Simplifying submissions management for a production company

The challenge

A small independent film and television production company managed all project submissions in a single Excel spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet recorded information about television series, feature films, documentary projects and development opportunities being considered by the business. Over time, it became a significant operational bottleneck.

Data was often incomplete or inconsistent, the team had limited visibility across active opportunities, and important discussions from creative development meetings were difficult to capture and maintain.

As the business grew, the spreadsheet became increasingly difficult to manage. The file wasn’t user-friendly enough to share across the team and only a limited amount of information could be captured about each of the many submissions that were listed.

The organisation needed a more sustainable way to manage information, improve visibility and support better decision-making.

The approach

Before introducing any new technology, we focused on understanding how submissions moved through the business and how information was used at each stage of the process.

We mapped the existing workflow, reviewed existing data structures and worked with stakeholders to identify pain points, duplication and manual workarounds.

This discovery process revealed that the core challenge was not the spreadsheet itself.

The business lacked a clear process, consistent data standards and a shared way of managing information.

Rather than immediately exploring advanced automation or AI solutions, we focused on simplifying the process and identifying how Microsoft 365 apps that they were already paying for could better support the organisation.

This approach aligned with the principles described in our work on technology adoption and change management, where solving the business problem is prioritised over implementing technology for its own sake.

Understanding user needs

Research and stakeholder workshops showed that different users needed different types of information.

Producers wanted greater visibility of project opportunities and where they were at in the submissions process.

Development staff needed a simple and consistent way to capture information.

Leaders wanted to understand the status of submissions and support more informed decision-making.

Rather than asking, "How do we improve the spreadsheet?" we asked, "What information do people need to do their job effectively?"

This shifted the focus from system design to user needs.

The project became an exercise in improving information management, collaboration and operational visibility rather than replacing a tool.

Process design and solution development

Using insights gathered during discovery, we redesigned the submissions management process and developed a solution using SharePoint and Microsoft 365.

The new approach used SharePoint Lists and web pages on a SharePoint site to create a central source of truth for project opportunities. Existing data was added to a SharePoint list that captured everything the team needed to know about each project. We used PowerApps to customise an input form that met user needs, such as a large ‘Notes’ field that could take on new information every time a project was discussed in a meeting. Data held in SharePoint Lists was then surfaced through SharePoint pages and reporting views tailored to different user groups. This provided producers and business leaders with easier access to the information most relevant to their decisions without increasing administration effort.

This provided:

• Structured and consistent data capture

• Improved visibility across opportunities

• Better reporting and filtering

• Reduced duplication

• Easier collaboration

• Improved meeting preparation and follow-up

The solution was intentionally simple.

By using existing Microsoft 365 capabilities, the organisation avoided additional licensing costs, reduced technical complexity and improved long-term maintainability.

The project demonstrated that effective solutions often come from improving processes and information management before introducing new technology.

Governance and sustainability

A sustainable solution required more than a new tool.

We worked with the business to establish practical governance arrangements, including:

• Data ownership responsibilities

• Processes for maintaining records

• Consistent data standards

• Meeting processes

• Reporting expectations

By defining ownership and accountability upfront, the organisation reduced the risk of information quality deteriorating over time.

Clear ownership, governance and maintenance processes helped ensure the solution would remain effective as the business continued to grow.

The outcome

The organisation gained a more structured and sustainable approach to managing submissions.

Information became easier to capture, maintain and share.

Team members could quickly understand the status of projects, access supporting information and contribute to discussions without relying on individual knowledge or opening an unwieldy spreadsheet.

The business benefited from:

• Improved visibility across project opportunities

• More consistent information management

• Better collaboration

• Reduced administrative effort

• Stronger decision-making

• Greater confidence in the quality of information

Most importantly, the organisation solved the underlying business problem without introducing unnecessary complexity.

Reflection

This project reinforced an important lesson.

Many organisations assume that problems involving information, visibility or collaboration require new technology.

Often, the most effective solution is to first understand how people work, what information they need and how existing tools can be used more effectively.

By combining process improvement, governance, stakeholder engagement and pragmatic technology design, the organisation was able to create a solution that was simple, sustainable and aligned with the way people actually worked.

The project also demonstrated that successful technology outcomes often begin with understanding user needs rather than technology requirements, an approach that sits at the heart of content design.