You’ve probably read it throughout our site and heard it in our conversations:
We believe creativity doesn’t come from chaos — it comes from research with results in mind.
We don’t start a job without knowing our client’s desired result and what success looks like for them. Our team is involved each step of the way — utilizing a proven process to ensure we see the best results possible.
While each project is unique, the process doesn’t have to be! We know that a project without a process can break a budget, miss a deadline, and even fail to reach goals. Catalyst has market-proven processes in place that allow us to truly create a partnership with our clients. We don’t want to just produce great-looking work — we are strategic partners, and we employ a smart, agile team that is ready to leverage our proven process.
The start of a project can be most critical. Without key steps (and a team to help guide you), a project can fail from the start — if it isn’t executed effectively! Let’s talk about a few things you should always consider before starting any new project.
Who are the decision makers/stakeholders?
Make sure you identify who needs to provide input, changes, and approvals at the start of the project. This is often missed, and it can have a devastating effect on budget and timeline. By having too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, you can easily run into problems and end up wasting time and effort.
What is your goal?
This seems like a no brainer, but simply understanding the results you hope to achieve can change a creative deliverable completely. Are you looking for event attendance or leads from a particular promotion? Starting a project with a strategic goal helps everyone work together toward the same end result.
What’s the budget AND the timeline?
Outline what you want to spend and when it should be complete. We all know it’s easy to spend too much money and time. Without this set from the start, a project can fail quickly. At Catalyst, we try to work with all of our clients to provide both a reasonable timeline and a quick project execution to garner the best results. By having all of the aforementioned parts of the puzzle in place, we can cut down on excess time asking questions, helping to stay both on budget and within our initial timeline.
Don’t forget!
There are a lot of forgotten or hidden steps that are mission critical. “Did we remember to have that flyer proofed?” “Are we adhering to the CAN-SPAM law with our email program?” “How well did we read that vendor agreement?” We understand you want to be part of it all — and we can help you with that (without the extra stress). We deal with these important steps and more every day! We’ll help take care of the process and engage you along the way to help plan for success.
All in all, process is king! And that’s not just because I’m a project manager.
Starting a project on the right foot — and with the right partner — can change everything. Catalyst has worked hard to develop agile and efficient processes that allow us to tailor steps for each client, while following a defined path to success.
Ready for more?
Check out Part 2 of 2 here.
Are you curious about other steps that go into project management and the process we follow? Feel free to email me or contact our account managers for more details on everything we handle at Catalyst.