01Briefs and approvals.
Work starts before the brief is complete. Feedback arrives from three people in two places, and a producer has to work out which version counts.
What changes: Work waits until the brief is complete. Conflicting client feedback goes to one owner, with the sources attached.
02Scope and retainers.
A fourth round lands on a three-round estimate and nobody raises it. A 40-hour retainer takes 60, and you find out at invoicing.
What changes: The extra round is flagged before anyone starts it. Retainer overruns show up mid-month, not at invoicing.
03Media budgets and billing.
A budget revision gets approved, but the platform still runs the old split. Publisher invoices get checked by hand at month end.
What changes: Live allocations are compared with the approved plan, and invoices with the insertion order. Only mismatches reach a person.
04Client reporting.
Coverage and performance numbers get copied into decks. When two sources disagree, an account manager has to explain why.
What changes: The data is pulled together and conflicts are flagged, so account managers write the commentary instead of copying numbers.
05Production checks.
Final artwork reaches media with the wrong size, naming, or tracking, and someone finds out close to launch.
What changes: Files are checked against the media schedule at sign-off, while there is still time to fix them.
06New account onboarding.
Every win restarts the same chase for logins, contacts, naming rules, and past data.
What changes: One checklist tracks what is missing and who owns it, so each new account starts from the same process.
07Margin across services.
Media, SEO, and content sit in separate tools, so client profitability only becomes clear after the month closes.
What changes: Hours, fees, and spend come together by client, with unusual movements flagged before month end.