Keeping data in sync

THE CLIENT

The Posterhouse is a boutique design agency dedicated to high-end creativity for the film and entertainment industry

THE CHALLENGE

• The Posterhouse is one of multiple design agencies providing artwork for new releases for a large online film and entertainment streaming provider. They were looking for a way to improve and manage more efficiently the way they received information and updates to the artwork they were tasked to provide.

• Their main client, a Smartsheet user, made regular changes to the list of assets required and it was a challenge for the agency to keep track of and communicate efficiently all the client’s changes to their design team, especially as the master sheet was shared with multiple agencies and not owned by the client.

• The client was connected with Prodactive by a Smartsheet account manager to explore options to address this challenge.

THE SOLUTION

• Prodactive demonstrated multiple solutions to the client after an initial consultation which would not only to improve their overall efficiency but also showed how they could share information more efficiently with their team using reports and dashboards. We investigated DataMesh as the lead option to copy and sync information from the entertainment streaming provider’s master sheet into a local copy of the sheet, which the agency could then use.

• Having created a mirror copy of the master file and using a unique identifier for each line, a sync was set up with DataMesh that ensured when changes were made in the master sheet, these were then reflected into the local version. The team were then able to add additional columns to the local version to help with their management of the work that could then be used in reports where each team member could see all the items they needed to work on and in the order of priority.

THE OUTCOME

• The introduction of DataMesh, combined with leveraging the wider capabilities of Smartsheet to create ‘current user’ reports where individuals will only see their tasks, has significantly increased efficiency within the team and business overall. Whereas previously keeping track of changes made by the client created all sorts of challenges and duplication of effort, using DataMesh ensures the team members always have the correct information and dates available and so can be sure they are working on the right asset in the right order and avoid unnecessary rework.

CLIENT QUOTE

“Prodactive really helped us utilise Smartsheet to our advantage by helping us navigate what initially seemed a daunting task.

With just a few chats with Rich, he immediately understood our needs and created a system that has changed our way of working tremendously, making it a much more streamlined efficient way of working and the team here at PH are VERY grateful!”

Charlene Dias, Co-Creative Director