Creative Operations

I have always had a strong focus on great creative operations, because I think that they are at the heart of what it takes to produce great creative work.  Brilliant  and thoughtful ideas are, of course, very important.  But without equally brilliant and thoughtful operations, you can create a workplace where great ideas go to die!  Without the tools and structures to execute, ideas cannot become actual deliverables.    

So, what are Creative Operations? In the simplest and driest terms, creative operations refers to the systems and processes that support the workflow of creative teams so that creators can focus on their work:
 

• RESOURCES - Tracking creative resources like staff, freelancers, costs. Efficient allocation across projects.

• PRODUCTION - Overseeing timelines, briefs, asset management. Keeping projects on track.

• KNOWLEDGE - Documenting guidelines, training materials, best practices. Capturing creative IP.

• VENDORS - Managing external partners like agencies, contractors, and asset sources.

• DATA - Gathering data on costs, timelines, performance. Identifying improvement opportunities.

• LEGAL - Handling IP protection, licensing, usage rights for creative work.

• TECH AND TOOLS - Managing creative software/tools, integrations, libraries, systems.
   

Behind every brilliant creative team is an invisible force operating like clockwork to enable their success. Whether your company has a separate creative operations department, or handles operations as part of the internal creative team's workflow, creative ops streamline work, optimize costs, preserve knowledge, enable data-driven decisions, and facilitate collaboration.

With efficient operations supporting them, creative teams can focus their energy on producing their highest quality work. Seamless processes remove friction and administrative burden from creators, so they can do what they do best: Create beautiful and brilliant work!.