Digital Imaging Tutorial

9. Management

Key Concepts

introduction
project life cycle
in-house vs. outsource
in-house facility
project budgets
communication
project monitoring
looking beyond

additional reading

FACILITATING COMMUNICATION
Digital imaging projects will involve staff beyond those specifically assigned to the project. Regularly scheduled all-staff meetings provide a useful means for maintaining open communication. Decisions made, issues raised, and resolution of concerns should all be documented in writing, through meeting minutes or summaries, with process/product decisions ultimately finding their way into procedural manuals or guidelines. Narrow concerns may best be addressed in meetings that include only affected staff members. However, conflict resolution or changes in process should be reported to the broader group, as decisions made may have ramifications for the work of others. Regular communication is critical when dealing with outside service providers, especially if quality or production is adversely affected. It may be wise to formalize communication points by building in conference calls periodically or at critical junctures in the production schedule.

PROJECT MONITORING
Project tracking establishes a system to gather and analyze information about the source materials and digital files as well as performance, quality, and costs. A consistent methodology is critical when outsourcing any part of the project, as it provides the most direct way of ensuring contract compliance. Some service bureaus are encouraging institutions to develop joint production-tracking systems. For those functions performed in-house, project monitoring is the principal means for improving efficiency, effectiveness, and product reliability. Information gathered in one project can be used to project costs and workflow procedures in subsequent ones. Project monitoring involves data gathering and assessment on production processes, source materials and digital products, and project administration.