Craft is an internal tool used to both deliver and track media assets as they leave the business. These assets could be going out to several places, either for distribution to international broadcasters, for broadcast in the UK or to any other online platform. Aside from allowing users to deliver the assets, it also provides a view into any issues that may occur while these assets make their way out of the business.
As the only product designer embedded within ITV's 6-person agile team, I was tasked with deeply understanding user needs and identifying strategic opportunities to enhance workflows, balancing user and business objectives. This included creating new features and automating large parts of the process for tracking and distributing media internationally. That involved extensive research, planning, and rigorous usability testing.
By automating its asset management processes for global distribution, ITV can streamline its operations, and reduce costs. Reducing the time needed to search for the right asset and deliver it to clients all over the world is a sensitive case. With a high volume of work and a complex archive system, it can be challenging to find the right assets quickly and efficiently.
After developing multiple features and continually testing them, it became clear that ITV's asset management process had significant pain points that automation could solve. Initially, ITV stakeholders considered purchasing off-the-shelf software to supplement the existing system. Instead, we pitched an expansion of Craft to centralise the process, cut expenses, improve communication between departments, and reduce errors and time spent on tasks. I gathered insights from previous feature development and conducted thorough research to understand the entire content supply department's processes and journeys. Then quickly prototyped to validate or invalidate our assumptions and iterate to improve our solution.
Craft has become the sole centralised repository for client technical specifications and their associated licensing information. By consolidating this data in Craft, we ave established a single source of truth for these key details. Teams across the organisation can now access the same up-to-date specifications and licence requirements for each client. This eliminates previous inconsistencies and confusion caused by technical specs and licences. Our system was designed around handling unique exceptions and requirements for global distribution. This tailored approach simplifies the end-to-end workflow - from client asset requests to final delivery - for each region's specific needs.
Recording clients specifications
Looking for the right assets
By automating and streamlining each step, we significantly reduced errors and delays previously associated with managing complex international distribution manually on disparate spreadsheets. The implementation of an automated, tailored system for global distribution led to substantial improvements in efficiency and consistency throughout the workflow. Me and my team automated significant workflows and rigorously tested every prototype. This ongoing commitment has positioned Craft as a dynamic, evolving solution that aligns seamlessly with ITV's strategic vision. The impact is not just in the platform's growth but in the tangible improvements in operational efficiency and user experience, solidifying Craft as a cornerstone in ITV's technical landscape.
At the moment ITV digital archives count 43.000 assets, so far we automated the search of 17.000 assets and the delivery of 85% on the last number. That resulted on a 30% reduction of operational time in Global distribution.