creative production to a specialist production house.
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