Business Operations Case Studies
Our portfolio of operations projects are vast and range from web and digital marketing process improvements to innovative client onboarding initiatives, and employee retention.
Each project is unique and represents our commitment to excellence and our ability to drive tangible results for our clients.
Web and Digital Marketing Process Improvement Project
Upon initiating this project, we identified several challenges:
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Multiple systems lacking consistency
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Incomplete updates and follow-ups on project tasks
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Conflicting timelines among cross-departmental teams
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Working within the approved software vendors, O365, we conducted a comprehensive audit and overhaul of the digital marketing creative, development, and implementation process for a major health insurance company.
Successfully transitioning their process to an agile methodology, we ensured ease of use and flexibility for each project phase. Additionally, we developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and comprehensive training materials to support the implementation.
New Client Onboarding and Demand Generation Process Improvement Project
A communication gap between the recruitment marketing sales team and client account managers resulted in a prolonged onboarding process for new clients to receive their first leads.
By conducting interviews and surveys with team members, leadership and select clients, we identified broken links that created hurdles in the process. Some of the hurdles included a non-standardized onboarding process, lack of appropriate training for new sales representatives, and lack of complete documentation. These issues led to delays and the necessity for multiple email communications with new clients that were leading to a lack of confidence in the process and the company.
By identifying and correcting the issues, we successfully streamlined operations and created SOPs to prevent it from happening again.
This effort led to a remarkable 75% improvement in onboarding efficiency, optimizing the client onboarding process. Through these streamlined operations, we successfully reduced the onboarding duration from four weeks to just three business days, ensuring swift and seamless transitions for clients.
Employee Effective Career Pathing Project
A flat and nepotistic organization realized they needed assistance in creating depth for their employees to have effective career pathing after many employees left the company. The goal was to offer vertical growth opportunities that would create tenured employees.
We conducted employee surveys and interviews, put together an internal committee of employees to work as a team and facilitated group exercises to give them the opportunity to design their future with the company.
We worked with the team and created a strategic overhaul of the roles and responsibilities for a pilot group of account managers. After management buy-in, and buy-in from their HR team, we helped them implement a the new roles and responsibilities for a team of twenty-one Digital Account Managers.
By introducing a structured career path framework this transformation elevated the organizational structure from a stagnant, one-level role to a system with four distinct levels, each offering ample opportunities for promotion and two directions for professional growth. It also kept two top performers from resigning from the company who had said, "there was nowhere else to go."
New and Expanded Client Web Services Project
While the advertising agency primarily focused on traditional integrated marketing communications, their web division was gradually expanding. Lacking the necessary personnel and resources, they struggled to grow this division.
To address their concerns and capitalize on new revenue opportunities, we audited their project management process for website design and development and proposed not only revising their current process (see the next project example) but also identified and initiated the development and expansion of new client web services.
We proposed four new services:
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monthly website maintenance
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website auditing
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SEO strategy formulation
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comprehensive Google Analytics reporting
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We created standardized duplicatable templates for each service with monthly and quarterly services and pricing options that enabled client's flexibility to meet their needs and the company long term client and residual revenue.
This strategic endeavor not only enhanced revenue streams but also nurtured long-lasting client relationships founded on trust and value.
Website Budget and Estimating Proposal Project
The same marketing communication firm that initially focused on traditional advertising, introduced website design and development services to their client base. While they primarily focused on traditional marketing communications, their digital marketing and website projects were gradually expanding.
Lacking the necessary personnel and resources, they struggled to manage website builds effectively often missing delivery dates and going beyond budget leaving them and their clients oftentimes frustrated. They encountered challenges with their estimates lacking crucial steps, leading to projects exceeding scope, timeline, and budget.
In response, we conducted a comprehensive audit of their website projects, identifying and integrating essential new steps as well as adjusting existing turnaround times for specific tasks from successful builds alongside industry best practices for precise budgeting and timeline management.
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By revising the estimate template to add critical steps in the process as well as implementing suggestions such as client sign-off on schedules and due dates with regular status meetings to address any concerns, projects began consistently delivering on time and within budget constraints.
Micro Business Payroll App Ideator New Product Project
This project aimed to expand the payroll market into a new segment by introducing innovative technology previously unavailable in the industry. Their goal was to offer the simplest payroll process possible for micro business owners with one to ten employees.
The project involved:
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Vetting an app builder and managing relationship
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Developing the app architecture and process workflows
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Creating a sub-brand as a new segment of the company
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Devising a go-to-market strategy
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Orchestrating the product launch and event at SXSW
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Issuing press releases
Our innovative approach led to a significant number of app downloads within the first week of its release, highlighting the project's success.
Marketing Automation Project
At the outset of this project, lead generation was primarily accomplished through traditional door-to-door cold marketing, supplemented by presentations using a PowerPoint flip chart. Lead management relied on an outdated system, limiting marketing efforts to a few email campaigns, with all processes handled manually.
We proposed transitioning from manual procedures to leveraging HubSpot CRM for its enhanced efficiency and effectiveness:
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Vetted the product with the vendor
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Negotiated the contract and service level
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Created the sales qualified lead (SQL) funnel
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Created the primary marketing qualified lead (MQL) nurturing drip marketing campaign workflow
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Created automated email templates tagged for segmentation
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Created and implemented HubSpot forms on the website
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Set up automated analytics reporting templates
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Trained their team on using HubSpot and managing the product
Introducing and implementing an automated CRM system, establishing the initial MQL and SQL workflows, communications plan and templates, led to a notable 47% increase in their lead generation by revitalizing the lead acquisition process.
Grace Singingheart
Sr. Web & Digital Project Manager
Chernoff Newman
"I have had the pleasure of working with Devon. She has a keen eye to find effective and efficient processes out of chaos. Her ability and experience as an entrepreneur prove her process improvements has a positive impact to the bottom line. Devon is a great mentor and leader who I feel honored to know and have worked with."
