BrandDirector is a feature-rich Marketing Operations Management application suite – you choose the level of granularity to suit your business needs. Below are some of the benefits on offer.

The BrandDirector Digital Asset Manager
Process Automation made easy
Efficient Project Management
High-level Programme Management

The BrandDirector Digital Asset Manager

• Rapid location and retrieval of assets
  Choice of Simple or Advanced Search capability to allow rapid location and retrieval of required items. Items can also be tagged to help improve organization of assets.
• Version Control
  Sophisticated version control ensures guaranteed selection of the correct item; you can pre-set expiry for archival and deletion.
• Security
  Using roles and responsibilities, security model can be as granular as needed to adhere to in-house security regulations. Includes ability to give suppliers restricted access.
• Error Avoidance
  The system documents specifications for each item in a clear and concise manner, enabling easy interrogation and verification of details to avoid selection errors, e.g., to verify conformity with image licenses.
• Consistency of Material
  One definitive global source for each item ensures consistency across all markets , channels and materials. Sub-libraries can be setup if needed.
• Asset Ownership/ Control
  Because you license the system, ownership and protection of trademarks assets remains firmly in the hands of the owner rather than an agency. Avoids long-term tie-in to one particular supplier / agency.
• Rapid Dissemination
  Having one centralized system to upload/download items and allow restricted access for third parties, results in time and cost savings through a reduction in courier and mail distribution.
• Auditing
  Tracking of asset usage provides an audit trail to identify issues or opportunities.
• Rapid Updates and Editing
  Real-time updates to items ensures up to the minute global accuracy.
• Auto File / Image Conversion
  Images can be re-purposed on-the-fly, formats changed, quality and resolutions amended right there on the system. Results in reduced agency costs over time.
• Re-use of Imagery and R-purposing
  Re-use of easily accessible material means reduced photography related costs and time saving through avoidance of unnecessary shoots and reproduction.
• Caters for wide range of work streams
  E.g. In-store Activity Plans, Photography, Design Templates, Design Guidelines, Artwork, Cutter Guides, Store / Shelf Layouts, Display Templates, POS material, Window Dressing Material, Product Images, Product Specs, Packaging Material, Packaging Templates and Specs, Pricing Matrices, Legal and Promotional Guidelines…etc.
• Rapid Uploads for large files
  FTP capability enables rapid transfer of large file sizes see What's New?.

Top

Process Automation made easy

• Quick and easy project loading
  Provides simple to use Project Set-up Wizards, to enable fast, error-free set-up of process data.
• Avoid input errors
  System auto-checks inputs for errors and provides intuitive drop-down selection menus.
• Facilitates multiple approvals
  Easy to use but highly sophisticated Approval module to handle all kinds of idiosyncrasies associated with complex projects and complex organizations.
• Performance Management
  As with the DAM, powerful reporting enables continual improvement to internal processes and the ability to link with and track important financial information.
• Quality Improvement
  Greater consistency of project artifacts and processes results in improved quality of outputs.
• Increased Speed to Market
  Our clients report gains from compressed timelines, driven by improved efficiency and ability to easily identify areas for continuous improvement.
• Standard Workflow Templates
  Ships with a number of standard workflow templates to help set-up processes of your choice, including: New Product Development, Promotional material generation and In-store POS material generation.
• Specialized Modules
  Off-the-shelf modules pre-configured for niche markets, for example, the BrandDirector Packaging module maintains a listing of Catalogue and Off-catalogue packaging. Additional modules specific to your enterprise could also be built and integrated into your product installation.
• Visual representation of workflow processes
  Workflow Templates are made up of “Quick-fit” tasks that can be strung together in a visual representation, to show dependencies, critical paths and resourcing through one interface.
• Advanced Workflow Functions
  To match every-day challenges, the powerful workflow engine enables maximum flexibility to modify workflows on the fly e.g., overriding (re-starting, voiding) tasks, bypassing redundant deliverables, modifying resource allocation including suppliers, changing duration and schedules.
• Standard Process Forms
  Ships with a number of standard forms to support key tasks in the standard workflow templates, e.g. Briefing Forms, Approvals, Specification Forms, Project Reference Forms.

Top

Efficient Project Management

• Rapid turn-around on task completion
  Email notifications are sent automatically to RACI contacts when tasks are completed and contain embedded links to take you directly to the task in hand, ensuring rapid turnarounds.
• Speed up approvals
  System takes on the often onerous task of requesting and collecting approvals.
• Custom Reporting
  Tailored reports provide powerful tools for performance-management to support continual improvement eg for resource planning, tracking of KPIs etc.
• Status Tracking
  Traffic light dashboard to highlight the status of project tasks, and enable rapid identification of blockages and who's responsible.
• Avoid project bottlenecks
  Full visibility and transparency of project status enables project managers a clearer overview and eliminates duplication of effort. Project workflows can also be put on hold and re-activated later.
• General efficiency gains
  Our clients report less firefighting through better planning and improved resource balancing.
• Critical Path Management
  Easy to use yet sophisticated CPM module provides automated Critical Paths at set-up, as well as flexibility to amend as the project progresses.
• Flexible RACI
  Collaborative processes built using customizable RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed), to establish clear lines of accountability and secure access to your allocated projects. Responsibilities can also be delegated.
• Per-task Audit Trail
  Keeps track of all RACI contacts, when the task was due and when it was actually completed.

Top

High-level Programme Management

• Supplier Management
  Supplier performance can be reviewed over time, by comparing estimated vs. actual time taken to complete tasks.
• High-level Reporting
  Specially tailored reports can be set up for programme managers, for example, to identify the points at which the most re-work occurs together with RACI parties involved, and calculations of resource and cost loads for particular groups over a period of time.
• KPI Monitoring
  Per task KPIs can be fed into advanced reports to show how long different groups take to complete their allocated work.
• Stage Gating
  Stage-gating KPI values can be set up per project and monitored to quickly identify blockages or failing projects. This enables programme managers to "stage-gate" across project ranges and better manage departmental budgets.
• Range-level Submissions
  Projects are grouped into ranges - tasks can be performed for an individual project at a time or an entire range of projects can be progressed together.

Top