The Way: Project Intake – Mike Wang
Mike begins by telling us about Workamajig Labs, available to Conference Attendees May 1. It will be added to System Setup. You will view new features and can opt to deploy these features or not. Each user, who has the security rights, can turn on their lab items at the user level if the Company decides not to at a Company level.
There are two ways you can intake a project based on how projects come into an agency. The distinction hasn’t been clear, but now will be. You can use a Project Request, or by setting up an Estimate in the Opportunity Screen.
Project Requests – typically begins with a client login requesting the new project. This is the electronic method to route the new Project to the proper parties. The system knows who the user is and populates their user data accordingly to setup notification of Approval/Rejection of the Request. The next screen displays predefined Specs that the client can fill out. Then, the Client has the option to add additional files or specs that were not a part of the predefined process. Finally, the Client clicks the Complete Request function which sets the Approval Process rules into place (predefined by Request). The Request can be edited by the reviewer if desired. Once approved, you can click “Create Project” to then create a project from the Request. A notification will be sent to the Requestor. The Specs are copied over from the Request. The key point to adding a Project throughout the Request is that an Estimate is not generating.
Using CRM – Most agencies need to provide an Estimate for new work. Some AE’s do this themselves. Other agencies have Estimates routed to a Traffic Manager, or have a meeting to understand the Scope of Work and figure out the details in order to accurately build an Estimate. We are revisiting the Opportunity created in an earlier session. If the sales manager is capable of creating an Estimate they can do so from the Opportunity. The central question is will the Opportunity Estimate be creating one Project or is it for a Campaign? You must select one or the other from this screen. We use Project first. Save, then add a new Activity prompting someone (you add the user) to provide an Estimate for the Opportunity (if you cannot do the Estimate yourself). The user can then open the Opportunity to Estimate. You can set a billing layout for the Estimate. If the Estimate is Project Based, then you can establish a Template to be used if the Opportunity is converted into a Project. The User can add Billing Items and customize the default verbiage that is populated then on the Estimate. This is a translation between AE and Workamajig. The Items themselves are used to group services and production items into categories, such as “Agency Fees”.
We’ve added a new Estimate input screen that is now in Flash. Looks good, and is much more user friendly and customizable. Once the Estimate is complete it can be submitted for approval to the AE (if the Traffic Manager, is entering the Estimate). Notification is sent to the AE. Mike notes that you can now change the Task name from within the Estimate thereby updating your Template prior to intake as a Project. When the Estimate is Approved, notification is sent, and the Opportunity can be converted into a Project.
Reopen the Opportunity and click on the Estimate tab. Since it is a Project Estimate, click convert, and the Opportunity will be added as a Project. You will be able to enter a name for the Project. You can also specify a Client ID to be added to your Contact/Company records, if they did not exist before. The new project has been opened. There are no prompts for copying a template because we did so through the Estimate.
Now let’s assume that an estimate is being set up for what will treated as a Campaign. Simply click on this option while adding an Estimate to the Opportunity. An option for multiple Segments (new option) will appear. This is where you add the various elements that will apply to the Campaign (for example, Media, Interactive, Creative). Each Segment has a Segment Detail. Each can be linked to a Project Type, which allows you to default Estimating services.
We can enter Estimates for a Campaign from the top down, or from the bottom up. We begin by creating top down. We create a new estimate and now view segments along the left side of the screen, as opposed to the tasks displayed through the Project way. For each segment, the services are listed. So essentially, you are entering Estimates for multiple deliverables from one screen. Once approved, and then converted, you will be asked for a Campaign ID, and Client ID. Once converted, you are directed to a new Campaign screen. From this screen you can manage the Campaign budget and add Projects at the Segment level.
If you want to create a Campaign Estimate from the bottom up, you would add a new project the traditional way. The projects are being created for the Segments individually, and added to the Campaign Estimate.