Background
Rhubarb is a Los Angeles-based entertainment advertising agency specializing in creating promotional materials for major streaming and entertainment companies including Netflix, Amazon, Paramount+, HBO Max, CBS, ABC, and Peacock.
The agency produces high-quality deliverables such as movie posters and streaming platform content visuals while managing numerous active projects simultaneously, often under extremely tight deadlines.
Problem
Before working with Ace Workflow, Rhubarb struggled with fragmented systems that made it difficult to efficiently track and manage their high-volume creative workflow. The team was using multiple disconnected tools including Slack, Monday.com, Excel spreadsheets, and a basic version of Airtable, resulting in information being scattered across platforms.
Challenges
- Fragmented Information Management: Team members had to navigate between Slack, Monday.com, Excel, and various other tools to find project information.
- Poor Resource Visibility: Difficulty tracking which team members (in-house and freelancers) were working on specific projects, leading to resource allocation inefficiencies and wasted budget.
- Low System Adoption: Previous systems like Monday.com weren't being used consistently by the team, forcing them to rely on basic notes documents.
- Manual Updates: Constant need to manually update information across multiple systems, taking valuable time away from creative work.
- Project Imbalance: Some projects received too much attention and budget while others were neglected due to poor visibility.
Solution
We applied our 'Minimize Manual' process to create a centralized Airtable system tailored specifically to Rhubarb's creative workflow. This solution streamlined their operations by:
- Centralizing All Project Data: Created a single source of truth within Airtable, eliminating the need to reference multiple systems.
- Customized Views: Implemented multiple view options including gallery view for visual project management during team meetings, allowing different team members to interact with the system based on their preferences.
- Resource Allocation Tracking: Developed clear visibility into who was working on each project, helping to prevent overbooking of resources or neglecting projects.
- User-Friendly Interface: Designed an intuitive system that encouraged adoption across the entire team, even among those who had rejected previous project management tools.
- Flexible Filtering: Implemented easy-to-use filters allowing the team to quickly view active projects, incomplete projects, or other statuses as needed.
The Transformation
From: Juggling information across multiple systems (Slack, Monday.com, Excel, and basic Airtable) with poor adoption and visibility, leading to inefficient resource allocation and manual updating processes.
To: A single, unified Airtable workspace with custom views embraced by the entire team, providing clear resource visibility, streamlined workflows, and significant reduction in manual updates.
Direct Impact
The implementation of the 'Minimize Manual' process led to significant improvements in Rhubarb's operations:
- Time Savings: Elimination of duplicate data entry across multiple systems freed up valuable creative time.
- Cost Reduction: Better visibility of resource allocation prevented overbooking freelancers on projects, directly impacting the bottom line.
- Improved Adoption: Even team members who resisted previous systems embraced the new Airtable solution.
- Reduced Stress: The team reported feeling less stressed with clearer project visualization and simplified workflow.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Monday meetings became more productive with the ability to quickly filter and visualize active projects.
- Balanced Project Attention: Proper resource allocation ensured all projects received appropriate attention based on client needs and deadlines.
